Card, EFT or Pay by Bank? How South Africans Pay Online

"Do you take EFT?" is one of the most common questions a South African shop gets. But EFT can mean three different things, and cards aren't the only fast option any more.

Here's every common way to get paid online, what it costs you in time, and when to offer it.

Card payments

The customer types in their card details, usually with a one-time PIN from their bank.

• Confirmed: straight away, automatically.
• You need: a payment provider.
• Good for: almost everyone, and the only option for most foreign buyers.
• Watch out for: chargebacks. A customer can dispute a card payment with their bank, so keep proof of delivery.

Bank transfer (a "normal" EFT)

The customer gets your bank details and a reference, opens their banking app and pays you directly.

• Confirmed: by you, when the money shows on your statement. Between different banks, that can take a day or more.
• You need: just a bank account. No provider, no fee per sale.
• Good for: bigger orders, regular customers and shops just starting out.
• Watch out for: wrong references and "I've paid" messages before the money lands. Only send once it's in.

In ShopEazy, bank transfer is built in. Customers get your details and their order number as the reference, one reminder goes out if they haven't paid, and you mark the order paid in one tap. See Take payments by bank transfer.

Instant EFT and pay by bank

The customer picks their bank at checkout, logs in or approves in their banking app, and the payment goes through a provider such as Ozow, Stitch or Payfast.

• Confirmed: straight away, automatically, like a card.
• You need: a payment provider that offers it.
• Good for: shoppers who'd rather not use a card, or don't have one.
• Watch out for: not every bank works the same way with every provider. Check which banks your provider supports.

Capitec Pay

A specific kind of pay by bank: Capitec clients approve the payment in the Capitec app. With more than 26 million Capitec personal banking clients, it's worth offering. See Capitec Pay for online shops.

PayShap

PayShap is the banks' own instant payment system. People send money to a phone number or a ShapID, and it lands in seconds. The system-wide limit is R50,000 a payment, though some banks set lower limits.

For a small shop, PayShap mostly works like a fast bank transfer: you share your ShapID, the customer pays, and you check it's arrived. It isn't a checkout button on most online shops yet.

So which should you offer?

Most South African shops do best with two:

1. A provider with cards plus a bank option (Instant EFT, pay by bank or Capitec Pay), so anyone can pay now.
2. Plain bank transfer, for customers who prefer it and for big orders.

Just starting? Bank transfer alone is fine for your first sales. Add a provider when checking your statement becomes a chore.

Compare providers by payment method on the payments page.

Sources

• TechCentral: PayShap limit raised to R50,000
• Capitec annual results 2026