Wallets/snapscan
SnapScan
0 standards supported
Overview
SnapScan is South Africa's pioneering QR-code mobile-payment app, backed by Standard Bank [1, 2, za-cro]. SnapScan Wallet functions like a virtual bank account for sending + receiving + paying. Money in SnapScan Wallet can be spent at 60,000+ SnapScan businesses.
Distinctive SnapScan model:
- Cardless transactions via QR code (no physical card required at merchant POS)
- Standard Bank-backed but works with any South African bank
- Zero fees for P2P + Wallet top-up; 3.5% bank-withdrawal fee
- Requires South African SIM + ecommerce-enabled debit/credit card to set up
2014 launch context [3]: SnapScan was South Africa's first QR-code-based mobile payment app — Standard Bank-Innovation-Lab-driven response to mobile-payment-emergent market.
History
2013-2014 — SnapScan launches [3]: SA's first QR-code-based mobile-payment app; Standard Bank Innovation Lab support.
2014-2024 — SA merchant + consumer expansion [1]: 60,000+ SnapScan-accepting businesses.
2025 — Standard Bank-backed SnapScan Wallet evolution [2].
Ownership & operator
Operating entity: SnapScan — Standard Bank-backed fintech (SA financial-innovation-lab incubated).
Backer: Standard Bank (Johannesburg-listed; SA's #2 bank by market cap).
Regulator: SARB (South African Reserve Bank).
Technical integration
| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| Channels | SnapScan mobile app (iOS + Android) + merchant QR network |
| Identifiers | Phone + QR code |
| SA rail | [[payshap]] (SA instant payments) |
| Account model | Virtual-bank-account SnapScan Wallet + cardless QR at SA merchants |
| Fees | Zero P2P + Wallet top-up; 3.5% bank-withdrawal |
| Requirements: SA SIM + ecommerce-enabled card; works with any SA bank | |
| Merchant network: 60,000+ SnapScan businesses |
Users & growth
2025 baseline [1]:
- Merchant network: 60,000+ SnapScan businesses
- Account requirements: SA SIM + ecommerce-enabled card; works with any SA bank
- Fees: zero P2P/top-up; 3.5% bank-withdrawal
Use cases
SA QR-code merchant payments at 60K+ SnapScan businesses; cardless transactions (no physical card at POS); virtual-bank-account SnapScan Wallet; P2P transfers (zero fees); Standard Bank consumer-banking integration.
Implementations & partners
Operator: SnapScan (Standard Bank-backed fintech).
Backer: Standard Bank (SA's #2 bank).
Major SA wallet competitors:
- [[fnb-ewallet]] (FNB First National Bank; 2M+ recipients; R5B+ processed; WhatsApp channel)
- zapper (SA QR payments; sister approach)
- [[yoco]] (SA SME POS-payment; 300K+ businesses)
- PayShap (national instant rail)
- [[mukuru]] (SADC remittance + 5-territory wallet)
Regulator: SARB.
Fun facts
- SA's first QR-code-based mobile-payment app (2013-2014).
- Standard Bank-backed but works with any SA bank.
- 60,000+ SnapScan businesses.
- Zero fees for P2P + Wallet top-up; 3.5% bank-withdrawal.
- Cardless POS — distinctive SA QR-payment model.
- Standard Bank Innovation Lab incubated.
Comparison
| Feature | SnapScan | [[fnb-ewallet]] (SA bank-wallet rival) | zapper (SA QR-payments) | [[yoco]] (SA SME POS) | [[mukuru]] (SADC remittance + wallet) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | SnapScan (Standard Bank-backed) | First National Bank (FNB) | Zapper | Yoco Technologies (Pty) Ltd | Mukuru |
| Type | SA pioneering QR-code wallet (Standard Bank) | SA bank-wallet (FNB) + WhatsApp | SA QR-payments + loyalty | SA SME POS + payment + funding | SADC remittance + 5-territory wallet |
| Country | South Africa | South Africa | South Africa + UK + IE | South Africa | 20+ African corridors; 5 wallet territories |
| Distinctive | SA's first QR-mobile-payment 2013; 60K+ merchants; Standard Bank-backed; cardless POS; works with any SA bank | FNB recipient-anchored; 2M+ recipients; R5B+; WhatsApp channel for 90%+ users | SA QR + loyalty (3-country) | R1.23B Series C = largest SA payments raise ever | Orange-branded SADC; Jan 2025 ZW DTMFI |
Status
Active, SA's pioneering QR-code mobile-payment app [1, 2]:
- SnapScan (Standard Bank-backed) since 2013-2014.
- 60,000+ SnapScan-accepting SA businesses.
- Cardless QR + virtual-bank-account Wallet.
- Zero P2P + Wallet top-up fees.
- Works with any SA bank.
- SARB-regulated.
Sources
- 1 SnapScan — official
- 2 SnapScan Wallet — Standard Bank
- 3 SA QR-code mobile payment 2014 — Payments Dive
- 4 SnapScan ultimate mobile payment — Code Cash
- za-cro In-corpus:
reports/countries/ZA-south-africa.md
Source
Biography extracted from snapscan.md. See matrix.md for standards-support matrix if present.