Documentation

Getting Started

How do I sign up to use SmartPay for my business?

  1. You can sign up via our website merchant portal, here. We'll need your business information, your bank details and FICA documentation.
  2. You can complete the entire registration process online for a once-off sign-up fee of R250, but keep in mind that it will take us 3-5 business days to review your application and request additional information if needed. If you're in a hurry, please let our support team know as soon as you've completed the sign-up process so we can try and get you up and running ASAP!
  3. Since the whole process is completed remotely, a 'cool down period' of 7 days applies to all new merchants, which means you'll receive your first settlement after the first week of accepting payments.

What will it cost me to use SmartPay?

We charge a standard 3% transaction fee (excl. VAT) for the payments you accept via SmartPay. We also charge a once-off sign-up fee of R250, whether you are signing up online or with one of our sales agents. SmartPay does not charge merchants a monthly subscription fee, nor do you require any additional hardware to use the service.

Do I have to have a Standard Bank account?

No, all you need is a valid South African bank account.

Can I use SmartPay on my website?

Yes! Contact us at help@SmartPay.co.za for more information, we have a team dedicated to getting you set up properly, depending on the needs of your business.

Do I need to be a registered business to sign up for SmartPay?

No, you can be an informal business or sole proprietorship. But we will still need the necessary FICA documentation (namely your ID book or card and valid proof of address for your place of business.

Why do I need to submit documents for FICA compliance?

Think about your SmartPay account in a similar way to setting up a bank account, we need the same documents to make sure that everything is safe and secure for you and your customers.

Accepting Payments

How do I know whether a customer’s payment has been successful?

Every time a customer scans your SnapCode (your unique QR code) and successfully makes a payment to you, you will immediately receive payment confirmation via SMS or through your point of sale system, depending on how you have SmartPay set up in your business.
You can set up daily/weekly/monthly reports of all transactions made to you, to send via email, or ask our support team.

Can I link SmartPay to my current point of sale system?

Yes! To record SmartPay payments on your point of sale system, you will need to add SmartPay as a payment type (in the same way that cash and cards are already listed as payment types). You can also link your account and view proof of payment via the point of sale, rather than receiving a confirmation SMS.

  1. SmartPay has full integrations with leading point of sale (POS) providers (eg TabletPOS, Vend, Humble, and others). If you’ve linked your SmartPay account with any of our supported systems, your SmartPay code will be printed on your bills for customers to scan and make payments easily.
  2. There are also several other POS providers who have completed integrations with SmartPay. Please contact your POS provider to find out if they have done so or, if they haven’t, encourage them to use the integration API to complete the process.

Does SmartPay have an API for systems integrations?

We have a very simple POS integration API for merchants, which makes it easy to link your system to SmartPay and enable and track customers who make payments. Please contact help@SmartPay.co.za for your API key, or if you need more information.

What if I don’t receive an SMS or other form of notification?

  1. Ideally, the payment confirmation will come through to you directly, but you also ask the customer to show you their phone after the payment has been made. The customer will receive a message within the app confirming that the payment was successful, as well as an SMS from their bank, depending on how their transaction notifications are set up.
  2. If you have to rely on the customer, please be vigilant! You will need to check that they are showing you the receipt inside the SmartPay application (not simply a screenshot or photograph of a receipt), that your business name appears on the receipt and that the date and time are correct.
  3. If you are still concerned, make a note of the payment and contact us immediately to resolve the situation at help@SmartPay.co.za or 021 250 0960. We will confirm whether or not payment was received as soon as possible. We can also provide you with the link to an online platform where you can monitor your transactions in real time.

Managing Your Money

My customers are using SmartPay to pay, but the funds are not reflecting in my account.

  1. SmartPay settles transaction amounts using a daily settlement system. At midnight each day, all transactions from the previous 24 hour period are tallied and transferred directly into your bank account.
  2. If you bank with Standard Bank, these funds should reflect in your account on the same day. All transactions made over the weekend are settled on the Monday morning or the next business day following a public holiday. If you have an account with another bank, the normal payment delay of up to 3 working days will apply, with additional delays over weekends and public holidays.
  3. Please note that the amount reflecting in your account will have the 3% (ex VAT) transaction fee deducted before settlement.

It’s been more than 3 days, and the funds are still not reflecting in my account.

New merchant accounts are subject to a 7 day “cool down” period. This is a standard anti-fraud measure enforced by Standard Bank. Merchants are free to transact during this period, but the outstanding amount for all transactions completed during the cool down period will only be settled after the 7 days have elapsed. You should start receiving automatic daily deposits once this cool down period is over.

How do I change my bank account details?

In order to make changes to your bank account we will need you to contact our helpdesk with the following information at hand:

  1. Your company name, as registered with SmartPay
  2. A copy of your ID (you must have power of attorney for the account)
  3. The email address that you used to register with SmartPay
  4. The account details as they currently stand
  5. The account details you would like going forward
  6. Your reason for changing bank details