South African Payment Gateway integrations | Voters

South African Payment Gateway integrations

under review

Onno Vrijburg

Hi, I have a few customers in South Africa and right now there is no way for them to actually accept payments through GHL as Stripe is not available in South Africa and as far as I could see PayPal does not allow linking to a South African Bank Account. Your new (planned) integration with Authorize.net is also not an option as it's also not available in South Africa. Could you please consider adding one of the payment gateways in this article ( https://sashares.co.za/payment-gateways/#gs.hl6esj ) so my customers can take payments through GHL.

November 3, 2022

Conor Mcelligott

Hi, I see there is a paystack option for my sub accounts to use. If I install it to their sub accounts, is there going to be a charge for it? I see it is free now, but I can't have them all using it then suddenly there is a charge for it?

Kevin Pohl

Conor Mcelligott You can install the Apps for free. And they are still free to use for now. By February we're updating Paystack and Payfast and while Installing the Apps remain free... when your Customers decide to use them, they will have the option to subscribe to using them for a payment of R99 per month.

Conor Mcelligott

Kevin Pohl thanks for the reply. Can I not just charge them for their subscriptions and then agency pays the R99? My other question is - say I have a client that is building a store for a client. She integrates Paystack for that store. But then wants to build another store for a different client. She can’t then integrate a different business? Does this mean that each o line store creates needs their own sub account?

Kevin Pohl

Conor Mcelligott "Can I not just charge them for their subscriptions and then agency pays the R99?" - GHL doesn't allow us to let you install it for free AND pay for it yourself based on usage. The way it is setup now is that if we charge for the app you pay for every install immediately. ALSO, GHL made it so that Only agencies who already have Stripe integrated can pay for apps on the marketplace. Obviously that defeats the point.
So we made our apps free for 4 months while we solve the payment process ourselves. The solution is geared towards enabling Customers to self serve, with as little management from the Agency as possible.
"She can’t then integrate a different business?" - This is not payments related, so perhaps reach out to GHL support with your specific requirements, but from my point of view, No business should ever mix their customers and payment details with any other business. Sub-accounts are like Locations of franchises or individual businesses.

Joanita van Wyk

This is extremely frustrating. I signed up for the starter plan, hoping to start scaling from there to the higher package options, but with there being no way for South African currencies to be accepted like Yoco or Payfast, how would you be able to show your clients a propoer use case and upsell?

Kevin Pohl

Joanita van Wyk HighLevel doesn't yet support Agency level apps on the Starter plan. Our Team who built the custom Payfast and Paystack Apps are working on a solution for Starter Plan users.. may be ready towards end of February.

Debbie Hartmann

Why isn't Paystack available on the starter package? Do I have to upgrade to get this app installed?

Nicola Savage

Debbie Hartmann I agree with this. how are we supposed to grow in developing markets if can can't get simple local online payment gateways? Did you find a solution or an answer?

Debbie Hartmann

Nicola Savage I am forced to use Paypal but not happy with it. Many issues with them because my company is not registered in USA. And GHL is not willing to put Paystack on the lower package. Really making it difficult for us.

Kevin Pohl

Debbie Hartmann GHL has a restriction on some marketplace Apps. Apps that are Agency level apps (Which mean they can be installed by agency owners in bulk across their subaccounts), are not yet available to their users on the Starter Plan, only from the $297 plan and up.

We're working on creating a solution for Starter Plan users so that they can install our Payfast or Paystack integration apps.

Joanita van Wyk

Kevin Pohl Yoco is also a great local option. Has there been any progress on this front as this is the only thing keeping me from upgrading and marketing to South African clients now

Joanita van Wyk

Debbie Hartmann Paypal is so much drama. I would much rather prefer Yoco or Payfast, I am sure my clients too

Mark Alfred Mack

Please include Paystack. Pan-African payment gateway. Some of the ones in the list is quite expensive for South African businesses.

Kevin Pohl

Mark Alfred Mack Paystack is live on the App Marketplace Mark. We released an integration a few weeks ago already. Just go to your Agency account, App Marketplace, and find it under All Apps, or Payment Provider...

Mark Alfred Mack

Kevin Pohl thanks for your message. Found it. I am unable to install it. This is free until October but now I am requested to upgrade. Please help as I want to install it today. Thanks Mark

Kevin Pohl

Mark Alfred Mack Why are you unable to install it? Are you on the $97 p/m plan? If so, that's a HighLevel restriction... nothing we can do.

Our "Free till October" clause is based on when we expected the GHL team to roll out SaaS Mode and Rebilling... which was supposed to be today. But that didn't happen, so for the time being the apps remain free. When we are able to enable SaaS Mode on them we will resume billing for our apps.

Mark Alfred Mack

Kevin Pohl thanks. Sorted.

Anel Korsten

Kevin Pohl What do "Free till October" and SaaS Mode and Rebilling mean? And also, on which plans of GHL is it available? On all plans or only on the unlimited and agency plans?

Sorry for the 20 questions.

Kevin Pohl

Anel Korsten Hey there! We had our October timeline because the GHL team promised us a Feature by end of September that would enable agencies to use these custom payment apps (Paystack and Payfast) to run the agency billing just like Stripe does now. At that point we wanted to start charging for the apps. But the feature never shipped.
They call that SaaS Mode inside HighLevel, you essentially get a pricing configurator and when people buy your product via a funnel using one of those SaaS Configured pricing plans then it would automatically create the subaccount for the customer, invoice them, send receipts, setup their user profile... all that stuff. That's SaaS Mode.
Rebilling means you would be allowed to charge a Custom Markup on certain fees inside HighLevel... so your customers pay you, you take your markup cut, and you pay HighLevel their cost. Usually for things like Phone lines, Calls, SMS, Email, WhatsApp, AI credits, and all the other apps and charges HighLevel has that is usage based.
Right now, Full SaaS Mode & Rebilling is only available by using Stripe, and only on the $497 p/m package. On the $297 p/m package you only have some rebilling options...but it is a fixed rate of 5% markup, you cannot change it.
Currently the Paystack and Payfast Apps are only available on the 297 and 497 plan because HighLevel does not allow agency apps on the $97 p/m plan.
In short... because these SaaS mode features didn't get shipped end of September as we were told, our Apps remain free for now. BUT, Shaun said they will be shipping SaaS Mode next week at LevelUp Day. So we see if it happens or not.
Our planned pricing is $9 p/m, per subaccount you install it into.

Joanita van Wyk

Kevin Pohl Its not available on the starter option though?

Kevin Pohl

Quick update for all our South African friends... Payfast is now also available on the App Marketplace, free to use for the next few months. GHL has promised us SaaS mode and rebilling by end of this quarter on these apps, so it's not going to be long now till your agencies can go to the Next Level! Go get Payfast installed, or Paystack (We have both now) and get going.

We've started work on Peach Payments next.

Anel Korsten

Kevin Pohl Do agency owners pay additional transaction fees if they release this to sub account owners? Meaning will PayFast be charging agency owners as well for the transactions that goes through sub accounts?

Kevin Pohl

Anel Korsten No because the agency will not be the Merchant. To use a gateway, you as a business, meaning your customers if the case, have to open an account with the Gateway, and Verify the account with that Gateway as a real business.
As an Agency, you should never touch or have access to their accounts with the Gateway as that is financial data and private to them.
Only the business who has the account with the Gateway will get charged for transactions they make.
The Only way you as an Agency would be charged is if you yourself use it as a Gateway in a sub-account with your own verified Payfast account and run transactions through it.

Nicola Savage

Kevin Pohl please can you let us know if you can make these available to the $97 version. My agency is really going to struggle to grow without a payment gateway that works in South Africa. Stripe only works for subsidiaries of foreign companies. I have a new client but getting them on highlevel is dependent on the online payment solutuion. Thanks

Kevin Pohl

Nicola Savage We're working on a solution Nicola. It has been a restriction by the GHL team that agency level apps are not available to Starter Plan users. We've petitioned on everyone's behalf but independently we're working on a solution to perhaps allow Starter Plan users to install our Apps privately. I'll have more updates about this in the coming days.

Nicola Savage

Kevin Pohl that would be amazing Kevin. I can string the client's decision out until 6th December latest. it's really frustrating, everything else is perfect but if you can't take payments you actually can't grow

Kevin Pohl

Nicola Savage We're not gonna solve your problem within 10 days unfortunately. I'm also looking at your other messages and it seems you are hoping this will replace the need for Stripe entirely.
You should know, that if you were hoping to use one of our integration apps, it does not have SaaS mode support in GHL at the moment. That is something the GHL team still has to provide. (January is looking positive for this...no promises though.)
Right now, Paystack and Payfast is suited to let your customers take payments inside their sub-accounts.
You as an Agency would have to connect it at a sub-account level for yourself, and run your billing by sending out Invoices or payment links to let your customers pay you.
If you Think this is stopping you from signing up a client...keep in mind that many of us here in South Africa have been on GHL for years, without Stripe, and literally just manually billing people. (Some local agencies have over 1600 users doing it this way and still do.)
There's Nothing stopping you from doing that...especially if you are starting out on the Starter Plan...just start. Get the clients signed up, collect money in literally any way you want. Charge them a bit more to account for usage credits, etc.
Once SaaS mode and rebilling is available to our integrated apps, then you can run a fully automated billing system.
If however you are saying you cannot close your first client because They want an integrated payment solution... I suggest you use the GHL Black Friday promos and see if there's an upgrade path for you to at least the 297 level... That should give you 3 months to close some more deals and offset the upgrade costs when they kick in.

Kevin Pohl

Now that Paystack has been live for a while it was time we dropped the next payment gateway. Our Payfast App has been submitted for approval on the App Marketplace a few days ago. Within DAYS, you'll have your choice between Payfast and Paystack, the two biggest players in this space in South Africa.

Kevin Pohl

🚨 Big News for Our South African Friends! 🚨
We’re thrilled to announce that our Paystack app is now officially FREE for the next 60 days! 🎉
We heard your feedback about the installation challenges due to the Stripe connection requirement at the agency level, and we’ve taken action.
Starting today, EVERY South African Agency, and agencies from Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya can install and use our Paystack app at no cost, and without needing Stripe connected first.
When the GHL team releases SaaS mode for the custom payments apps, Stripe will no longer be required, at which point we will resume charging for our app. But until then, we wanted every South African Agency owner (and others) to get going today!
Go to the App Marketplace, look for the Paystack App, and get stacking!

Nathan Visser

Kevin Pohl Hi, I've tried following this guide but with no luck. You can see the attached image that "Paystack" doesn't appear inside App Marketplace. Please assist.

Kevin Pohl

Nathan Visser Hi there Nathan, the Search bar in there is notoriously buggy with surfacing the right app. Use the Categories and look for Third Party Providers. You can also click on All Apps. If you still don't see it, it is often a Browser Cache issue... just hard refresh your browser, or get rid of all cookies and try again. It's there, without a doubt :)

Nathan Visser

Kevin Pohl I do apologize. However, I had to go to "Agency View" in order to find it. I couldn't access it through the sub-account. Thanks though

Elmarie Van Staden

Kevin PohlHi Kevin. This is such great news and a much anticipated change. OBVS I immediately downloaded and started integrating - thing is, it's only available on sub acc level, is there a way to integrate with our agency acc as well so we can re-bill clients etc?

Kevin Pohl

Elmarie Van Staden Hi there... GHL has only made subaccount payments available at this time, BUT they are working on SaaS Mode and Re-billing for these custom payment apps, which they have announced publicly. GHL has the timeline as before end of this quarter...so that's just a month away. We are in constant contact with their team and are working closely with them to make sure whatever they make available we support. We also just released Payfast this morning.

Kevin Pohl

Happy to announce, our Paystack Integration is now live on the HighLevel App Marketplace!
Go To All Apps, or Third Party Providers, Install to a subaccount, in that subaccount under Payments > Integrations, connect Paystack and remember to set it as Default Payment Method.
We're so happy about this progress, and thankful for the HighLevel team who made this API available and helped us get Paystack ready and out there for all South Africans and those abroad. 
HighLevel payments is now OPEN for business in Africa. 🎉

Rijn Hartman

Kevin Pohl works great so far!

Kevin Pohl

Rijn Hartman Thanks so much for the feedback Rijn and very happy you're enjoying it.

Johan Lottering

Oh, this is excellent news. I've been begging for a South African payment gateway integration since the early days of GHL. Please get it up and running ASAP.

Kevin Pohl

Johan Lottering It's days away. Just waiting for the HL team to approve the app on the app marketplace.

Mark Alfred Mack

Kevin Pohl Due to Paystack payment gateway not being available on GHL I have decided not to use GHL in South Africa. No use using an app that has barriers / constraints in generating income in South Africa. Will not be joining GHL until this issue is sorted. Regards Mark

Kevin Pohl

Mark Alfred Mack I'm just an agency owner myself (not on the HL team) who is making an effort to create the integrations we all need. Hasn't stopped me or a whole bunch of others from doing business here though.

Kevin Pohl

Mark Alfred Mack Paystack is live on the App Marketplace NOW. Have fun!

Kevin Pohl

Johan Lottering Paystack is out now! Enjoy!

Johan Lottering

Kevin Pohl, I cannot get it installed as it needs a card for the sub account, Unless I miss something I cannot add card details in the sub account before I connect to stripe.

Kevin Pohl

Johan Lottering Hey Johan, yeah it's a restriction on GHL's part on how they can handle payments in-app for Marketplace Apps at the moment. We have a sitdown with the payments team on Monday, they will provide a solution to get around this restriction.

Kevin Pohl

Mark Alfred Mack Paystack is available on the App marketplace now, Free to install and you don't need a Stripe connection to install it. SaaS Mode is coming soon.

Kevin Pohl

Johan Lottering We just made it free to install, you no longer need Stripe for the time being... Install it and start using it for free today.

Elmarie Van Staden

Any feedback/update on this?

Kevin Pohl

Elmarie Van Staden Our Paystack App is now available and free to use for everyone. Go to the App marketplace and install it for free today. No Stripe connection is required to get going.

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