iKhokha Just Cut Its Fees to 2.10%. What Does That Mean?

If you already use an iKhokha card machine, or you've been thinking about getting one, this is good news. Even at R5 000 a month in card sales, the lower fee puts about R37 back in your pocket every month.

You may not have heard about it, because iKhokha hasn't made much noise. I couldn't find any announcement when I sat down to write this, but I noticed on 5 November that its fee had dropped from 2.75% to 2.10% since I last checked its prices in October.

That's a bigger deal than it sounds, because iKhokha's starting fee had been 2.75% since at least December 2020. So let me walk you through what you'll pay now, how much you'd save, and whether this makes iKhokha the right machine for you.

What iKhokha charges now

What you pay depends on how much you sell by card each month, and on who you bank with. Most small businesses will land on the top row of this table: 2.10% on debit and credit cards, whichever bank you use. If you bank with Nedbank, it's 1.85%. Those numbers are before VATExcluding 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 the bill2.415% once VAT is added. On R20 000 a month in card sales that's R483, not R420.Read the full definition, so 2.10% comes to 2.415% on your bill, or about R2.42 on a R100 sale.

If you sell a lot, look at the step at R50 000. Once you pass that in a month, debit cards drop to 1.15%. Under the old fees, the lowest listed fee was 2.50%.

How much you'd save

Here's the old fee next to the new one, with VAT, at a few different sales levels. Find the row closest to your business. The last column is what you'd keep over a year.

If you bank with Nedbank, it's better still. At R20 000 a month, your fee comes to about R426 with VAT, roughly R207 a month less than it was.

If you run a small shop or stall, you'll notice it slowly. At R8 000 a month on cards, the fee drops by about R60, which pays for most of your SIMs for the month.

If you run a busy salon or restaurant, it's real money. At R30 000 a month, you keep about R224 more a month, or nearly R2 700 a year. That would pay for a second machine a few times over.

If you sell more than R50 000 a month, debit cards are where you'll gain the most. A debit sale now costs 1.15% before VAT, or 0.85% on Nedbank. So if most of your customers pay by debit card, it's worth working out what your own mix saves you.

What the rest of your bill looks like

The fee is the part that changed, but it isn't your whole bill. If you use iKhokha's SIMs, that's still R75 a month, though you can skip them if you always have Wi-Fi. You also still pay R2.50 for each day's payout. Here's how it all adds up.

So is iKhokha now cheaper than Yoco? Per sale, yes. iKhokha's 2.10% is now lower than Yoco's 2.30%. Over a month, it depends on how you work. Yoco includes its data and doesn't charge for its standard payout, so at R20 000 a month on mobile data, Yoco still comes out about R94 cheaper. On Wi-Fi with no SIMs, that gap shrinks to about R19. And it closes completely at about R61 000 a month, or about R27 000 if you bank with Nedbank.

These two are very close, so if you're still unsure, I've written a separate article on Yoco vs iKhokha. It shows how everything compares, so you can make the right decision.

iKhokha also gives you ways to earn some of that back. It pays you 3% on airtime a customer buys with cash, so selling about R120 of airtime a working day covers that R94. And your money can arrive sooner: the next business day on FNB or Absa, and the same day on Nedbank.

Why did iKhokha do this?

iKhokha hasn't said, so I can only tell you what I can see around it. Nedbank agreed to buy iKhokha in August 2025, and the lower Nedbank fee looks like that deal reaching customers. If you bank there, you get the lowest fee and two payouts on the day of the sale.

Competition is the other part. Yoco cut its own fees in June, so two of the names you'll see most often on small business counters have both lowered what they charge this year. Whatever the reason, iKhokha is leaving more of each sale with the people using its machines, and it deserves credit for that.

Should you get an iKhokha machine now?

With the old fee, I'd have asked you to think twice. Now, I'd look at iKhokha first in three situations. You bank with Nedbank, because you get the lowest fee and your money on the same day. People ask you for airtime, data or electricity, because you earn something on those sales too. You sell a lot by card, because this is where the lower fee starts to beat a free plan.

You also get free digital invoices through iK Invoice, and after six months with iKhokha you can get funding of up to R1 million through iK Cash Advance. So there's more here than a lower fee.

Which machine should you start with?

If you're new to iKhokha, you're choosing between two card machines, and the fee is the same on both. Most people should get the iK Flyer Lite. It's R699, or about R629 with 10% off, it fits in a pocket, and it can sell airtime and vouchers. Get the iK Flyer if your customers need a printed slip or voucher. It's R1 499, or about R1 349 with the same discount.

iKhokha iK Flyer Lite

Accepts

• Tap & chip
• Visa
• Mastercard
• Amex
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay

✓ Price last confirmed on 5 November 2026

Who it's for

It fits in a pocket, runs all day on a charge, and sells airtime and vouchers. Receipts go through the iKhokha app.

• Fee per sale2.10% + VAT, 1.85% on Nedbank
• Mobile dataTwo SIMs, R75 a month
• PayoutR2.50 a day
• A month at R20 000R623 with VAT

R699on sale from R999 R629your price 10% off

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 a day

Confirmed on 4 November 2026

Get 10% off at iKhokha Read the review

you'll go to www.ikhokha.com's sign-up page with your extra 10% discount applied

iKhokha iK Flyer

Accepts

• Tap, chip & swipe
• Visa
• Mastercard
• Amex
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay

✓ Price last confirmed on 5 November 2026

Who it's for

It prints slips and prepaid vouchers, at the same fee and payout as the Lite.

• Fee per sale2.10% + VAT, 1.85% on Nedbank
• PrinterBuilt in, one till roll in the box
• BatteryUp to 200 transactions, per iKhokha
• A month at R20 000R623 with VAT

R1 499iKhokha's price today R1 349your price 10% off

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 a day

Confirmed on 4 November 2026

Get 10% off at iKhokha Read the review

you'll go to www.ikhokha.com's sign-up page with your extra 10% discount applied

How iKhokha's fee has changed

Here's how iKhokha's fee has moved over the years, so you can see it for yourself. Tap an older entry to read more.

So what does this mean for you?

If you already use iKhokha, you should now be paying less on every card sale, so take a minute to check that you are. If you're still choosing a machine, the fee is no longer a reason to look elsewhere. iKhokha is worth a serious look, especially if you bank with Nedbank or sell airtime.

Questions people ask about these fees