What it does
Ozow provides South African business payment collection, bank-payment requests, refunds, payouts and integrations. Merchants register and complete account checks; customers making a bank payment do not need an Ozow account. The core collection service has transaction fees, with separate charges for payouts, refunds and WhatsApp requests.
Ozow's Pay by Bank and PayShap Request options collect directly from a customer's bank account. With PayShap, the customer chooses their bank and enters a registered mobile or account number, then approves the request inside their banking app. They return to Ozow for confirmation.
For requests sent through WhatsApp, Ozow provides pre-approved message templates. A Pay with Ozow button takes the customer to payment.
Main charges
The following are the listed South African rand charges:
| Service | Listed charge |
|---|---|
| Pay by Bank or PayShap Request | 1.5% per transaction, minimum R1 |
| Instant or bulk payouts | R3 per transaction |
| Real-time refunds | R3 per transaction |
| WhatsApp payment request | R0.35 per message |
Standard has no minimum processing amount. Enterprise is for businesses processing at least R1.5 million monthly and offers tailored pricing and additional support. Card collection has a separate rate schedule. Ozow lists next-day settlement for both packages, subject to the applicable bank arrangements.
Register through Become a Merchant and complete the identity and bank checks. Prepare the relevant ID, bank confirmation and business documents, plus an operational website. Once registered, the dashboard's Sites tab contains the site code used when connecting your store.
Strengths
- Informal merchants can apply without company registration alongside the registered-business route
- WhatsApp requests track sent, delivered and read message status
Watch out for
- PayShap requires a supported bank and activation in the customer's banking app
Best for
- South African merchants adding bank payments to an online store
- Businesses following up payment requests through WhatsApp
Sources
- Ozow business payments (Oct 27, 2026)
- Ozow pricing (Oct 27, 2026)
- Ozow merchant and payment FAQs (Oct 27, 2026)
- Ozow PayShap Request user guide (Oct 27, 2026)
- Ozow WhatsApp payment requests (Oct 27, 2026)