PayFast vs Peach Payments: which is right for your SA store

PayFast is the right default for most South African online stores. It has no monthly fee, broad payment method support including Instant EFT, SnapScan, and Mobicred, and integrates with every major e-commerce platform. Peach Payments is the better choice when you are processing higher volumes, need international payment support, or require enterprise-grade recurring billing.

This post is for SA founders choosing their first payment gateway or considering a switch. It covers fees, features, and the scenarios where each gateway makes more sense.

What are the fees for PayFast and Peach Payments in South Africa?

PayFast charges no setup fee and no monthly fee on its standard plan. Transaction fees are approximately 3.5% plus R2.00 for credit and debit card payments, and 2% with a minimum of R2.00 for Instant EFT. There is a payout fee of R8.70 (ex VAT) per withdrawal to your bank account.

Peach Payments uses a custom pricing model. Card payments are typically quoted around 2.95% plus R1.50 per transaction on their standard plan. There may also be a monthly fee depending on your plan, often around R499 per month on higher-tier plans. The lower percentage rate on cards makes Peach competitive at higher volumes, but the monthly fee makes it more expensive at low volumes.

Which payment methods does each SA gateway support?

PayFast supports over 18 payment methods. These include Visa and Mastercard, Instant EFT, SnapScan, Zapper, Mobicred, and store cards. It is the most comprehensive local payment stack available in South Africa and covers the full range of how SA consumers prefer to pay, including EFT which is still widely used alongside card.

Peach Payments supports cards, Instant EFT, and has additional capabilities for multi-currency and international payments. If you sell to both local and international customers, Peach Payments' broader currency support is a meaningful advantage. For a purely domestic SA store, the payment method gap between the two is small.

How does each gateway integrate with Shopify and Webflow in South Africa?

PayFast integrates with Shopify through the PayFast app in the Shopify App Store and with Webflow through its API. The Shopify integration is one of the most commonly used by SA merchants and is well-documented. Webflow e-commerce does not natively support PayFast as a listed gateway, so integration requires custom code or a third-party connector.

Peach Payments also integrates with Shopify and has a Webflow integration pathway. Both gateways work with WooCommerce on WordPress. For SA merchants on Shopify, PayFast is generally the faster integration. For custom-built stores or higher-complexity setups, Peach Payments' developer-friendly API is an advantage.

Which SA payment gateway is better for subscriptions and recurring billing?

For recurring billing, Peach Payments has the stronger infrastructure. It offers tokenisation and stored-card capabilities that work well for subscription products, membership sites, and SaaS businesses. PayFast also supports subscriptions but its recurring billing tooling is less sophisticated than Peach Payments' at the enterprise level.

If you run a subscription-based SA business, compare both gateways' subscription documentation carefully before committing. The technical implementation differs, and switching gateways after you have built a subscriber base is painful.

Should a new SA online store use PayFast or Peach Payments?

Start with PayFast. The zero monthly fee means you only pay when you sell. The integration is fast, the documentation is thorough, and South African shoppers recognise and trust the PayFast logo at checkout, which reduces cart abandonment. For a store doing under R100,000 per month in sales, PayFast is the most cost-effective and lowest-friction choice.

Revisit Peach Payments when your monthly transaction volume makes the lower percentage rate worthwhile, when you need international payment support, or when your product requires robust recurring billing. At scale, the custom pricing Peach Payments offers can be more competitive than PayFast's fixed rate.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use both PayFast and Peach Payments on the same store?

Most SA e-commerce platforms allow you to offer multiple payment gateways simultaneously. Shopify supports this through its payment settings. Offering both gateways gives customers more options at checkout, which can reduce cart abandonment. However, most early-stage SA stores are better served by getting one gateway right before adding a second.

Does Shopify Payments work in South Africa?

No. Shopify Payments is not available in South Africa. SA Shopify merchants must use third-party gateways such as PayFast, Peach Payments, or Yoco. Shopify charges an additional transaction fee on every sale processed through a third-party gateway: 2% on Basic, 1% on Shopify plan, and 0.6% on Advanced.

What is the difference between Instant EFT and regular EFT for SA online stores?

Instant EFT is a real-time bank transfer that confirms immediately at checkout. Regular EFT requires a manual transfer and can take 24 to 48 hours to confirm. For e-commerce, Instant EFT is the right choice and should always be enabled alongside card payments. PayFast and Peach Payments both support Instant EFT.

Not sure which gateway fits your store? A free e-commerce audit covers your payment setup and identifies any friction costing you sales. Get yours at launchllama.co.za.