Business guide
3 Best Card Machines for a Laundromat or Dry Cleaner (2026)
What a laundromat or dry cleaner needs from a card machine: payment at drop-off, a printed slip, refunds you control and invoices for account customers.
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.
At a laundry, the card machine's fee matters less than when you take the money. Most dry cleaners are paid when the customer comes back to collect, which can be days later, and some never come back. The rail of clothes that nobody has paid for yet is money you've already spent on cleaning.
So in this guide I start with what a laundromat or dry cleaner needs a card machine to do, before looking at any machine. Then I measure three against that list and work out what a year costs. The answer is a machine that lets you take the money at drop-off, prints a slip, and can refund part of a sale when a shirt comes back damaged.
What a laundry needs from a card machine
A laundry isn't a shop where the sale ends at the till. The customer leaves something with you, comes back for it later, and sometimes isn't happy with what they get back. These are the five things that follow from that, and every machine below is measured against them.
Take the money at drop-off
A quick tap at the counter when the clothes come in, so the customer has already paid when they collect.
Clothes that are paid for get collected. Unpaid ones can hang on the rail for weeksA printed slip
A slip the customer keeps with the ticket, showing what they paid and when.
It settles the 'I already paid' conversation at collectionRefunds you control
A full or partial refund back to the customer's card, done by you or a staff member you trust.
When one shirt out of five comes back damaged, you refund that shirt, not the whole orderPayment links
A link you send by WhatsApp or SMS so a customer can pay before collection or delivery.
For collection and delivery rounds, and for anyone who forgot to pay at drop-offInvoices for account customers
A proper invoice for a guest house, a salon or a restaurant that sends you linen every week.
Account customers pay on invoice, not at the counterHow the three machines measure up
I looked at three machines with a built-in printer, because a laundry hands over a slip. The Yoco Khumo Print 2 and the iKhokha iK Flyer clear most of the list. HelloPay's All in One Touch prints and sells prepaid, but it can't refund a card, and that's what a dry cleaner needs on the day something goes wrong.
| Requirement | Yoco Khumo Print 2, R1 399 | iKhokha iK Flyer, R1 499 | HelloPay All in One Touch, R1 999 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prints a slip | Built-in printer | Built-in printer | Built-in printer |
| Refunds part of a sale | Full or partial, on the machine or the app, by staff you approve | In the iKhokha app, with the original card; partial refunds not stated | No card refunds on its machines |
| Payment links | Free on every plan | iK Pay Link | An online gateway for websites; no payment link listed |
| Invoices | Digital invoicing, free | iK Invoice, unlimited and free | Not listed on HelloPay's site |
| Sells prepaid | No airtime or electricity | Airtime, electricity and vouchers | Airtime, electricity and vouchers |
← scroll the table sideways on a narrow screen →
The refund row is the one to read twice. A Payment linkA web link for a set amount that you send to a customer by WhatsApp, SMS or email. They open it and pay by card on their phone, and the money reaches you the way a card machine payment does. Yoco and iKhokha both include payment links at no monthly cost; you pay a fee on each payment, which can differ from the card machine's (iKhokha's online rate is 2.85% excluding VAT, checked 8 October 2026).At a dry cleanerA customer drops off a suit and says they'll pay later. You send a R180 link by WhatsApp, they pay it with their card that evening, and the suit is paid for before they collect.A payment link is a web link for a set amount that you send to a customer by WhatsApp, SMS or email. They open it and pay by card on their phone, and the money comes to you the same way a card machine payment does. Yoco and iKhokha both include payment links at no monthly cost. You pay a fee on each payment, which can differ from the card machine's: iKhokha's online rate is 2.85% excluding VAT.See every term in the glossary solves the customer who forgot to pay, but only a refund solves the customer whose jacket came back with a mark on it.
1. Yoco Khumo Print 2: the best fit for most laundries
The Khumo Print 2 meets all five needs, and it's the cheapest to run of the three. It prints the slip, and it refunds all or part of a sale on the machine itself, limited to the staff members you approve. Payment links and digital invoicing come free on Yoco CoreYoco'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 unlimited mobile data on the machine's multi-network SIM at no extra cost. Instant Payout costs a flat R17.25 for a payout under R1 000 and 1.5% above that on Core, for up to R10 000, once a day.At a laundry taking R25 000 a monthCore is why the Khumo Print 2 has nothing to pay monthly. At R25 000 a month in card sales you pay about R575 a month in fees on it, and nothing else.Core is Yoco's free plan and the one almost every small business is on. There's no monthly fee, the point-of-sale software, payment links and digital invoicing are included, and the fee is 2.30% excluding VAT on local cards up to R50 000 a month.See every term in the glossary, where there's no monthly fee and you pay 2.30% Excluding VATThe rate before 15% VAT is added, which is how almost every South African provider quotes. A rate of 2.30% excl. VAT actually bills you 2.645%, so two quotes are only comparable once you know which basis each is on.On a R180 dry cleaning order2.30% excluding VAT is R4.14, and with 15% VAT on top Yoco keeps R4.76 of the R180. iKhokha and HelloPay quote their fees the same way.Card machine fees in South Africa are quoted before VAT, and the amount that actually leaves your sale is the fee plus 15%. Because every provider quotes this way, comparing their fees side by side is fair as it stands.See every term in the glossary on each local card sale.
Yoco's free point-of-sale software can also keep an order open until it's paid, so you can log the drop-off and charge it at collection if a customer insists on paying later. The data on its SIM is included, and payouts to your own bank are free in one to two business days.
1Best for most laundries
Yoco Khumo Print 2
Accepts
- Tap, chip & swipe
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Amex
- SASSA
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Samsung Pay
Who it's for
A built-in printer, partial refunds on the machine, and free payment links and invoices, with nothing to pay monthly on Core.
- MonthlyR0 on Core, data included
- Fee per sale2.30% excl. VAT
- RefundsFull or partial, on the machine
What you get with the extra Yoco discount
- R100 off your card machine, which Yoco takes off when you sign up through our link
And everything Yoco gives everyone
- Sign up in 5 minutes, and it works with the bank account you already have
- Paid out in 1 to 2 business days into that same account
- A 1-year warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee
Last checked on 24 September 2026
you'll go to www.yoco.com's sign-up page with your extra R100 discount applied
What the Yoco Khumo Print 2 works withPOS software and accounting
What Yoco works withRead 7 Oct 2026
-
POS software
On any Yoco plan
- LightspeedConnected
- LoyverseConnected
- TallOrderConnected
- SalonBridgeComing soon
-
Accounting
Needs the Plus plan, R249 a month
- XeroConnected
- SageConnected
- QuickBooksConnected
- StubConnected
If you run a self-service laundromat where nobody wants a slip, the Khumo 2 does the same without the printer for R699, and receipts go by SMS or email instead.
2. iKhokha iK Flyer: if customers wait while you wash
The iK Flyer prints the slip, sends payment links and invoices, and adds prepaid. It sells airtime, data, electricity and vouchers for a commission, and a laundromat has a queue of people waiting for a wash to finish. If they already ask you for airtime or electricity, the Flyer turns that into money on the same machine that takes the card.
It costs more to run. The fee starts at 2.75% excluding VAT, iKhokha takes R2.50 every time it pays you, and its two SIMs are R75 a month unless you run it on Wi-Fi. Refunds are done in the iKhokha app, with the customer's original card. If you bank with FNB or Absa, you're paid the next business day.
2If you sell prepaid
iKhokha iK Flyer
Accepts
- Tap, chip & swipe
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Amex
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
Who it's for
A printer, refunds in the app, free payment links and invoices, and prepaid sales for the customers waiting on a wash.
- MonthlyR0 rental; SIMs R75 if you want them
- Fee per sale2.75% excl. VAT, lower as you grow
- Getting paidR2.50 a payout
What iKhokha gives everyone
- Unlimited digital invoices, free, from the iK Invoice tool
- Same-day payouts, twice a day, on Nedbank or the iK Debit Card for sole traders, at R2.50 each
Last checked on 24 September 2026
you'll go to www.ikhokha.com's sign-up page with your extra 10% discount applied
Buy it if prepaid is already part of your counter, or you want it to be. If nobody asks, the Khumo Print 2 does the same laundry work and costs less every month.
3. HelloPay All in One Touch: if you'd rather rent
HelloPay's All in One Touch prints the slip and sells airtime, electricity and vouchers, and it's the only one here you can rent. It's R1 999 once or R299 a month, it takes SASSA and Amex cards, and HelloPay says it arrives set up within 24 hours. That suits a laundromat that sells prepaid and would rather not pay for a machine upfront.
Two things hold it back at a laundry. HelloPay's machines don't do card refunds, so a damaged garment means a cash or EFT refund from you. And HelloPay doesn't list its fee per card sale; its site only says "from 1.2%", falling as you sell more. Get your fee in writing before you sign: under 2.10% and it costs less than the Khumo Print 2 in year one. Also note the R100 fee in any month your card sales stay under R15 000.
3If you'd rather rent
HelloPay All in One Touch
Accepts
- Tap, chip & swipe
- All major cards
Who it's for
A printer and prepaid on one machine, and you can rent it instead of paying upfront. Get the fee in writing first.
- MachineR1 999 once, or R299 a month
- Fee per saleNot listed; get it in writing
- Watch forR100 in a month under R15 000; no card refunds
What HelloPay gives everyone
- Sign up online, with no registration fee
- The device is delivered to your door
Last checked on 8 October 2026
you'll go to hellopay.co.za
HelloPay pays out only once it owes you more than R300, and money reaches other banks within 24 hours of being processed. Buy it if renting and prepaid matter most and refunds are rare at your counter. If refunds matter, the Khumo Print 2 handles them on the machine.
What a year costs at R25 000 a month
Here's what each machine costs over a full year if your laundry takes R25 000 a month on card. Pick your own number if it's different; the order between Yoco and iKhokha stays the same at any amount up to R40 000 a month.
One year with each machine, at R25 000 a month in local card sales:
A year at R25 000 a month
| Yoco Khumo Print 2 | iKhokha iK Flyer | HelloPay All in One Touch | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine, once | R1 399 | R1 499 | R1 999, or R299 a month |
| Fee per sale | 2.30% | 2.75% | Not listed |
| Fees, a year | R6 900 | R8 250 | Depends on your quote |
| Payout charges, a year | R0 | R660 | Not listed |
| Year one, on Wi-Fi | R8 299 | R10 409 | Below R8 299 only if quoted under 2.10% |
| Mobile data, if you need it | Included | R900 a year |
|
mashjoy.com calculation from each company's own prices. Assumes local cards throughout and, for iKhokha, one payout every business day (about 22 a month at R2.50). The HelloPay line shows the quoted rate it would need to cost less than the Khumo Print 2 in year one, buying the machine. All figures exclude VAT. The boxes above show any discount through our link.← scroll sideways on a narrow screen →
The Khumo Print 2 costs about R2 100 less than the iK Flyer over a year at this turnover. HelloPay could beat it, but only on a quoted rate under 2.10%.
If the Flyer's prepaid commission earns more than about R175 a month, the gap closes.
Account customers pay on invoice
A guest house, an Airbnb host or a restaurant that sends you linen every week won't tap a card at your counter. They want an invoice, and they want to pay it from their office. Yoco's digital invoicing and iKhokha's iK Invoice are both free. An iK Invoice carries a pay link the customer can pay by card, and with Yoco you can send a payment link alongside the invoice.
HelloPay doesn't list invoicing on its site. Its payment gateway is for a business with a website, so you'd invoice those customers some other way and take EFT.
Which one should your laundry get?
For most laundromats and dry cleaners, the Yoco Khumo Print 2. It prints the slip, refunds part of a sale on the machine, sends payment links and invoices for free, and costs the least to run of the three.
Get the iKhokha iK Flyer if the people waiting for their washing already ask you for airtime or electricity, because the commission can cover what it costs over the Print 2. Look at HelloPay if you'd rather rent and you rarely refund, but get the fee in writing first. Whichever you choose, take the money at drop-off.
Laundromats and dry cleaners that hand over a slip and sometimes refund part of an order.
Yoco Khumo Print 2
R1 399once-off
R1 399 once-off, R0 a month on Yoco's free Core plan, data included, 2.30% excl. VAT per local card sale (checked 8 October 2026)
Get the Khumo Print 2 Price checked 7 Oct 2026Questions laundry owners ask about card machines
Choosing
What is the best card machine for a laundromat in South Africa?
For most laundromats and dry cleaners, the Yoco Khumo Print 2 at R1 399.It prints a slip, refunds all or part of a sale on the machine, and includes payment links and invoices, with no monthly fee on Yoco's Core plan and 2.30% excluding VAT per local card sale. Checked 8 October 2026.
Can a card machine sell airtime and electricity at my laundromat?
Yes. iKhokha's iK Flyer and HelloPay's All in One Touch both sell airtime, electricity and vouchers for a commission.Yoco's machines don't sell prepaid.
Refunds
Can I refund part of a dry cleaning order to the customer's card?
On Yoco, yes: full or partial refunds from the machine or the app, by staff you approve.iKhokha refunds from its app, and the customer's card has to be there. HelloPay's card machines don't do card refunds.
Getting paid
How do I get customers to pay before they collect?
Take the payment at drop-off on the card machine, or send a payment link by WhatsApp or SMS for the customer to pay on their phone.Both Yoco and iKhokha let you send them without a monthly charge.
Costs
Does HelloPay charge a monthly fee?
Not on a machine you buy, but HelloPay charges R100 in any month your card sales are under R15 000, and renting the All in One Touch is R299 a month.It doesn't list its fee per card sale, so get it in writing before you sign. Checked 8 October 2026.
