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What TapAPI costs
Every fee below is worked out by the same code that charges it, at the amounts people actually use. If a number changes in the system, it changes here.
Paying with your wristband, tag or card
Free. The tap itself is never charged — whatever the amount, and on both sides of it. What you see on the screen is what moves.
Loading your wallet
| Amount |
Ozow, pay by bank app | OTT voucher |
|---|
| R20.00 |
R1.15 5.75% |
R2.00 10.00% |
| R50.00 |
R1.15 2.30% |
R3.45 6.90% |
| R100.00 |
R1.73 1.73% |
R6.90 6.90% |
| R200.00 |
R3.45 1.73% |
R13.80 6.90% |
| R500.00 |
R8.63 1.73% |
R34.50 6.90% |
| R1,000.00 |
R17.25 1.73% |
R69.00 6.90% |
What you see is what you pay — nothing is added at the end. The minimum load is R20.00 and the most in one go is R1,000.00, or R5,000.00 for a verified wallet. Cheapest way in at every amount: Ozow, pay by bank app.
About the voucher: you buy an OTT voucher at a shop and redeem it in your wallet.
The fee is 6.9% of the voucher, with a minimum of R2.00. That is the voucher's own cost, not a TapAPI fee.
Failed top-ups: a top-up of yours that fails counts against your wallet, and so does a card payment into it, by your QR code or payment link, that is declined. The first one is free. From the second, R1 per failed payment, at most R5, comes off the next money that lands in your wallet, shown on your statement as a penalty. Every successful payment in takes one off, and all are forgotten after 7 days.
Getting a tip
| Tip |
PayShap | Pay by bank | Card | Tipper covers it |
|---|
| R20.00 |
R1.15
keeps R18.85 |
R1.15
keeps R18.85 |
R1.15
keeps R18.85 |
R21.15
worker gets R20.00+ |
| R50.00 |
R1.15
keeps R48.85 |
R1.15
keeps R48.85 |
R1.64
keeps R48.36 |
R52.73
worker gets R50.00+ |
| R100.00 |
R1.15
keeps R98.85 |
R1.73
keeps R98.27 |
R3.28
keeps R96.72 |
R105.46
worker gets R100.00+ |
| R200.00 |
R2.30
keeps R197.70 |
R3.45
keeps R196.55 |
R6.56
keeps R193.44 |
R210.91
worker gets R200.00+ |
On a R20.00 tip the worker keeps R18.85, whichever way it is paid: the R1.15 is the payment's own cost, VAT included, and TapAPI adds nothing. There is no commission on a tip. The worker carries the charge unless the tipper ticks the box to cover it: then the tipper pays R21.15 on a R20.00 tip and the worker gets at least the full tip. The cover is worked out on the dearest way to pay, so on a cheaper one the worker keeps a little more.
A tip reaches the worker by a tap on their wristband or tag, or a scan of their Tip Me badge, and the tipper needs no app. Spending it at a TapAPI shop is free; sending it to a bank account costs the fee below.
When money leaves your wallet
| Amount |
PayShap | RTC EFT |
|---|
| R50.00 |
R2.88 5.76% |
R5.18 10.36% |
| R100.00 |
R2.88 2.88% |
R5.18 5.18% |
| R200.00 |
R2.88 1.44% |
R5.18 2.59% |
| R500.00 |
R2.88 0.58% |
R5.18 1.04% |
| R1,000.00 |
R2.88 0.29% |
R5.18 0.52% |
The least you can send out is R50.00, the most in one go is R1,000.00.
If a transfer comes back, the bank charges us — we do not pass that on to you.
Sending to another TapAPI wallet
Free. Wallet to wallet costs nothing, either side.
Getting a till
| Item | Cost |
|---|
| Open a shop, or become an agent once, after your phone passes the tap test | R95.00 |
| Each day your till is used charged when the till opens for the day; a day with no taps costs nothing | R25.25 |
Both come out of the shop's own wallet. The R95.00 is paid once, whichever way you sign up. The daily amount is the till rental plus the SMS that confirms the day. Taps themselves stay free on both sides.
No monthly fee. No minimum. Nothing is charged on the tap itself — not to the person paying, and not to the shop taking it. The costs are the payment cost of a tip, loading a wallet, money leaving a wallet for a bank account, and a till: R95.00 once and R25.25 for each day it is used.