South African Rand (ZAR)
Published processing fees and market availability for the South African Rand (ZAR) across 13 gateways, bank acquirers, and payment rails serving South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Eswatini. Always confirm current rates on the provider's official pricing page.
Regional context & bank acquiring rules: Africa payments guide · All Africa currencies
Who serves this currency
All 13 gateways, bank acquirers and wallets serving ZAR markets, including providers with published ZAR fee schedules (5) and custom/quote-only processors (8).
Card gateways & processors
| Provider & market notes | Fee schedule |
|---|---|
| AdyenEnterprise processor (Uber, Spotify, eBay). Interchange++ from roughly 0.6% + fixed per transaction plus scheme fees, custom contract pricing only. | Worldwide |
| Checkout.comEnterprise processor strong in EMEA/LatAm; interchange++ blended rates negotiated per merchant. | Worldwide |
| PayURegional availability, ask for a quote. | Serves this market |
| EBANXCross-border processor for LatAm, Africa and India with 100+ local methods (Pix, boleto, OXXO). Custom pricing; third-party reviews cite ~2.7% + $0.30 (2021 figure, verify). | Serves this market |
| Network InternationalLargest acquirer in the Middle East & Africa (parent of DPO Group and PayFast). Custom merchant acquiring and N-Genius online gateway rates. | Serves this market |
| PaystackSouth Africa local cards 2.9% + R1.00 (EFT 1.5%) excl. VAT. | Published fees |
| FlutterwaveSouth Africa local cards 2.9%; international 3.8%. | Published fees |
| DPO Group (by Network)Regional availability, ask for a quote. | Serves this market |
| YocoOnline payments 2.95% excl. VAT (15% VAT applies to the fee); drops to ~2.55% with volume. Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay. | Published fees |
| PayFast (South Africa)Credit/cheque cards 3.2% + R2.00 excl. VAT; Instant EFT 2.0% (min R2.00); no monthly fee. | Published fees |
Wallets & other payment rails
| Provider & market notes | Fee schedule |
|---|---|
| PayPalAvailable to merchants in 190+ countries; receiving capability varies by country. Cross-border fees are higher than domestic. | Worldwide |
| OzowSouth Africa automated Instant EFT & PayShap bank-to-bank payments (excl. VAT). | Published fees |
| Payoneer Profile →Cross-border receiving platform: local receiving accounts, marketplace payouts and client payment requests in 190+ countries. Not a card checkout gateway. See our full Payoneer profile for the fee breakdown. | Worldwide |
Compare gateways for an amount
This comparison only shows fees we can publicly verify (5 of 13 providers serving ZAR). Processors and bank acquirers that quote custom or merchant-specific rates are listed under Who serves this currency above.
Enter an amount to compare verified ZAR rates.
Disclaimer: Comparisons only include publicly verifiable standard rates as of November 6, 2026 and exclude custom-quoted gateways, bank MIDs, monthly plan fees and local taxes unless noted. See all 13 providers serving ZAR.
Card gateway fees
Fee tables only show rates we can publicly verify from official provider schedules (8 additional providers serve ZAR with custom or quote-only pricing—see all 13 providers above). We never invent figures for custom-quoted processors or bank acquirers. Figures are for comparison only; always confirm your exact rate on the provider's site.
| Provider | Local rate | Fixed fee | Fee cap | Intl. cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PaystackSouth Africa local cards 2.9% + R1.00 (EFT 1.5%) excl. VAT. | 2.9%+0.9% international cards | ZAR 1.00 | n/a | +0.9% |
| FlutterwaveSouth Africa local cards 2.9%; international 3.8%. | 2.9%+0.9% international cards | ZAR 0.00 | n/a | +0.9% |
| YocoOnline payments 2.95% excl. VAT (15% VAT applies to the fee); drops to ~2.55% with volume. Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay. | 2.95% | ZAR 0.00 | n/a | Same rate |
| PayFast (South Africa)Credit/cheque cards 3.2% + R2.00 excl. VAT; Instant EFT 2.0% (min R2.00); no monthly fee. | 3.2% | ZAR 2.00 | n/a | Same rate |
Compare two ZAR card gateways side by side
Wallets & other payment rails (published rates)
Publicly verifiable merchant rates for mobile money, digital wallets and account-to-account rails in ZAR.
| Provider | Local rate | Fixed fee | Fee cap | Intl. cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OzowSouth Africa automated Instant EFT & PayShap bank-to-bank payments (excl. VAT). | 1.5% | ZAR 0.00 | n/a | Same rate |
Monthly, plan & setup fees (ZAR)
8 of 13 offer $0/mo base plans% + fixed fee) and are not included in calculator estimates above. Always verify current plan tiers on the provider's official pricing page.
Card gateways & bank acquirers — Monthly & setup fees
| Provider & plan notes | Plan structure | Base monthly fee | Setup fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| AdyenNo fixed monthly fee, but enterprise minimum monthly invoice typically applies | Bank MID / custom | $0/mo (min. volume applies) | $0 |
| Checkout.comNegotiated interchange++ schedule for high-volume merchants | Bank MID / custom | Custom enterprise contract | Custom |
| PayUPay-as-you-go standard merchant account; pay only per transaction processed | No monthly fee | $0/mo | $0 |
| EBANXEnterprise cross-border & local rail processing contract | Bank MID / custom | Custom enterprise contract | Custom |
| Network InternationalDirect merchant acquiring packages across UAE, Jordan, Egypt & Africa | Bank MID / custom | Custom / bank plan | Varies by plan |
| PaystackPay-as-you-go standard merchant account; pay only per transaction processed | No monthly fee | $0/mo | $0 |
| FlutterwavePay-as-you-go standard merchant account; pay only per transaction processed | No monthly fee | $0/mo | $0 |
| DPO Group (by Network)Standard aggregator plan or custom pan-African enterprise schedule | Bank MID / custom | $0–custom/mo | Varies by country |
| YocoPay-as-you-go standard merchant account; pay only per transaction processed | No monthly fee | $0/mo | $0 |
| PayFast (South Africa)Pay-as-you-go standard merchant account; pay only per transaction processed | No monthly fee | $0/mo | $0 |
Wallets & other payment rails — Monthly & setup fees
| Provider & plan notes | Plan structure | Base monthly fee | Setup fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| PayPalStandard Checkout $0/mo; Advanced / Pro virtual terminal ~$30/mo in US/CA/UK | $0/mo + tiers | $0/mo | $0 |
| OzowNo monthly subscription fee on standard merchant wallet / QR / A2A acceptance | No monthly fee | $0/mo | $0 |
| Payoneer Profile →Free to hold and receive; $29.95 annual fee applies to inactive accounts in some countries | $0/mo + tiers | $0/mo | $0 |
South African Rand (ZAR) payment gateway FAQs
Which payment gateways and processors serve South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and 1 more (ZAR)?
Sympli5 tracks 13 payment gateways, bank acquirers, and payment rails serving South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Eswatini (South African Rand, ZAR), including PayPal, Adyen, Checkout.com, PayU, EBANX, Network International and 7 others. Of these, 5 publish verifiable standard ZAR per-transaction schedules and 8 operate on custom, quote-only, or bank Merchant ID (MID) pricing.
What are the lowest published payment processing fees in South African Rand (ZAR)?
Among the 5 providers with publicly verified ZAR schedules, the lowest headline variable rate starts at 1.5% + ZAR 0.00 via Ozow. Your lowest effective cost depends on your average order value, card mix, and whether a fee cap applies—use the interactive ZAR calculator on this page to compare exact net payouts.
Do ZAR payment gateways charge monthly or setup fees?
Of the 13 providers serving ZAR markets, 8 offer a $0/month base pay-as-you-go plan with $0 setup fees. The remaining 5 providers either require a monthly gateway plan or operate through a bank Merchant ID (MID) with bank-quoted monthly maintenance and setup fees. Monthly and setup costs are charged separately from per-transaction processing rates.
What does the international card surcharge mean for ZAR transactions?
An international (foreign-issued) card fee applies when a customer pays your business in ZAR using a Visa, Mastercard, or Amex issued by a bank outside your local merchant country—such as a foreign tourist or overseas buyer. In ZAR, providers like Paystack (+0.9%), Flutterwave (+0.9%) add an explicit cross-border card surcharge on top of their domestic rate.