No matter the card company or bank that issues you a credit card or the type of credit card you choose, every credit card payment in South Africa is processed through a payment gateway facility. While there are numerous payment facilities that are ranked high, without doubt the one that everyone has heard of and prefers is PayPal. However, this particular payment facility is not offered in South Africa because of restrictions with Forex.
Consumers and business professionals alike anticipate that within the near future, PayPal will be offered in this part of the world but in the meantime, a credit card payment in South Africa can still be processed using several different facilities. No matter the payment gateway chosen, the transaction is processed through the internet and the gateway’s website. While payment gateways can be used by various businesses, they are typically associated with ecommerce sites.
Credit Card Payment South Africa Restrictions
Because restrictions do apply for payment processing facilities, when looking for a credit card in South Africa, you should also look at the facility through which the payment would be made. As you apply for various cards, you will quickly learn that applicants that meet a certain monthly income level are offered credit cards more often than those with lower paying jobs are.
Then, once you have one or more cards approved, you will find the process of making a credit card payment in South Africa could be through a variety of gateways. As an example, you will find a number of quality payment gateways that are offered without the need to open a merchant account. Typically, these gateways are used by startup companies, websites that offer various transactions, and small business owners.
Keep in mind that when you make a credit card payment in South Africa, depending on the payment gateway that processes the payment, a different fee would be charged. These facilities have flexibility to develop a structure for pricing and fees so it would be worth looking before you choose the gateway. Although most have a structure set up as a monthly fee, some that take a percentage, which is what PayPal does.
The way in which the credit card payment in South Africa is processed would also vary based on the payment gateway through which the transaction goes. However, when looking at different facilities and the way in which they work, two things in particular should be understood.
- First, you need to know the amount of money held by the payment gateway prior to it being moved to your account.
- Second, you need to make sure the gateway uses the latest and most innovative software to protect your personal and financial information.
The most secure option is with SSL, which is the acronym for Secure Sockets Layer. Typically, gateways that process a credit card payment in South Africa use this certificate, which provides absolute protection. The easiest way to tell if a payment facility uses SSL is to look at the URL. If it begins with https://, then you know the credit card payment in South Africa would be processed with 100% security.
