Ranked
Card Machine Without a Monthly Fee (2026): 5 to Own
Five card machines with no monthly fee in South Africa, ranked on what a year really costs, and the charges that can turn R0 a month into a bill.
Some links here are referral links, and where a provider gives our readers a better price than its own site, that is the price you get by using one. It costs you nothing extra, and every option here is judged on the same test either way.
A monthly fee is the cost that hurts most in a quiet month, because you pay it whether a single customer taps or not. So it makes sense that it's the first thing people ask about, and the good news is that you don't have to pay one. Several card machines in South Africa cost you R0 a month once you've bought them.
But no monthly fee doesn't mean free. You still pay a fee on every sale, and some machines charge for payouts or for their SIM data. So in this list I'll rank the five that pay into the bank you already have on what a year actually costs, and show you exactly where R0 a month can turn into a bill.
How I ranked them
Every machine here is one you buy once, with no contract and no monthly rental, and every one pays into whatever bank account you already use. I've ranked them on what a full year costs at R15 000 a month in card sales, which is the machine, the fees, and any payout or data charges, all at each company's prices.
If you already bank at Capitec, its own card machine is R0 a month too, with a lower fee per sale, but it only pays into a Capitec account. Our Capitec vs Yoco comparison works out when that's worth it.
HelloPay isn't on this list for a different reason. You can buy its machines once too, but it charges R100 in any month your card sales stay under R15 000, so a quiet month isn't R0.
1. Yoco Khumo 2: the cheapest to keep
The Khumo 2 is the one that costs least over a year, and it's the only kind of R0 here with nothing else to pay. The data on its SIM is included, payouts into your bank are free, and on Yoco CoreYoco's standard plan, and the one almost every small business is on. It costs R0 a month, charges 2.30% excluding VAT per local card sale, and includes unlimited mobile data on the machine's multi-network SIM at no extra cost. Instant Payout costs a flat R17.25 for a payout under R1 000 and 1.5% above that on Core, for up to R10 000, once a day.Why it matters on a no-monthly-fee listCore is why Yoco's machines are R0 a month. At R15 000 a month in card sales you pay about R345 a month in fees on it, and nothing else.Core is Yoco's free plan and the one almost every small business is on. There's no monthly fee, the point-of-sale software is included, and the fee is 2.30% excluding VAT on local cards up to R50 000 a month. Yoco's paid plans lower the fee in return for a monthly charge, so they're no longer R0 a month.See every term in the glossary there's no monthly fee at all. You pay R699 once and 2.30% Excluding VATThe rate before 15% VAT is added, which is how almost every South African provider quotes. A rate of 2.30% excl. VAT actually bills you 2.645%, so two quotes are only comparable once you know which basis each is on.On a R200 sale2.30% excluding VAT is R4.60, and with 15% VAT on top the company keeps R5.29. Every company on this list quotes the same way.Card machine fees in South Africa are quoted before VAT, and the amount that actually leaves your sale is the fee plus 15%. Because every provider quotes this way, comparing their rates side by side is fair as it stands.See every term in the glossary on each local card sale.
1Cheapest to keep
Yoco Khumo 2
Accepts
- Tap, chip & swipe
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Amex
- SASSA
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Samsung Pay
Who it's for
One payment, no monthly fee on Core, the data included and free payouts, so a quiet month costs you nothing.
- MonthlyR0 on Core, data included
- Fee per sale2.30% excl. VAT
- Getting paid1-2 business days, free
What you get with the extra Yoco discount
- R100 off your card machine, which Yoco takes off when you sign up with the discount link here
And everything Yoco gives everyone
- Sign up in 5 minutes, and it works with the bank account you already have
- Paid out in 1 to 2 business days into that same account
- A 1-year warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee
Confirmed on 4 November 2026
you'll go to www.yoco.com's sign-up page with your extra R100 discount applied
What the Yoco Khumo 2 works withPOS software and accounting
What Yoco works withConfirmed 7 Oct 2026
-
POS software
On any Yoco plan
- LightspeedConnected
- LoyverseConnected
- TallOrderConnected
- SalonBridgeComing soon
-
Accounting
Needs the Plus plan, R249 a month
- XeroConnected
- SageConnected
- QuickBooksConnected
- StubConnected
It takes tap, chip and swipe as well as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, and the battery lasts a full trading day. The one thing it doesn't do is print, so customers get their receipt by SMS or email.
2. Yoco Khumo Print 2: the same, with a printer
If your customers expect a slip, this is the Khumo 2 with a printer built in and a bigger screen. Everything about running it is the same: R0 a month, the data included, free payouts and the same 2.30% per sale. The only difference is the R1 399 you pay once, which is R700 more.
2If you need a printer
Yoco Khumo Print 2
Accepts
- Tap, chip & swipe
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Amex
- SASSA
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Samsung Pay
Who it's for
The Khumo 2's running costs with a printer for bills, order slips and receipts.
- MonthlyR0 on Core, data included
- Fee per sale2.30% excl. VAT
- Getting paid1-2 business days, free
What you get with the extra Yoco discount
- R100 off your card machine, which Yoco takes off when you sign up with the discount link here
And everything Yoco gives everyone
- Sign up in 5 minutes, and it works with the bank account you already have
- Paid out in 1 to 2 business days into that same account
- A 1-year warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee
Confirmed on 4 November 2026
you'll go to www.yoco.com's sign-up page with your extra R100 discount applied
Buy it for a restaurant, a takeaway or any counter where people ask for a slip. If nobody does, the Khumo 2 keeps the R700 in your pocket.
3. iKhokha iK Flyer Lite: R0 a month, and it earns from prepaid
The iK Flyer Lite has no monthly rental either, but two smaller charges sit around it. iKhokha takes R2.50 every time it pays you, which is about R55 a month if you're paid every business day. And its SIMs cost R75 a month, which you can skip by running it on your shop's Wi-Fi.
So why is it on this list? Because it sells airtime, data, electricity and vouchers for a commission. If customers already come in asking for those, that income can cover the extra and then some. The shop owners I've spoken to who sell prepaid mostly see it that way. It isn't a big earner, but it pays for the machine and brings people in.
3If you sell prepaid
iKhokha iK Flyer Lite
Accepts
- Tap & chip
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Amex
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
Who it's for
No monthly rental, and the same machine earns a commission on prepaid. Run it on Wi-Fi to keep the SIM fee off your bill.
- MonthlyR0 rental; SIMs R75 if you want them
- Fee per sale2.10% excl. VAT, or 1.85% on Nedbank
- Getting paidR2.50 a payout
What iKhokha gives everyone
- Unlimited digital invoices, free, from the iK Invoice tool
- Same-day payouts, twice a day, on Nedbank or the iK Debit Card for sole traders, at R2.50 a day
Confirmed on 4 November 2026
you'll go to www.ikhokha.com's sign-up page with your extra 10% discount applied
Buy it if your shop already gets asked for airtime or electricity, like a spaza, a convenience store or a car wash. If nobody asks, the Khumo 2 costs less to keep.
4. iKhokha iK Flyer: prepaid, with a printer
The iK Flyer is the Flyer Lite with a printer, at R1 499. It's the one to look at if you sell prepaid and your customers want a slip, because it prints the airtime and electricity vouchers as well as the receipt. The running costs are the Lite's: R0 rental, R2.50 a payout, and R75 a month only if you want the SIMs.
4Prepaid with a printer
iKhokha iK Flyer
Accepts
- Tap, chip & swipe
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Amex
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
Who it's for
Everything the Flyer Lite does, with a printer for receipts and prepaid vouchers.
- MonthlyR0 rental, R75 for the SIMs if you want them
- Fee per sale2.10% excl. VAT, or 1.85% on Nedbank
- Getting paidR2.50 a payout
What iKhokha gives everyone
- Unlimited digital invoices, free, from the iK Invoice tool
- Same-day payouts, twice a day, on Nedbank or the iK Debit Card for sole traders, at R2.50 a day
Confirmed on 4 November 2026
you'll go to www.ikhokha.com's sign-up page with your extra 10% discount applied
Buy it if you sell prepaid and customers want the voucher on paper. If you don't need the printer, the Flyer Lite does the rest for R800 less.
5. WAPPoint SquarePOS RX, if you buy it
WAPPoint is best known for renting its machines, and a rental is a monthly fee. But you can also buy the SquarePOS RX for R3 199, with no fixed contract and no minimum turnover, and then nothing is billed monthly if you run it on Wi-Fi. A SIM is R50 a month if you need one.
It's last here because R3 199 is a lot more to pay upfront for a tap-only machine. Where it earns its place is the people behind it: a dedicated account manager and 24/7 support that can fix the machine remotely. Our WAPPoint review covers renting it instead.
5If you want people to call
WAPPoint SquarePOS RX
Accepts
- Tap only
- Visa
- Mastercard
- SASSA
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Snap & Pay QR
Who it's for
Buy it once and there's no contract and nothing monthly on Wi-Fi, with an account manager and 24/7 support behind it.
- MonthlyR0 on Wi-Fi; SIM R50 if you need it
- Fee per saleFrom 2.75% excl. VAT
- Getting paid1-2 business days, free
What Wappoint POS gives everyone
- The rental falls away in any month you clear the machine's threshold: R15 000 on SquarePOS RX, R25 000 on MiniPOS, R45 000 on PrintPOS
- Switch to a different machine as the business changes
Confirmed on 4 November 2026
Buy it if a person to call matters more to you than the price. If the price matters most, the Khumo 2 is R2 500 less upfront and cheaper to run.
What a year really costs
This is where the ranking comes from, and it's why the monthly line on its own tells you so little.
One year with each machine, at R15 000 a month in local card sales:
A year at R15 000 a month
| Yoco Khumo 2 | Yoco Khumo Print 2 | iKhokha iK Flyer Lite | iKhokha iK Flyer | WAPPoint SquarePOS RX | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine, once | R699 | R1 399 | R699 | R1 499 | R3 199 |
| Monthly fee | R0 | R0 | R0 | R0 | R0 |
| Fees, a year | R4 140 at 2.30% | R4 140 at 2.30% | R3 780 at 2.10% | R3 780 at 2.10% | R4 950 at 2.75% |
| Payout charges, a year | R0 | R0 | R660 | R660 | R0 |
| Year one, on Wi-Fi | R4 839 | R5 539 | R5 139 | R5 939 | R8 149 |
| Mobile data, if you need it | Included | Included | R900 a year | R900 a year | R600 a year |
Our sums; the boxes above show each company's discount from the links in this article. Assumes local cards throughout and, for iKhokha, one payout every business day (about 22 a month at R2.50). All amounts exclude VAT.← scroll sideways on a narrow screen →
Every machine here is R0 a month, and the year still runs from about R4 800 to about R8 100. The fee per sale and the extras decide it, not the monthly line.
From the second year the machine is paid for, so the gap is the fee per sale and the payout charges alone.
When R0 a month isn't R0
None of these machines bills you monthly for the machine itself. But four things can still put a regular charge on your statement, so check each one against how you run your business before you buy.
Mobile data
Yoco includes it. iKhokha's SIMs are R75 a month and WAPPoint's R50, unless you run the machine on Wi-Fi.
Fine at a counter with good Wi-Fi, but a market stall or a delivery round needs the SIMPayout charges
iKhokha takes R2.50 every time it pays you, whatever the amount. Yoco and WAPPoint pay out free in 1 to 2 business days.
Roughly R660 a year if your money comes in every business dayPaying to be paid sooner
Yoco's Instant Payout is R17.25 under R1 000 and 1.5% above that on Core. WAPPoint's six-day payouts add 0.2%.
Fine for an odd month-end, but it adds up if you draw your money every dayA paid plan
Yoco's Plus and Pro plans lower the fee for R249 and R499 a month. Core is the plan that keeps it at R0.
Only worth it once your card sales are well past what a small counter makesAnd if you don't want a machine at all
You can take a card payment on your phone without buying anything. Yoco's Tap to Pay on iPhone comes with its free Core plan, and iKhokha's iK Tap on Phone is a free app for Android. A customer taps their card or phone against yours, and the money goes where your machine's would.
It's a good way to find out whether cards are worth it before you spend R699, and a handy backup when the machine is charging. Our guide to the cheapest card machine goes through starting that way.
Which one should you get?
For most businesses, the Yoco Khumo 2. It's the only one here where R0 a month really means nothing else to pay, and it's the cheapest to keep on this list whether you make R5 000, R15 000 or R40 000 a month on card.
Get the Khumo Print 2 if customers expect a slip, as they do at restaurants, hardware stores and pharmacies. Get the iK Flyer Lite if people already ask you for airtime and electricity, like at spaza shops, tuck shops and general dealers, because the commission can cover its extra costs. Buy the WAPPoint SquarePOS RX if having a person to call matters more to you than the price. A church or NGO that takes cards one day a week has its own guide, because there a quiet week matters most.
Anyone who wants a card machine with nothing to pay monthly, and receipts by SMS or email.
Yoco Khumo 2
R699once-off
R699 once-off, R0 a month on Yoco's free Core plan, data included, 2.30% excl. VAT per local card sale (confirmed 5 November 2026)
Get the Khumo 2 Price confirmed 14 Oct 2026Questions people ask about card machines with no monthly fee
Which card machine has no monthly fee in South Africa?
Yoco's Khumo 2 (R699) and Khumo Print 2 (R1 399), iKhokha's iK Flyer Lite (R699) and iK Flyer (R1 499), and WAPPoint's SquarePOS RX if you buy it (R3 199) all have no monthly fee.Yoco includes the data; iKhokha's SIMs are R75 a month and WAPPoint's R50 if you don't use Wi-Fi. Confirmed 5 November 2026.
Is a card machine with no monthly fee really free to run?
No. You still pay a fee on every sale, 2.30% excluding VAT on Yoco's Core plan and 2.10% at iKhokha.Some also charge for payouts, like iKhokha's R2.50 a payout, or for mobile data if you don't run the machine on Wi-Fi.
Do card machines with no monthly fee pay out slower?
Not necessarily. Yoco and WAPPoint pay into your own bank in 1 to 2 business days at no charge.iKhokha pays FNB and Absa customers the next business day and charges R2.50 a payout.
2 more questions
Can I take card payments with no machine at all?
Yes. An iPhone can take card payments through Yoco at no extra cost on its Core plan, and an Android phone through iKhokha's free iK Tap on Phone app.Customers tap their card or phone against yours.
What is the cheapest card machine with no monthly fee to keep?
Of the machines that pay into any bank, the Yoco Khumo 2.At R15 000 a month in card sales its first year costs about R4 839, the machine included, with nothing else to pay.
Mentioned in this ranking
ReviewYoco Khumo 2 Review (2026): Is R699 Enough?Yoco Khumo 2 review: R699 once-off, 2.30% on the free Core plan, data included and an 18-hour battery.Last confirmed on 5 Nov 2026
ReviewiKhokha Card Machine Review (2026): Worth It?Our iKhokha review: the transaction fee, the R2.50 payout fee, what iK Prepaid can earn you, and what a year costs.Last confirmed on 5 Nov 2026
ReviewWAPPoint Card Machine Review (2026): Rent, or Buy?WAPPoint review: R200 to start, a rental that stops above a set turnover, real-person 24/7 support, and a match-or-beat…Last confirmed on 5 Nov 2026
