Every online business should be able to accept payments from customers online. That was your business goal from the start, making money.
We have looked at a few of the best payment gateways and what they can offer you. Many of these payment gateways share similarities, so you should choose what works best for you.
Key Takeaways
- Many of the best payment gateways have been made right here in Africa with South African businesses in mind.
- Although many payment features have similarities, some offer more benefits than others
- Payment gateways are specifically designed to make and receive payments as effortlessly as possible.
Wise
First on our list for international payment gateways is Wise AKA TransferWise. You can get your account signed up in a matter of minutes.
Getting setup is easy and Wise takes you through every step. Apart from entering your individual information such as your name and contact details, you can register online using your Apple, Facebook, or Google account. This sets it apart from other payment gateways in this list.
The following features are specifically intended to give you an awesome payment experience:
- Quick and easy money transfer services
- No hidden charges apart from its low transfer fee from overseas.
- Wise has based its exchange rate on mid-market rates, ensuring the greatest exchange rate.
- Wise is easily accessible and user friendly to both customers and your business.
PayFast
Created proudly in South Africa, PayFast is a celebrated online payment gateway for all types of businesses and more.
Whether you’re a private Individual, NPO, or growing businesses of all sizes.
PayFast is seen as a decisive online payment gateway which provides speedy and safe online payments from all over the globe. Here you can enjoy resolute payment solutions for your business.
A huge benefit for small businesses is that you don’t need a website to enjoy instant payment processes. Among PayFast’s other benefits you will find:
- Convenient approaches for your business to receive payments from both local and global customers
- Staunch modernised invoice management with joined account settlements
- You can control event processes and online ticket sales with ease
PayFast is devoted to allowing you safe, laidback, and immediate transfers to your business. They are totally dedicated to help your business grow in today’s scaling digital economy.
Ozow
This payment gateway makes it “oh so” easy for swift and extremely secure EFT solutions where your customers can make payments in a blink of an eye. You can get Ozow’s payments through a variety of payment platforms, such as SMS, eBilling or a QR code.
Through Ozow’s detailed and protected system, merchants get immediate payments with instant payment notifications and automated bank settlements.
Main benefits of Ozow include:
- A cardless service which makes it easier for customers to make purhases. Which is convenient to make more sales.
- Your business will have minimal transaction fees from as little as 1.5%.
- There are no monthly costs, setup fees, or any extra small charges involved.
Ozow has managed over a billion transactions and has processed a collective value of over R5 billion. Ozow has brought online business to an audience wide of the mark.
Your business will benefit from a payment gateway focused on economic inclusion and innovation.
So, if you are looking for a portable payment gateway to engage customers and attract new clients, have a look at Ozow.
Zapper
If you are handling most of your business from your smartphone, Zapper could be your best fit. With Zapper there are a whole heap of benefits suited for both you and your customers, which will entice them to continue doing business with you.
- The Zapper Merchant Portal allows you to analyse information about all your customers and transactions.
- Your customers will be able to get vouchers to thank them for their loyalty.
- You will be able to modify these voucher campaigns that would be suitable to new customers
- The awesome ability to boost ongoing business with existing customers with rewards like discounts and other exclusive offers.
- To maintain your client base and influence spend behaviour by rewarding your Zapper community with in-app digital loyalty cards.
- You can assess your loyalty based on online traffic, spend or on specific items.
So, what are you waiting for? Download the free Zapier app where you can get instant payment while also rewarding customers. This is a smart way to expand your business through affiliate marketing.
SnapScan
You’ve probably seen people making manual payments from their phones at a retail counter.
SnapScan is unlike any mobile app. It’s a contactless mobile payment gateway for you to receive payment. For both the convenience of you and your customers, payments can be made in your store, online, at home or wherever.
In an evolving world of online business, the use of cards or cash is dwindling. You want payment in a snap. SnapScan has revolutionized how South Africans make and receive payment. Benefits included when using SnapScan are:
- Improved accuracy on orders. This basically means that SmartScan records every task and stores it in the system. This feature guarantees that your data is accurate.
- You and your customers will also have extensive oversight on all purchases. SmartScan allows every person linked to a purchase to see its status.
- SmartScan reflects every action you and your employees perform letting your business measure employee efficiency.
Payoneer
Any online business that has already established itself in trading internationally knows there will always be ways to improve. Payoneer is more than familiar with accomplishing all of this and has the tools to get the job done.
So, if you have foreign clients or customers here is one for you. It does away with pricey wire transfers and currency exchanges. You can easily set up your local accounts, so you get payments in dollars, pounds, or other currencies. What’s more you can set up your accounts, inform customers on preferred payment methods, and have these payments sent to your business’ Payoneer account.
Payoneer does not let you accept payments from either your debit or credit cards. As an alternative, Payoneer forms a local bank inside the area you want to get your money for and gives way for bank transfers in its place. This can be helpful for the most part if your business is subjected to certain specific standards or criteria.
Paystack
Ideally, Paystack helps businesses that are founded in Africa get paid all over the world. Your customers want contemporary, and effortless payment methods. Paystack integrates well with many ecommerce sites and plugins, like WooComerce and SureCart, giving your customers the flexibility to pay in multiple ways. With Paystack you can revel in impressive transaction success rates.
It handily directs payments to your business through the best networks, guaranteeing the maximum transaction success rates.
Paystack is fitted with a detailed application programming interface (API).
This gives you the flexibility to build everything from small and simple projects to advanced corporate products for multiple customers.
Many businesses of all shapes and sizes have been known to trust Paystack to grow their undertakings.
Stripe
Stripe is one of the best payment gateways you can find on the market today. This is because of its usability and resourcefulness.
It has a reputation for being exceptionally useful for online stores, subscription services, or premium markets.
In case your business provides several products or services, it would be worthwhile to take this into consideration.
With Stripe you can receive payments from over 135 currencies. It also functions well with multiple other payment methods, including WeChat Pay and bank debit systems with customers worldwide.
PayPal
If you haven’t heard about PayPal you may have been living under a rock. This is an online payment gateway most businesses are already familiar with. It has been widely regarded for its user-friendliness, dependability, and upgraded security. It is no wonder that it has been used by millions of businesses and customers every day.
This is probably the best option for businesses who are just starting out. Not only will you find that most of your customers are using it, but you will be able to integrate it into just about any online store. Also, you might not know this, but your customers may have a PayPal balance.
In other words, they are likely to use that for spending instead of using a credit card or debit card. With its extreme focus on security and popularity, it is arguably the most robust digital wallet.
Conclusion
Each of your customers will have a preferred way of paying you. The best online payment gateways accept several payment methods to cater to your customers’ needs. Every option we have recommended in this guide are industry leaders with low fees. Each payment gateway on our list should be considered, but all boils down to what your business needs are.
