SnapScan
SnapScan is a South African QR code-based mobile payment platform operated by FireID Payments under Standard Bank, serving over 60,000 merchants with in-person, remote, and online payment acceptance alongside a consumer wallet.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What SnapScan does
SnapScan is a South African QR code-based mobile payment platform operated by FireID Payments (PTY) Ltd under the regulatory and banking umbrella of Standard Bank. The platform enables merchants to accept in-person payments via QR code scanning, remote payments through shareable payment links (SnapLinks), and online payments through integrations with WooCommerce, Shopstar, Shopify (partial), OpenCart, PayGate, and Magento 2. Consumer-side functionality includes the SnapScan Wallet for peer-to-peer transfers, prepaid purchases for electricity, airtime, and data, and a merchant-facing SnapStore mobile app for on-the-go payment management. Transaction-based pricing ranges from 2.55% to 2.95% (excl. VAT) depending on monthly merchant turnover, with no monthly, signup, or settlement fees.
The company serves over 60,000 merchants across South Africa, spanning SMB retail, food and beverage, e-commerce, healthcare, events, and dedicated vertical solutions such as cashless giving for churches (Rivers Church, Hillsong, St. Pauls) and the Tip4Change cashless tipping program used by 1000+ car guards. Go-to-market is primarily product-led and self-serve via the merchant portal, supplemented by integration partnerships with major South African e-commerce platforms and content marketing through the SnapScan blog and social channels. Notable customers include One Day Only, Yuppiechef, Quicket, Superbalist, PathCare, and Bootlegger, but the revenue base is distributed across a long tail of SMB accounts rather than concentrated in a few large contracts.
Operationally, SnapScan is lean in disclosed headcount (1-10 in firmographic data) and runs an extension of Standard Bank's payment infrastructure, which provides regulatory cover, settlement capability, and bank-grade compliance. The product roadmap has expanded steadily, with the SnapStore app launched in 2024, Tip4Change in 2023, and the Nice Quest rewards program launched in 2026, alongside the May 2022 acquisition of Radar. Geographic footprint is South Africa-only with no disclosed international expansion, and no AI, machine learning, or proprietary model capabilities are referenced in available materials.
SnapScan firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SnapScan
- Legal name
- FireID Payments (PTY) Ltd
- Website
- https://snapscan.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SnapScan is a South African QR code-based mobile payment platform operated by FireID Payments under Standard Bank, serving over 60,000 merchants with in-person, remote, and online payment acceptance alongside a consumer wallet.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SnapScan industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Payment Solutions
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- QR Code Payments Wallets (FSAMAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- QR Code & Alternative In-Store Acceptance (QR, APMs) (FSAMADAH), In-App / Online Checkout Wallets (FSAMAEAH)
Keywords
Where SnapScan is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
SnapScan business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Transaction Fees: Percentage-based transaction fees charged to merchants on each payment processed. Fees are tiered based on monthly transaction volume, with higher volume merchants receiving lower rates. No monthly account fees or settlement fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Variable rate: 2.55% - 2.95% per transaction (excl. VAT) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels12 records
Marketing channels8 records
SnapScan product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SnapScan provides a QR code-based mobile payment platform that enables South African merchants to accept face-to-face and remote payments via scan-to-pay, card payments, and instant EFT. The offering includes merchant QR codes, payment links (SnapLinks) for remote and social commerce, the SnapStore mobile app for on-the-go payment acceptance, and the SnapScan Wallet for consumer peer-to-peer transfers and prepaid utility purchases. Merchant onboarding is self-serve with no monthly or signup fees, and transactions are settled by the next business day.
Product overview
SnapScan is a mobile payment solutions provider operating in South Africa, offering a comprehensive QR code-based payment ecosystem. The core offering consists of QR Code Payments and Payment Links (SnapLinks) for merchants to accept payments both in-person and remotely, complemented by the SnapStore merchant app for on-the-go payment management and the SnapScan Wallet for consumer peer-to-peer transfers and budgeting. The product suite includes a WooCommerce payment gateway plugin for ecommerce integration, the Nice Quest rewards program, Tip4Change cashless tipping service, and prepaid services for electricity, airtime, and data purchases. Specialty vertical solutions are offered for churches. The platform processes payments via QR codes, bank cards, and instant EFT, with transaction fees ranging from 2.55% to 2.95% (excl. VAT) based on merchant turnover. Powered by Standard Bank and managed by FireID Payments (PTY) Ltd.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SnapStore: Mobile app for merchants to accept payments on the go
- SnapLinks
- SnapScan Wallet
- Tip4Change
- SnapScan Church Payments
Products and services
- QR Code Payments Primary face-to-face payment solution for South African merchants. Customers scan a merchant's QR code to pay via the SnapScan app, bank card, or instant EFT, eliminating the need for card machines and supporting use in environments with intermittent network coverage.
- SnapLinks (Payment Links) URL-based payment links that merchants share via social media, WhatsApp, SMS, email, or invoices to collect remote payments. Customers can pay using the SnapScan app, bank card, or instant EFT without the merchant requiring a website.
- SnapStore Merchant App Mobile merchant application that lets South African business owners display QR codes, send payment links via text/WhatsApp/email, track transactions, and reconcile payments from a mobile device. Available on iOS and Android.
- SnapScan Wallet Digital wallet built into the SnapScan consumer app enabling peer-to-peer money transfers, gift transfers, withdrawals to linked bank accounts, and use as a budgeting tool.
- WooCommerce Payment Gateway Plugin Free WordPress/WooCommerce plugin that adds a SnapScan payment gateway to online stores, combining scan-to-pay and card payments with combined fees and a single daily settlement.
- Tip4Change Cashless Tipping Service Cashless tipping service that allows SnapScan users to tip car guards and other service workers by scanning QR codes on their lanyards, addressing the challenge of customers who no longer carry cash. More than 1,000 car guards across South Africa participate.
- Prepaid Services (Electricity, Airtime, Data) In-app functionality that lets SnapScan wallet users purchase prepaid electricity (Eskom and municipal meters), airtime, and data, supporting multiple meter numbers from a single account.
- Church Payment Solutions Cashless giving solution for South African churches and religious organisations, enabling congregants to scan QR codes for tithes and donations. Includes a free QR code stand and tiered transaction fees scaled by giving volume.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 60,000 merchants nationwide using SnapScan
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SnapScan
Customer profileNamed customers26 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SnapScan technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature6 records
SnapScan partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WooCommercecoreSnapScan offers a free WooCommerce plugin for WordPress-based e-commerce stores, allowing merchants to accept SnapScan payments, card payments, and instant EFT through a single integrated gateway.
- ShopstarcoreShopstar is a Cape Town-based e-commerce platform that integrates SnapScan as a payment gateway, allowing customers to pay via scan-to-pay, card, or instant EFT.
- Tip4ChangeminorCashless tipping initiative enabling car guards and service workers to receive tips via SnapScan QR codes. Over 1000 car guards across South Africa participate in the program.
- Petal and PostminorPartner in Nice Quest promotional campaign where users can earn rewards by making purchases at participating merchants including flower delivery service Petal and Post.
- Tip4ChangeminorCashless tipping program for car guards allowing SnapScan users to tip via QR code. Locations include Gordon's Bay, Fish Hoek, Hermanus, Gardens, Muizenberg, Newlands, Plettenberg Bay, Parkhurst, Clifton, Knysna, Simon's Town, Kalk Bay, Stellenbosch, Blouberg, Strand, Jeffrey's Bay.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SnapScan competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- PayPal: PayPal offers digital wallets, online checkout, and P2P transfers globally. SnapScan's consumer wallet, SnapLinks, and P2P functionality overlap with PayPal's wallet and checkout experience.
- Stripe: Stripe is a global payment processor and gateway enabling online and in-person acceptance for businesses. It competes with SnapScan at the online checkout and developer API layer as a broad incumbent expanding into in-person and emerging markets.
- Mastercard Pay by Account / Acceptance Solutions: Mastercard offers global payment acceptance and digital wallet solutions including QR and tap-to-pay. It competes with SnapScan at the card-network and merchant-acceptance layer as a broad incumbent.
- Visa QR/Acceptance Solutions: Visa operates global card and QR-based acceptance schemes including mVisa. As a network-level incumbent, it competes with SnapScan for in-store and e-commerce merchant payment acceptance in South Africa.
Direct peers
- Payflex: Payflex is a South African BNPL and digital payments provider. It overlaps with SnapScan at the online checkout and SMB merchant acquisition layer in South Africa.
- Yoco: Yoco is a South African payments provider offering card readers, online payments, and tap-to-pay solutions to SMBs. It competes with SnapScan for SMB payment acceptance in the same South African market.
- PayFast: PayFast is a South African online payment gateway supporting multiple payment methods for e-commerce merchants. It overlaps with SnapScan's WooCommerce, Shopify, and Magento integrations.
- Ozow: Ozow is a South African instant EFT payment provider offering low-cost bank-to-bank payments at checkout. It competes with SnapScan's instant EFT and QR-based acceptance on online and in-store rails.
- Zapper: Zapper is a QR code-based mobile payment platform that enables consumers to pay by scanning merchant codes, similar to SnapScan. It operates across the UK and South Africa and competes directly for merchant QR acceptance share.
Emerging players
- M-Pesa (Vodacom): M-Pesa is a mobile money wallet operating in South Africa and broader Africa. It overlaps with SnapScan Wallet's P2P transfer and prepaid utility payment features within the same local market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SnapScan social profiles
Digital presenceSnapScan financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SnapScan leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
SnapScan funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SnapScan M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SnapScan
What does SnapScan do?
SnapScan provides a QR code-based mobile payment platform that enables South African merchants to accept face-to-face and remote payments via scan-to-pay, card payments, and instant EFT. The offering includes merchant QR codes, payment links (SnapLinks) for remote and social commerce, the SnapStore mobile app for on-the-go payment acceptance, and the SnapScan Wallet for consumer peer-to-peer transfers and prepaid utility purchases. Merchant onboarding is self-serve with no monthly or signup fees, and transactions are settled by the next business day.
Is SnapScan a public or private company?
SnapScan is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SnapScan founded?
SnapScan was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SnapScan based?
SnapScan is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does SnapScan make money?
One revenue line is on record: transaction Fees.
Who are SnapScan's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are PayPal, Stripe, Mastercard Pay by Account / Acceptance Solutions and Visa QR/Acceptance Solutions. Direct peers are Payflex, Yoco, PayFast, Ozow and Zapper. M-Pesa (Vodacom) is listed as an emerging player.
Does SnapScan have an API?
Yes. SnapScan offers a public API for developers to integrate payment solutions into custom applications. The API enables creating bespoke payment experiences, integrating apps and systems to receive payments, and building custom payment solutions for any online platform. The developer portal is accessible at https://developer.getsnapscan.com/#overview. Developer documentation is at developer.getsnapscan.com/#overview.
What industry is SnapScan in?
SnapScan's product category is Mobile Payment Solutions. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMAEAC, QR Code Payments Wallets, with a secondary code of FSAMADAH, QR Code & Alternative In-Store Acceptance (QR, APMs). Its NAICS code is 522320.