Explainer
Card Machine Fees in South Africa (2026): What You Pay
What card machine fees cost in South Africa: the transaction fee, VAT, the monthly costs on top, and the full one-year price. Checked 24 September 2026.
Some links here are referral links, and where a provider gives our readers a better price than its own site, that is the price you get by using one. It costs you nothing extra, and every option here is judged on the same test either way.
When you buy a card machine in South Africa today, the best deals have you pay once for a machine you own, and then a fee on every transaction, which depends on how you use it. Depending on the provider, there can also be a rental, a payout fee and SIM data on top.
So the R699 you pay once for the machine is the cheapest part of the decision. The fees you pay on every single sale, for as long as your business is open, are where the real money goes. The three machines below cost R699 or less to start, and each one shows what you keep paying after that.
Each company's cheapest way to start taking cards, at its own price.
Yoco Khumo 2
The lowest fee
2.30% excl. VAT, nothing monthly on Core, and unlimited data at no extra cost.
iKhokha iK Flyer Lite
Prepaid commission
2.75% excl. VAT, but you can sell airtime and electricity on it for a commission, and it pays out the same day on Nedbank.
WAPPoint SquarePOS RX
R200 to start
You rent it for R189 a month plus R50 insurance, and the rental falls away in any month you take more than R15 000 on card.
Prices checked 24 Sep 2026
A card machine quote comes down to four things: the price of the machine, the transaction fee, what you pay every month (rental and SIM data), and what it costs to get your money. Once you can see all four, no salesperson can hand you a number you cannot check. So we'll take them one at a time, in rands, at your turnover.
What a card machine fee is
A card machine fee is a percentage the provider keeps from every card sale you make. Sell R100 and, at a 2.30% fee, R2.30 is what they charge you for that transaction.
That percentage is not one company's markup. It is built from a few layers, and it helps to know them, because it explains why the fee is what it is and why it rarely drops to zero. The biggest layer is InterchangeThe slice of your fee that goes to the bank that issued your customer's card, set by the card scheme (Visa or Mastercard), not by your provider. No provider can take it away, which is why no card fee is ever zero.On a R100 saleR2.30 leaves your account at a 2.30% fee. Only about 40c to 70c of that is your provider's own share, so that's all it could ever give back. The rest is interchange and the scheme fee, fixed before you start negotiating.Interchange is set by Visa and Mastercard, and it varies by card type. A standard consumer debit card carries less than a credit card, and a premium rewards card carries more than either. So the same shop can pay noticeably different amounts on two sales of the same size, because the customer's choice of card moved the cost, not anything the shop did. A single flat fee for every card is really an average. Underneath it, the cost moves from card to card.See every term in the glossary, and you can press that word for the plain-English version, plus what it costs you on a R100 sale.
So when you negotiate, you're only ever arguing over your provider's share, about 40c to 70c of the R2.30 on a R100 sale.
That's why the price lists below all start between 2.30% and 2.75%. If you're quoted a fee far below that, look for what's been left out, like VAT or a monthly charge.
What each provider charges
Three of the four put their fees on their websites, so you can check every number below before you sign.
In this table I only use Yoco, iKhokha, WAPPoint and Adumo. In my research, these four are the best fit for most South African businesses, from a one-person stall to a small chain of shops, and I read each one's fees on its own website. That list is not fixed: when a better deal appears it goes in, and I will tell you what changed.
Card machine fees in South Africa, from each company's price list
| Yoco | iKhokha | WAPPoint | Adumo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fee on local cards | 2.30% excl. VAT on Core | From 2.75%, stepping down with turnover | From 2.75%, stepping down with turnover |
|
| Does the rate improve as you grow? | Local debit drops to 1.35% above ~R50 000/mo |
|
|
Negotiated, so in principle yes |
| Fixed monthly | R0 on Core | R75 for dual-SIM data (R0 on your own Wi-Fi), and R2.50 a payout |
|
Not on its website |
| Can you see the fee before you sign? | Yes, on its website | Yes, every step on its website | Yes, every step on its website | No, only once you ask |
| How you are priced | Same rate for everyone, on its price list | Same rate steps for everyone | Same rate steps, plus the rental waived above a turnover threshold | Privately, on your turnover and industry |
Each company's own price list, excluding VAT, checked 24 September 2026.← scroll sideways on a narrow screen →
The top row is the fee on every sale. The rows under it show what changes as you grow, and what you pay each month whatever you sell.
Of the three with a price list, Yoco has the lowest fee and nothing to pay each month on Core.
Yoco charges 2.30% excluding VAT on Core (Yoco's plan)Yoco's standard plan, and the one almost every small business is on. It costs R0 a month, charges 2.30% excluding VAT per local card sale, and includes the dual-SIM mobile data free for life. Instant Payout costs R17.25 for a payout of up to R1 000 and 1% above that, up to R10 000 a day.Why every Yoco figure here says itCore is R0 a month, so the 2.30% on this page is the whole cost. Yoco's paid plans buy a lower fee for higher turnover, and quoting those would flatter Yoco.Core is Yoco's standard, free plan. Nothing on it is billed monthly, the dual-SIM data is included at no extra cost, and the 2.30% excluding VAT drops to 1.35% on local debit above roughly R50 000 a month, automatically rather than on request. Instant Payout on Core costs R17.25 a payout up to R1 000, then 1%. Every Yoco number in this guide is quoted on Core, the plan with nothing to pay each month.See every term in the glossary, which is R2.30 on a R100 sale, and its local-debit fee steps down to 1.35% once you pass roughly R50 000 a month. iKhokha starts at 2.75%, or R2.75 on the same sale, and slides toward 2.50% as your sales grow.
WAPPoint also starts at 2.75% excluding VAT, and it steps down on turnover much as iKhokha does, to 2.65% from R25 000, 2.55% from R50 000 and 1.95% on debit above R100 000.
Where WAPPoint differs is the machine itself. You don't buy it. You rent it by the month, and the rental is waived in any month your card sales pass a set amount. On the entry SquarePOS RX that's R189 a month below R15 000 in card sales, and R0 above it, which is why WAPPoint jumps around so much on the slider further down.
Adumo doesn't show a fee on its website at all. A quote on your real turnover can beat a price list, but you can't compare Adumo with anything here until you've asked for your number. Ask Adumo for yours here, and we'll follow it up for you.
Why the fees here carry a dateEditor's note
We read every fee on this page off the company's own pricing page, and the date sits under each table. Companies change their prices without always saying so. If you're reading this months from now, check that date first, and the company's price list before you sign.
The two words that change the number: excluding VAT
Most card machine fees in South Africa are quoted excluding VAT. Those two words add 15% to every fee on this page, so look at Excluding VAT (excl. VAT)The fee before 15% VAT is added, so 2.30% excl. VAT becomes 2.645% once VAT is on it. A fee that looks cheaper may just be quoted differently.On R100 taken on cardThat's R2.65 on R100 rather than R2.30. On R50 000 of card sales a month it's R1 322.50 rather than R1 150, so R172.50 a month that wasn't in the quote.South African card machine companies aren't consistent about this. Some quote including VAT, some excluding, and a few show one on the website and the other in the contract. If you're VAT-registered you claim the VAT back, so the excl. figure is the one that matters to you. If you're not registered, and most small traders aren't, the incl. figure is what actually leaves your account.See every term in the glossary before you compare a single quote.
Either way, check that two quotes are on the same basis before you compare them. On R50 000 a month the VAT on a 2.30% fee is about R172 on its own, or about R2 070 over a year.
What that fee costs at your turnover
The thing about small percentages is that they are hard to feel. The same 0.45 of a percentage point, the gap between Yoco's 2.30% and iKhokha's 2.75%, is loose change on a market stall and a part-time salary in a busy shop, so the only number that means anything is yours.
Drag the slider to what you actually take on card in a month. The ranking reorders as you go, and every figure is the company's own fee from its price list, excluding VAT.
-
Yoco2.30% + R0/moWhere it wins: the lowest fee of the three on this slider, with nothing monthly and the data included
R690
-
iKhokha2.75% sliding to 2.50% + R140/moWhere it wins: same-day money with no percentage, and commission on prepaid
R965
-
WAPPoint2.75% stepping down + R239/mo, R50 above R15 000Where it wins: R200 to start instead of R699, and the rental is waived above R15 000 a month
R845
Adumo prices each business on its own turnover and industry, so there is no fee on its website to put on the slider. If you take a lot on card, a private quote can beat a price list. Ask for your rate
Capitec lists a lower fee, 1.85%, but it's a bank's merchant rate that pays into a Capitec account, so we compare it on its own terms. Capitec vs Yoco
becomes the cheaper one above about a month. The answer changes with how you trade, not with who is paying us.
Why one name stays on top: Yoco has the lowest fee at every turnover on this slider. Second place changes: iKhokha below about R15 000, and WAPPoint above it, once its rental is waived. If you need your money the same day, tick the box above, because that is where iKhokha can come out ahead. Read at yoco.com, ikhokha.com and wappoint.co.za on 24 September 2026.
Each company's headline fee for local cards from its own price list, excluding VAT, plus what each one bills every month. iKhokha: its rate steps down at R40 000, R60 000 and R80 000; R75 for the two SIMs (R0 on your own Wi-Fi) and R2.50 a daily payout, about R65. WAPPoint: the SquarePOS RX rental of R189 below R15 000 a month, waived above it, and its R50 insurance, which is never waived; its credit rate is shown, and its debit rate is lower from R100 000. Yoco: 2.30% on Core with nothing monthly; its local debit rate of 1.35% from R50 000 is not modelled, so if most of your customers pay by debit card, your Yoco bill will be lower than shown.
Yoco costs you R275 less a month here
That is R3,300 over a year at this turnover, before either provider negotiates.
At the bottom of the range the order hardly changes, so a new business doesn't need to agonise over the fee. The one that moves is WAPPoint, once its rental falls away at R15 000.
The costs the sticker price hides
The transaction fee is the biggest cost, but the cheapest machine to buy often isn't the cheapest to own. Three costs sit outside the headline fee.
First, the monthly SIM or data fee. Some machines include their mobile data and some charge R75 a month for it, which comes to R900 over a year.
Second, the cost of getting your money sooner. Yoco's Instant Payout costs R17.25 a payout up to R1 000 and 1% above that, for anyone, on any day. iKhokha's same-day route charges no percentage, just its usual R2.50 a payout, as long as you bank with Nedbank or are a sole proprietor using its debit card into a GoTyme Bank EveryDay accountA free personal transaction account from GoTyme Bank, a South African digital bank. It is not an iKhokha product: you open it yourself in the GoTyme app, then list it on your iKhokha profile as your payout account. It is the only account iKhokha's same-day iK Debit Card pays into. iKhokha also pays Nedbank customers twice a day, the same day, with no GoTyme account involved.The cost that is not a feeR0. The account is free. iKhokha's same-day money costs no more than its normal payout, but it comes with conditions instead of a fee, so it can't sit beside Yoco's Instant Payout price in one column.A free personal transaction account from GoTyme Bank, a South African digital bank. You open it yourself in the GoTyme app and list it on your iKhokha profile as the account the iK Debit Card pays into. It comes with two conditions. It's a second bank to run, and because it's a personal account, registered companies can't use the card route. They get same-day money on iKhokha only through a Nedbank account.See every term in the glossary.
In short, Yoco's faster money costs more, and iKhokha's depends on where you bank. Our payout times guide sets out what each company asks for, and how long SettlementWhen the money actually lands in your bank account — not when the payment is approved. The gap is one to three business days depending on provider.What waiting costsNothing, if you can wait one to two business days. Yoco charges R17.25 a payout up to R1 000, then 1%, to skip the wait, and iKhokha charges R2.50 a payout whether you skip it or not.Settlement is when the money actually lands in your account, not when the machine approves the payment. It's a cost of its own, and companies price it three different ways: a percentage to be paid sooner, a flat charge per payout, or conditions you either meet or don't. A comparison that leaves it out is missing one of the four parts of the price.See every term in the glossary takes on each.
Last, the account or contract behind the fee. A bank's merchant fee can look lower on paper, but it comes with the cost and admin of running a business account with that bank.
Capitec's business account, for instance, costs R50 a month with a R150 minimum balance, and only registered companies have to hold one. For most businesses starting out, that extra account is why companies that need no business bank account, like Yoco and iKhokha, are the easier start.
The sticker price is the least important number on the page
A R1 499 machine with its data included, like the Yoco Khumo Print 2, can cost you less over a year than a R699 machine that charges R75 a month for its SIM. We work out a full year for two R699 machines just below, and for every machine in our best card machines guide.
The one-year cost, worked out
Put the Yoco Khumo 2 and the iKhokha Flyer Lite side by side and both cost R699 right now. After that they part ways, on the transaction fee, the SIM data and the payout fee.
Yoco Khumo 2
R0 monthly on the free Core plan and dual-SIM data included, so a quiet month costs you nothing.
iKhokha Flyer Lite
R75 a month for its own SIM, or R0 if you run it on the shop's Wi-Fi.
Add those up and you have what each machine costs you in its first year. We've done the sum for a business taking about R30 000 a month on card.
Both machines at R699, with iKhokha's on its own SIM data and paying out once a trading day at R2.50.
One-year cost at R30 000 a month in card sales
| Yoco Khumo 2 | iKhokha iK Flyer Lite | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware, once | R699 | R699 on promotion, was R999 |
| Data / SIM, per year | R0: dual-SIM data included on Core | R900: R75/mo, or R0 on your own Wi-Fi |
| Transaction fees on R360 000/yr | R8 280 at 2.30% | R9 900 at 2.75% |
| Payout fees, per year | R0: no payout fee | About R780: R2.50 a daily payout |
| One-year total | R8 979 | About R12 279 |
Modelled on R30 000 monthly turnover at each company's own fees, checked 24 September 2026. Excludes VAT.
The fees alone account for R1 620 of the gap, and the SIM data and payouts make up the rest.
Both cost R699 on the day. A year later, the Khumo 2 has cost about R3 300 less.
You can do the same sum on any quote you're given. This one is why the Khumo 2 is our pick below, and the full ranked tables are in our best card machines guide.
Yoco Khumo 2
On these sums it's the machine to buy. It charges 2.30% excluding VAT, R0 a month on Yoco's free Core plan and R0 for the SIM, which gives it the lowest one-year total here. What it loses on: you can't sell airtime or electricity on it for a commission, and same-day money costs R17.25 or 1% a payout, where iKhokha charges no percentage for it, though only on Nedbank or for sole proprietors with a GoTyme account. If either of those matters to your business, the ranked list makes the full case for iKhokha.
Buy the Khumo 2The fee myth to ignore
You may have read that iKhokha's "dynamic" fee becomes cheaper than Yoco's once your sales grow. It doesn't, and believing it can cost you money.
There is no turnover at which iKhokha's fee drops below Yoco's
On both 2026 price lists, iKhokha's fee slides toward 2.50% as your sales grow but never drops below Yoco's 2.30%, and Yoco's own local-debit fee steps down to 1.35% above roughly R50 000 a month. Yoco is at or below iKhokha at every turnover.
iKhokha still has its place, for the prepaid commission and same-day money we set out in Yoco vs iKhokha. But if a salesperson tells you its higher fee pays for itself once your sales grow, ask them to show you the price list, because the fee steps above say otherwise.
How to read any card machine quote
The next time a company gives you a quote, ask these four questions, in this order.
Is that fee excluding or including VAT?
If it's excluding, add 15% before you compare it with anything.
On R50 000 a month at 2.30%, that's about R172 more than the quote.What do I pay every month, on top of the fee?
Add any rental and the SIM or data fee before you compare anything.
R75 a month for SIM data is R900 a year, and WAPPoint's rental is R189 in any month you stay under R15 000.What does it cost to get my money sooner?
Ask for the fast-payout fee as well as the standard settlement time.
It's not in the transaction fee. Yoco charges R17.25 a payout up to R1 000, then 1%, and iKhokha charges its usual R2.50 if you meet its conditions.Can you price it on my own turnover?
Give them your real monthly card sales, then compare one-year totals.
The same 0.45 of a point is R22.50 a month at R5 000 and R900 a month at R200 000, so use your own number on the slider above.Questions people ask about card machine fees
Costs & fees
How much are card machine fees in South Africa?
Card machine transaction fees in South Africa run about 2.30% to 2.75% excluding VAT, on every sale, with popular companies that need no business bank account.Yoco is 2.30% on its Core plan (stepping to 1.35% on local debit above roughly R50 000 a month) and iKhokha starts at 2.75%, sliding toward 2.50%. If you already bank with Capitec, its own machine is worth comparing: 1.85% up to R50 000 a month, paid into a personal or business account. Fees checked 24 September 2026.
Which card machine has the lowest fees?
Of the popular companies that need no business bank account, Yoco's 2.30% on its Core plan is the lowest, dropping to 1.35% on local debit above about R50 000 a month, and it is lower than iKhokha's at every turnover.A bank's card machine can cost less. Capitec charges 1.85% up to R50 000 a month, paid into a Capitec personal or business account, so it's worth a look if you already bank there. And the lowest fee isn't always the lowest total cost once monthly data fees are added.
Do card machine fees include VAT?
Usually not. Most South African card machine fees are quoted excluding VAT, so 15% is added on top.A fee of 2.30% excluding VAT is 2.645% once VAT is included. Always compare quotes on the same basis.
Are card machine fees charged on every transaction?
Yes. You pay the percentage on every card sale for as long as you use the machine, so even a small difference adds up.On R35 000 a month in card sales, Yoco's 2.30% against iKhokha's 2.75% comes to R1 890 a year.
Day to day
What is a good card machine rate in South Africa?
If you'd rather not open a business bank account, anything at or below Yoco's 2.30% excluding VAT on its Core plan is a good fee, and better still once your turnover brings Yoco's local-debit fee down to 1.35%.If you already bank with Capitec, its 1.85% up to R50 000 a month is lower again.
Why is my card machine rate higher than advertised?
Usually one of three reasons: VAT has been added to an excluding-VAT quote, a monthly SIM or data fee is being counted on top, or a promotional intro rate has ended.Check whether the quote is excluding VAT, add any monthly fee to the rate, and confirm the rate is the standard one and not a promotion.
