Payments

Taking card payments for airport transfers in South Africa

Being paid in advance turns a "maybe" into a booking, cuts no-shows and stops awkward conversations at the car. Here are the options South African transfer companies have, and how to choose.

Tafel guides · 6 minute read

The four ways to get paid

1. Card machine in the car

Simple, and guests know it. But you're only paid at the end of the trip, no-shows cost you the trip, and the chauffeur handles payment issues at the kerb.

2. Payment links

You send a link by WhatsApp or email and the guest pays online. Better than paying at the car, but someone has to create and chase every link, then match the payment to the booking.

3. EFT and invoices

Right for hotels, agents and corporate accounts who pay monthly. Wrong for walk-in guests and tourists, who rarely want to make a bank transfer for a single trip.

4. Pay online when booking

The guest chooses their trip and vehicle on your website, sees the price and pays in full to confirm. Nobody chases anything, and the booking only exists once it's paid. For private guests and tourists this is usually the best option.

Choosing a payment gateway

South Africa has several good gateways: Yoco, Payfast, Peach Payments, Stitch, Paystack and Adumo among them. When comparing, look at:

• Payment methods: cards, Instant EFT, and methods like Capitec Pay, SnapScan and Zapper.
• Foreign cards: many airport guests are tourists, so international Visa and Mastercard must work smoothly.
• Fees and payout times: per-transaction fees and how quickly money reaches your bank account. These change, so compare current rates on each provider's website.
• Refunds: how easy it is to refund a cancelled trip.
• 3-D Secure (the one-time PIN from the guest's bank), which protects you against fraud.

Cutting chargebacks and fraud

• Clear terms before payment: what's included, waiting time, and your cancellation policy. Make guests tick to agree.
• Instant confirmation by email with the booking reference, pick-up time and what happens next.
• A limit for online bookings: unusually large online payments are a classic stolen-card pattern. Above a set amount, ask the guest to contact you.
• Keep records of the trip: the chauffeur's status updates and drop-off time are your evidence if a payment is disputed.

Never take card numbers by WhatsApp or email

Writing down card numbers, or asking guests to send them in a message, breaks the card industry's security rules (PCI DSS) and puts you at risk. Let the gateway's secure page handle card details, so they never touch your systems.

Keep the accounts simple

Match each payment to its booking automatically, mark it paid, and send it to your accounting package (QuickBooks, Xero or Sage) with the right VAT. Remember that passenger transport is generally VAT-exempt in South Africa, while extras like refreshments may carry VAT. Check with your accountant.

Where software helps

Booking software with a built-in booking form and payment gateway does all of this in one flow: the guest books and pays on your website, the booking appears confirmed in your diary, the payment is matched, and the invoice reaches your accounting package.