Payfast by Network
Provider · South Africa · since 2007
- Europe0 of 51
- Americas0 of 52
- Asia0 of 50
- Africa1 of 58
- Oceania0 of 25
Categories
Sectors served
Built on
South African Reserve BankDesignated clearing system participant (National Payment System Act s6(3)(a)); SARB Notice 5549, Government Gazette 51556, 15 November 2024; Absa as settlement bankRegister- Payments Association of South Africa (PASA)Registered third-party payment provider (TPPP) and system operatorRegister
Authorisations Payfast by Network holds, as published by the provider or regulator. Check the register entry before relying on it.
Payfast is a South African online payments service, launched in Cape Town in 2007 and now sold as Payfast by Network. The DPO Group bought it in 2019, and Network International bought DPO in 2021. In April 2023 Payfast, the older gateway Paygate (founded in 1999) and Setcom were merged into one company, Payfast (Pty) Ltd. Payfast says more than 80,000 businesses use it.
It sells two products. The aggregator, aimed at individuals, non-profits and small firms, gives a hosted checkout and plug-ins for WooCommerce, PrestaShop, OpenCart and dozens of other carts. The gateway is the former Paygate service, now called Payfast Gateway, with hosted (PayWeb) and API (PayHost) integrations for larger businesses. Between them they take Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, Instant EFT, Capitec Pay, Absa Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, the QR apps SnapScan, Zapper and Scan to Pay, Mobicred, RCS store cards, Payflex and MoreTyme, and cash through SCode and Mukuru outlets. Several are aggregator-only, while PayPal, SiD Secure EFT and MTN MoMoPay come only with the gateway.
Aggregator fees are public and quoted before VAT. Cards cost 3.2% plus R2, Instant EFT and Capitec Pay 2% with a R2 minimum, SnapScan and Scan to Pay 3.5% plus R2, and Payflex 5.45% plus R5. A standard payout costs R8.70 and takes about 48 hours; once funds have cleared, an Immediate Payout arrives in minutes for 0.8%, with a R14 minimum. Refunds cost R2 each, and subscription billing is built in. Gateway pricing is quoted by sales.
In November 2024 the South African Reserve Bank designated Payfast a clearing system participant, a step towards acquiring cards itself and adding in-store terminals, with Absa as its settlement bank. It suits South African sole traders, charities and online shops wanting local methods without a negotiated contract. Prices and payouts are in rand, so it is not built for cross-border sellers.
- Type
- Provider
- Headquarters
- South Africa
- Founded
- 2007
- Listed
- Nov 2026
- Owned by
- Network International
- Website
- payfast.io
What Payfast by Network costs
Payfast by Network quotes per merchant. What you are offered depends on your volume, your industry, the countries you sell in, your card mix and your risk profile — so a published headline rate would not be your rate. Ask them for a quote against your own numbers.
- Settlement
- Standard payout in about 48 hours (R8.70); Immediate Payout in minutes once funds clear (0.8%, min R14)
Pricing, in detail
Aggregator, excl. VAT: cards, Apple/Google/Samsung Pay and store cards 3.2% + R2; Instant EFT and Capitec Pay 2% (min R2); Mobicred 3.2%; Zapper 3.25% + R2; SnapScan and Scan to Pay 3.5% + R2; MukuruPay 3.5% + R6; SCode 4.5% + R5; Payflex 5.45% + R5; MoreTyme 5.5% + R2. Standard payout R8.70; Immediate Payout 0.8% (min R14); refund R2. Gateway (Paygate) pricing on request. Monthly and setup fees not stated on the fees page.
What the last check found
Named by current trading name, Payfast by Network; the legal entity is Payfast (Pty) Ltd, registration 1999/017441/07 (the former Paygate company number). This listing also covers the old Paygate gateway, which since the April 2023 merger is sold as Payfast Gateway; the paygate listing in this batch was skipped for that reason. Regulation has no reference because SARB designations carry no licence number; the gazette notice number is given in licence_type. Gateway-only methods (PayPal, SiD Secure EFT, MTN MoMoPay, Visa Checkout) are included except Visa Checkout, which Visa has retired; MTN MoMoPay availability in South Africa should be checked. Debit cards (Maestro, Visa Electron) are listed on the methods page; Amex and Diners are not mentioned. International Visa and Mastercard cards are accepted, but no separate international fee is published. The SARB notice says Payfast plans in-store card terminals; not yet reflected here. Founders (Jonathan Smit, with backing from Andy Higgins) come from Payfast blog pages seen in search results.
From the last check against Payfast by Network’s own documentation. Coverage changes; confirm anything you are about to build on.
Features
Recurring Payments · Refunds