Guide
How to Get a Card Machine Without a Business Account (2026)
As a sole trader you need your ID and a bank account in your own name. Which card machines pay a personal account, and what to do with no bank account.
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.
Card machine companies ask a registered company for a business account, not everyone who sells. So the first step is working out whether you've registered with CIPC, because that decides whose name the account has to be in.
After that, you match the account you hold to a company that pays it, get your documents together and sign up. I've kept to Yoco, iKhokha, WAPPoint, HelloPay and Adumo because they pay into a bank you choose. By the end you'll know which of them will take you.
Sole trader or company?
Not registered with CIPC means you sell as a sole trader, in your own name. You're done when you know whose name the account has to be in.
Pick a company that pays your account
Match the account you hold to a company whose rules accept it, or open one if you have none. You're done when you've picked a machine that pays into an account you hold.
Gather your documents
Your ID, proof of your bank account, proof of address if asked, and a company's papers if you've registered. You're done when each one is saved as a document, not a screenshot.
Sign up
Online at Yoco and iKhokha, by email at WAPPoint, through an agent at HelloPay, or by call-back at Adumo. You're done when your profile is approved.
Work out if you're a sole trader or a company
If you sell on your own, you don't need a business account. Yoco says sole proprietors are the only business type that doesn't need one.
If you sell on your own
A Sole proprietorA business owned and run by one person in their own name, also called a sole trader. There's no separate company in law: the business and the owner are the same person, so its contracts and bank account are in the owner's name, and it has no CIPC registration number. Card machine companies such as Yoco sign one up with the owner's ID and a personal bank account.Signing up as oneYou sign up in your own name with your ID, and the card machine company pays an account in your name. At Yoco that's a personal account, at any South African bank.A sole proprietor, or sole trader, owns and runs the business personally. There's no separate company in law, so its contracts and bank account are in the owner's name, and there's no CIPC registration number. Register a (Pty) Ltd and the business becomes its own legal person, with its own account.See every term in the glossary is a business run by one person in their own name and not registered with CIPC, like most stalls, hairdressers and side businesses. Yoco, iKhokha and HelloPay each let you sign up as one, and WAPPoint asks for company papers only if you've registered.
If you've registered a company
A (Pty) Ltd or close corporation is a business of its own in law, so it's paid into an account in its own name. Yoco says the account must be in the company's name, iKhokha asks for the business's account and CIPC number, and HelloPay for a registered business bank account.
So open the company's account first. Then, if you'd rather have a fee set for your own turnover than a price list, Adumo agrees one through an account manager and pays into a bank account of your choice with no payout fees.
Adumo PAX A910S
A fee agreed for your company's turnover, and free payouts to the bank you choose.
My quick review of Adumo's PAX A910S, for a registered company
If your business has grown past the point where a fixed price list suits you, Adumo is worth a conversation. It works with growing businesses and large enterprises alike, and instead of a public price list you get an account manager and a fee agreed for your business. Small businesses start on adumo Flow with the PAX A910S, a 4G machine with a printer and two SIMs, and the money settles into any bank account with no settlement fees. Adumo names supermarkets, pharmacies, hardware and fashion stores and takeaways as its fit.
Where it stands out
- Settlement into any bank, with no settlement fees
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 4G, two SIMs and a printer
- QR payments and card-linked instalments
- 24/7 support and an account manager
Buy it if
- You run a supermarket, pharmacy, hardware or fashion store, or a takeaway, which Adumo names as its fit
- You'd like a rate set for your business
Skip it if
- You want to order today without speaking to anyone: Yoco and iKhokha sell online
If you skip it, the best alternative
The Khumo 2 is R699 with a fixed 2.30% fee, and you can order it today. Adumo starts with a conversation, and in return you get a rate set for your business and an account manager.
Read our full Khumo 2 reviewFrom adumo.com on 14 Oct 2026. The PAX A920 Pro comes with adumo Infinite.
Choose a company that pays the account you have
Yoco says in so many words that it pays a sole trader's personal account. WAPPoint takes any bank and any type of account, HelloPay any account in your name, and iKhokha asks for the business's account.
Yoco pays your personal account, at any bank
Yoco asks a sole trader for a personal account in their own name, at any South African bank from Capitec and TymeBank to FNB and Standard Bank. Through our link, Yoco takes R100 off the Khumo 2.
Yoco Khumo 2
Sign up with your ID and your personal account, then pay nothing monthly and 2.30% excl. VAT a sale.
My quick review of the Khumo 2, if you're signing up as a sole trader
For most small businesses this is where I'd start. It's R699 once and nothing monthly on Yoco's free Core plan, with 4G data included, and the fee is 2.30% excluding VAT on a local card sale. Payouts are free in one to two business days, or by 8am the next day with Fast Payout. It doesn't print, so receipts go by SMS or email. The full Khumo 2 review goes through it in detail.
Where it stands out
- Built-in 4G with unlimited data, and Wi-Fi, at no extra cost
- Up to 18 hours on one charge
- Tips, split bills, refunds and staff profiles on the machine
- Delivered free in up to 3 days, or collected from over 300 stores
Buy it if
- You want the lowest cost to own, with nothing to pay monthly
- Receipts by SMS or email suit your customers
Skip it if
- Customers expect a printed slip: the Khumo Print 2 prints
- Customers ask you for airtime or electricity, which iKhokha's machines sell
If you skip it, the best alternative
The same R699, and it sells prepaid, but its fee is 2.75% against Yoco's 2.30%, and data costs R75 a month where Yoco's is included.
Read our full iKhokha reviewThe plans
You pay for the Khumo 2 once: R699 for the machine, or R599 with Yoco's R100 off through our link. After that, the plan you choose decides two things, what you pay each month and what Yoco takes from each card sale. Most small businesses stay on Core, which costs nothing a month. The paid plans lower the fee a little and add tools, so pick one for the tools rather than the saving.
Core
R0a month
What you get
- 2.30% on local cards, up to R50 000 a month
- 1.35% on local debit cards above R50 000
- Yoco POS, payment links and invoices
- Payouts to any bank, free in 1 to 2 business days
Terms
- International cards 3.20%
- Instant Payout 1.5%, minimum R17.25
- Fast Payout, by 8am the next day, 0.75%, minimum R7.50
Where most small businesses should stay.
Plus
R249a month per shop
What you get
- 2.10% on local debit, 2.20% on credit, up to R50 000
- A loyalty programme at checkout
- Appointment bookings
- More than one shop on one account
Terms
- 30 days free
- International cards 3.10%
On fees alone it saves R100 a month at R50 000 in debit sales, so choose it for loyalty or bookings.
Pro
R499a month per shop
What you get
- 1.95% on local debit, 2.15% on credit, up to R50 000
- Fast Payout by 8am, free for now
- Table-side ordering
- Advanced staff permissions and accounting links
Terms
- 30 days free
- International cards 3.05%
Built for restaurants that take orders at the table.
Prices and plans from yoco.com on 14 Oct 2026. Plan fees are per shop and exclude VAT; card fees are on local cards up to R50 000 a month.
WAPPoint and HelloPay pay into any bank
WAPPoint says it doesn't matter where you bank or what type of account you choose. It rents the SquarePOS RX for R189 a month, which falls away in any month you take over R15 000 on card.
WAPPoint SquarePOS RX
You rent it rather than buy it, and WAPPoint pays whichever account you have, personal or business.
My quick review of the SquarePOS RX, if you'd rather rent
If R699 upfront is out of reach right now, this is the cheapest way to start taking cards. WAPPoint rents it for R189 a month plus R50 insurance, after R200 to set up, and the R189 falls away in any month you take more than R15 000 on card. So a busy month costs you R50 and a quiet one R239. You can also buy it for R3 199 excluding VAT. The WAPPoint review explains the threshold in full.
Where it stands out
- No rental in any month above R15 000
- R200 to start
- Vodacom or MTN 4G, and Wi-Fi
- An all-day battery
Buy it if
- You can't put R699 down today
- You take more than R15 000 a month on card most months
Skip it if
- Your card sales are small: below R15 000 you pay R239 a month
- You'd rather own the machine from day one for less
If you skip it, the best alternative
R499 less to start (R200 against R699), but below R15 000 a month it costs R239 every month, where the Khumo 2 costs nothing monthly.
Read our full Khumo 2 reviewThe packages
- RentR200 setup, R50 a month insuranceR189 a monthNo rental in any month above R15 000
- Buyexcluding VATR3 199
Prices from wappoint.co.za on 14 Oct 2026; machine prices exclude VAT.
HelloPay pays any South African bank account in your name, or a HelloPaisa account, and takes a passport or asylum permit as well as an ID. Know before you choose it that it adds R100 in any month your card sales stay under R15 000.
HelloPay SWIPA
Signs you up with an ID, passport or asylum permit, and can pay a HelloPaisa account instead of a bank.
My quick review of the SWIPA, HelloPay's standalone machine
If you'd like your fee to fall as your card sales grow, HelloPay is built around that. The SWIPA is its standalone machine for R999: it works on Wi-Fi or its own mobile connection, with no phone needed, and there are no registration, activation or service fees. The fee is set by your volume, from as low as 1.2% excluding VAT, so a busy shop can pay less per sale than Yoco's 2.30%. In a month under R15 000 it adds R100, and a refund can't go back onto a customer's card.
Where it stands out
- No registration, activation or service fees
- Wi-Fi, plus 4G, 3G or 2G
- Receipts by SMS, or a QR code for the customer
- A free business portal
Buy it if
- You take a good amount on card each month and want a rate set for your volume
- You want a standalone machine for under R1 000
Skip it if
- Your card sales are under R15 000 a month: HelloPay adds R100 in those months
- You need to refund a sale to the customer's card
If you skip it, the best alternative
R300 more to buy, but its fee can fall below Yoco's 2.30% as your volume grows. Yoco's fee is fixed, and it charges nothing in a quiet month.
Read our full Khumo 2 reviewPrices from hellopay.co.za on 14 Oct 2026. HelloPay's fee is set by your card volume, from as low as 1.2% excluding VAT.
iKhokha wants the business's account, or GoTyme
iKhokha signs up sole traders too, but asks for an account in the business's name, the same words its page for companies uses. If all you have is a personal account, its iK Debit Card route has you open a GoTyme account in your own name for iKhokha to pay. The iK Flyer Lite also sells airtime and electricity, and it's 10% off through our link.
iKhokha iK Flyer Lite
Sells airtime and electricity at your counter, and with no bank account, the iK Debit Card pays you into GoTyme.
My quick review of the iK Flyer Lite, iKhokha's cheapest machine
If customers often ask you for airtime or electricity, this is the machine that turns those requests into extra sales. It costs the same R699 as the Khumo 2 and sells prepaid airtime, electricity and gaming vouchers on the spot. The catch is the running cost: 2.75% excluding VAT a sale, and R75 a month for its SIMs unless you work on Wi-Fi. It's small and lasts all day, so it suits market stalls, food trucks and deliveries. The iKhokha review covers it in full.
Where it stands out
- Sells prepaid airtime, electricity and gaming vouchers
- Two SIM cards, and Wi-Fi
- An all-day battery
- A 30-day money-back guarantee
Buy it if
- Customers ask you for airtime or electricity
- You sell at markets, from a food truck or on deliveries
Skip it if
- You need printed receipts: the iK Flyer prints
- Some customers still pay by the card's stripe: it takes tap and chip only
If you skip it, the best alternative
The same R699, with a lower fee per sale (2.30% against 2.75%) and data included. The iK Flyer Lite sells prepaid airtime and electricity, and its SIMs cost R75 a month.
Read our full Khumo 2 reviewPrices from ikhokha.com on 14 Oct 2026; the struck price is iKhokha's own.
Capitec's own machine pays into a Capitec account, either a personal one or the Entrepreneur Account it has for sole traders who aren't registered with CIPC. If you bank there, Capitec vs Yoco works out when that's worth it.
If you have no bank account
None of these companies pays you without an account, so open one in your own name before you sign up.
The route built for this is iKhokha's iK Debit Card. You create an iKhokha profile, order the card, open 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.With no bank accountA sole trader opens it with an SA ID number, lists it on the iKhokha profile, and iKhokha pays card sales into it through the iK Debit Card.A free personal transaction account from GoTyme Bank, a South African digital bank, opened in the GoTyme app. It isn't an iKhokha product. iKhokha's iK Debit Card is for sole traders only, so a registered company can't use this route.See every term in the glossary and list it as the account iKhokha pays. iKhokha says opening the GoTyme account takes no documents, only your SA ID number and your phone. It's for sole traders only. The payout times guide covers what it costs.
HelloPay also pays HelloPaisa accounts, which HelloPaisa's agents open with your ID and proof of address, or an affidavit if you have none. HelloPay's pages don't say whether it accepts a HelloPaisa account you've only just opened.
Worth knowingAny bank works if the account is yours. Yoco, for one, turns down an account in someone else's name, so don't list a family member's account to get started.
Have your documents ready
Have these four things ready and you've covered what these companies ask for. Where one wants different proof from the others, it's named.
Your ID, or a passport and permit
A South African ID works at Yoco, iKhokha, WAPPoint and HelloPay. Yoco and iKhokha also take a passport with a permit that lets you work or run a business here, or asylum seeker papers; HelloPay takes a passport or asylum papers; and WAPPoint lists a passport.
Yoco checks an SA ID against Home Affairs with a live selfie, and says over 90% of its sign-ups need no document upload at all.A bank account in your name, and proof of it
Yoco checks most accounts itself and asks for a bank letter only when it can't. WAPPoint wants a bank statement from the last three months or a bank letter, and HelloPay a bank confirmation letter.
WAPPoint won't accept a cancelled cheque or a screenshot, so download the statement as a document before you send it.Proof of address, if asked
WAPPoint asks for one: a bank statement, a lease, a rates bill, or a SAPS affidavit if you have nothing else. Yoco doesn't at sign-up. iKhokha's help centre asks only for your home address, while its FAQ lists proof of address. HelloPay asks for proof of business.
iKhokha's own pages disagree on this, so keep one recent document with your address on it within reach.If you've registered, the company's papers
Your CIPC registration number and a bank account in the company's name. Yoco also asks for proof of who holds the shares.
This is the one item a sole trader can skip.HelloPay's pages disagree on paperwork
HelloPay's sign-up page says no paperwork, while its FAQ asks for a bank confirmation letter and proof of business. Have both ready before you sign up.
Sign up
Yoco and iKhokha sign you up online. Yoco says more than half its sign-ups are verified within 15 minutes, or up to three working days when it checks by hand, and iKhokha starts paying once your profile is approved.
WAPPoint takes your documents by email and delivers in 24 to 72 hours. HelloPay's agents sign you up and set the machine up within 24 hours. Adumo calls you back.
So, can you get a card machine without a business account?
Yes, if you're a sole trader. Yoco and HelloPay pay an account in your own name, WAPPoint pays any bank and any type of account, and iKhokha pays one in your name through its iK Debit Card. A registered company is the exception, because Yoco, iKhokha and HelloPay pay a company only into its own account.
For most sole traders with a personal account, I'd start with the Yoco Khumo 2. Yoco says plainly it pays a personal account, and it's 2.30% plus VAT a sale with nothing monthly. If customers ask for airtime, or you have no bank account, get the iK Flyer Lite instead.
Through our links, Yoco takes R100 off the Khumo 2 and iKhokha 10% off the iK Flyer Lite, so they come to R599 and R629.
If you're still between two, answer the three questions below for your own business: whether you've registered with CIPC, which account your card sales can go into, and whether customers ask for airtime. They're what my pick came down to, and they'll name your machine and what you'd give up.
Interactive · 30 seconds
Which card machine will take you?
Answer for how you sell today, and the recommendation updates as you go.
1Have you registered your business with CIPC?
2Which account can your card sales go into?
3Do customers ask you for airtime or electricity?
Before you answer
The Yoco Khumo 2, for a sole trader with a personal account
A personal account at any bank is what Yoco's own sign-up rules ask a sole trader for, and the fee is 2.30% excl. VAT a sale with nothing monthly.
The trade-off: it doesn't sell airtime, and it needs a bank account you already have. With no account, iKhokha's iK Debit Card route is the one built for that.
Eligibility and prices read on each company's own website, checked 15 October 2026.
