What Smartpay Holdings does

Smartpay Holdings is an NZX-listed (NZE:SPY) independent EFTPOS payments provider operating across Australia and New Zealand, rebranded in 2024 to align with the global Shift4 payments brand. The company serves more than 40,000 merchant sites across six identified verticals — hospitality, retail, parking, transport, trade services, and other SMB segments — providing locally based 24/7 support via direct sales channels and 1800 inbound lines. Its competitive positioning is built on being non-bank-aligned, in contrast to the dominant bank-owned acquirers in the Australasian market.

The product platform centres on Android-based EFTPOS terminals with 4G and WiFi connectivity, integrated EFTPOS middleware that connects to third-party POS systems, MOTO (mail order/telephone order) Payments for non-face-to-face transactions, and the Shift4 Hub merchant reporting and analytics dashboard. Settlement and acquiring rails are provided through a partnership with Cuscal Limited, giving Smartpay a licensed, independent settlement stack rather than relying on a bank-affiliated acquirer.

The business model generates revenue through two pricing structures launched in 2024: Pass, where the cardholder pays the surcharge with zero merchant fees, and Pay, where the merchant pays with no separate monthly bill but is subject to a A$100+GST monthly minimum floor. Revenue is therefore a function of merchant transaction volume (acquiring economics and/or surcharges) combined with monthly minimum commitments, distributed across a long-tail SMB customer base rather than concentrated in a few enterprise contracts. No revenue or transaction-volume figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Smartpay Holdings

Legal name

Smartpay Australia PTY LTD

Website

https://smartpayinvestor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Smartpay Holdings is an NZX-listed independent EFTPOS provider serving 40,000+ SMB merchants across Australia and New Zealand with Android terminals, integrated POS, MOTO payments, and Shift4-aligned acquiring rails.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Processing Services

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)

akta.pro primary industry

POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure (FSAGABAO)

Keywords

• EFTPOS payment processing
• Merchant card terminals
• POS hardware solutions
• Contactless payment acceptance
• In-store payment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. EFTPOS Transaction Fees: Merchants pay merchant service fees per transaction processed through their EFTPOS terminal. In the 'Pay' model, fees are passed to the cardholder; in the 'Pass' model, no transaction fees are charged to the merchant.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Smartpay Holdings (now operating as Shift4 in Australia and New Zealand) provides Android-based EFTPOS terminals and merchant payment processing services to small and medium businesses. The company offers two core pricing models — "Pass Fees" where merchants pass transaction fees to cardholders and "Pay Fees" where merchants absorb them — alongside portable EFTPOS hardware, contactless payment acceptance, integrated POS connectivity, and the Shift4 Hub transaction reporting platform, serving over 40,000 businesses across Australia and New Zealand.

Product overview

Smartpay Holdings operates as Shift4 in Australia and New Zealand, offering a unified EFTPOS and in-store payments platform. The portfolio consists of Android-based EFTPOS terminals as the core hardware product, complemented by two pricing tiers (Pass Fees and Pay Fees) that allow merchants to choose how transaction costs are handled. Add-on modules include Integrated EFTPOS for POS system connectivity, MOTO Payments for card-not-present transactions, Secure Payments for encryption and fraud protection, and Shift4 Hub for transaction reporting and analytics. The platform natively supports all major payment methods including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, EFTPOS, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and contactless cards. The company rebranded from Smartpay to Shift4 in 2024, aligning with the global Shift4 payment technology while maintaining local operations and 24/7 support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Low Cost EFTPOS - Pass Fees EFTPOS solution where merchants pass transaction fees directly to cardholders rather than absorbing them, eliminating EFTPOS fees for the business owner. Includes free 4G multi-network SIM, free WiFi, surcharge bypass, no lock-in contracts, and plug-and-play setup. Minimum monthly fee of $100+GST applies if cardholder-passed fees fall below this threshold.
• Low Cost EFTPOS - Pay Fees EFTPOS solution where merchants pay transaction fees themselves, offering an alternative pricing structure with no monthly bill and no EFTPOS fees for the merchant. Includes free 4G SIM and WiFi, automated surcharge calculations, and 24/7 locally based support.
• EFTPOS Machine Android-based EFTPOS terminal for processing debit and credit card transactions, featuring built-in 4G multi-network SIM and WiFi connectivity, built-in printer, lightweight and durable design, and long battery life. Accepts all major cards including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and EFTPOS, plus contactless wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay).
• Portable EFTPOS Machine Mobile Android-based EFTPOS terminal with built-in printer and long battery life, designed for use across multiple locations, table-side payments in hospitality, or on-the-go acceptance for tradespeople and mobile merchants.
• Credit Card Reader Card reading device that accepts all major credit and debit cards including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, with easy-to-use functionality for SMB merchants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40,000 businesses served across Australia and New Zealand
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature6 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Westpac: Major Australian bank providing EFTPOS and merchant facilities as part of its commercial banking portfolio — a key incumbent competitor to Smartpay's bank-disintermediation strategy.
• Commonwealth Bank of Australia: Australia's largest bank, bundling merchant acquiring and EFTPOS services with broader commercial banking. Cited implicitly as the incumbent Smartpay positions against.
• National Australia Bank (NAB): Major Australian bank offering merchant acquiring and EFTPOS solutions to SMBs as part of its broader business banking franchise.

Direct peers

• Stripe: Global payments platform whose Stripe Terminal product delivers Android-based EFTPOS hardware and integrated payments to merchants. Competes in the same integrated terminal space as Shift4.
• Square (Block): Global EFTPOS terminal and payments provider with a strong Australian presence, offering Android-based hardware and a software-led merchant ecosystem that competes directly with Smartpay's SMB terminal proposition.
• Tyro Payments: Australian-listed SMB-focused EFTPOS and payments provider offering Android terminals and integrated POS solutions. The most direct ANZ-headquartered competitor to Smartpay/Shift4, serving the same hospitality, retail and services verticals.
• Zeller: Australian SMB fintech offering EFTPOS terminals, merchant accounts and integrated business banking. Competes head-to-head with Smartpay on transparent pricing for ANZ small businesses.
• Pin Payments: Australian payment processing company providing online and in-person card acceptance to SMBs. Comparable as a non-bank alternative payment provider serving the same ANZ merchant base.
• SumUp: European-headquartered EFTPOS and mPOS provider operating in Australia, targeting small merchants with low-cost card readers and transparent pricing — the same SMB pain points Smartpay addresses.
• eWAY: Australian online and in-person payment processor (owned by ANZ) providing card acceptance and EFTPOS infrastructure to SMBs across ANZ. Comparable payment processing peer serving overlapping segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Smartpay_Group

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smartpay Holdings