6 min readPayments
Invoice Payment Methods in South Africa: EFT, Card, PayFast & More
The payment method on your invoice directly affects how fast you get paid. Here's every option available in SA — with real fees, speed, and setup advice.
Why payment method matters
Research shows that adding a "Pay Now" button to invoices reduces average payment time from 21 days to under 3 days. The easier you make it for clients to pay, the faster your cash flows.
EFT
Free but slow. Still the default for most SA businesses.
Card
Fast and convenient. 2.5-3.5% fee per transaction.
Instant EFT
Bank-to-bank in seconds. Lower fees than card.
International
Stripe for USD/EUR. Higher fees but global reach.
Payment method comparison
Manual EFT / Bank Transfer
Speed: 1-3 business days
Fees: Free (your bank charges may apply)
Pros: No gateway fees. Clients are familiar with it. Works for any amount.
Cons: Slow. Requires manual reconciliation. Clients can delay easily.
Best for: Trusted, long-term clients with predictable payment habits.
PayFast
Speed: Instant to 1 business day
Fees: 3.5% + R2 per transaction
Pros: Most popular SA gateway. Supports cards, EFT, Mobicred, SnapScan. Easy setup.
Cons: Fees add up on large invoices. Requires PayFast merchant account.
Best for: South African businesses wanting the widest payment option coverage.
Yoco
Speed: Next business day
Fees: 2.95% per online transaction
Pros: Simple API. Clean checkout experience. Good for small businesses.
Cons: No instant EFT option. Limited to card payments online.
Best for: Small businesses and freelancers wanting a simple card payment flow.
Ozow (Instant EFT)
Speed: Instant
Fees: ~1.5-2% per transaction
Pros: Instant bank-to-bank transfer. Lower fees than card payments. No chargebacks.
Cons: Client needs online banking. Not all banks supported equally.
Best for: High-value invoices where card fees would be expensive.
Stripe
Speed: 2-7 business days (international)
Fees: 2.9% + R5.50 per transaction
Pros: Global reach. Accepts international cards. Excellent developer tools.
Cons: Payouts in USD require conversion. Higher fees for SA businesses.
Best for: Freelancers with international clients paying in USD/EUR/GBP.
Peach Payments
Speed: 1-2 business days
Fees: Custom pricing (typically 2.5-3.5%)
Pros: Enterprise-grade. Supports 3D Secure. Multiple payment methods.
Cons: Setup can be complex. Better suited for higher volumes.
Best for: Growing businesses processing R50k+ per month in payments.
Our recommendation
For most South African freelancers and small businesses, we recommend offering two options on every invoice:
- A "Pay Now" button via PayFast or Yoco for instant card/EFT payments
- Banking details as a fallback for clients who prefer manual EFT
This covers 95% of SA clients. For international work, add Stripe as a secondary gateway.