iPhones can now accept payments in South Africa

Apple has announced that Tap to Pay on iPhone is now available in South Africa, which lets the iPhone act as a payment terminal. The feature was first launched in 2022, in the US, and has since rolled out to 50 markets as of 2026, according to Apple.

Business owners, once registered with a payment platform, will be able to accept contactless payments from both credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and other digital wallets. This includes the Apple Watch and devices that supported NFC technology for tap to pay.

Payments will be accepted from Visa and Mastercard, with support for American Express “coming soon”.

No additional hardware will be required from the small business, but would need to be registered on a partner-enabled iOS app. The first two payment platforms to launch in South Africa are iStore Pay and Yoco. Support starts from the iPhone Xs or later, running the latest iOS version, which acts as a payment terminal.

Apple says: “At checkout, the merchant will simply prompt the customer to hold their contactless credit or debit card, iPhone, Apple Watch, or other digital wallet near the merchant’s iPhone, and the payment will be securely completed using NFC technology. No additional hardware is needed, so merchants can accept payments from wherever they do business.”

When it comes to privacy, Apple says it is fundamental in the design and development across all its payment features.

“With Tap to Pay on iPhone, customers’ payment data is protected by the same technology that makes Apple Pay private and secure. All transactions made using Tap to Pay on iPhone are encrypted and processed using the Secure Element, and Apple doesn’t know what is being purchased or who is buying it. Apple doesn’t store card numbers or transaction information on the device or on Apple servers, so merchants and customers can rest assured that their data stays theirs.”

iStore launches iStore Pay

The iStore has announced the launch of iStore Pay today that will let local businesses seamlessly and securely accept all forms of in-person contactless payments, it says.

Local businesses need to download the iStore Pay app from the App Store and register to start using their iPhones as a payment terminal.

It would make things easier for small businesses who operate at malls, food markets, expos and other community events where they are trading.

According to iStore

• No Barrier to Entry, More Flexibility – Accept contactless payments right on your current iPhone* with no additional hardware required and no upfront, monthly** or payout fees. Get transacting in under 15 minutes.
• Transparent Pricing, More Value – Transaction fees from 2.5%, with a pay-as-you-transact model that means businesses only pay when they make a sale.
• Simple Payouts – Merchants pay a flat fee of R2.99 per payout. As part of the launch offer merchants will receive free daily payouts until 31 July 2026.***
• Secure and Private by Design – Tap to Pay on iPhone technology uses the built-in security and privacy features of iPhone to help protect customer data. When a payment is processed, Apple doesn’t store card numbers or transaction information on the device or on Apple servers, so businesses can rest assured that their data stays theirs.****

The iStore Pay App: A Business Command Centre

The iStore Pay app allows merchants to manage payments and business activity instantly in one place. Business owners can track every aspect of their commerce in real-time:

• Monitor Sales: Track transaction history and payment records instantly.
• Manage Funds: View payouts and refunds directly in the app.
• Gain Visibility: Access insights to better understand and scale business performance.

*Requires iPhone XS or later running iOS 18 or later.
**R20pm if your turnover is less than R2000pm from 1 August 2026.
***Applicable with a minimum balance of R500 in wallet.
****Encrypted card numbers are temporarily stored on iPhone only for transactions made in Store and Forward mode.