South Africans can now use Masterpass, a global digital payment service by Mastercard, to pay for goods and services at over 20 000 Zapper merchants in South Africa using their smartphones. Zapper users, meanwhile, will be able to use the Zapper app to make mobile payments at nearly 50 000 Masterpass-enabled merchants nationwide. 

This follows a collaboration between Mastercard and Zapper, a South African mobile payment and loyalty rewards application, that allows users to make fast, easy and secure payments in a matter of seconds with their smartphones. Using QR code technology, Zapper provides seamless all-in-one mobile payments, vouchering and loyalty services to a variety of businesses and brands.

Consumers can download the Masterpass app from their smartphone’s app store, register, and load their credit, debit or cheque cards from any bank into the digital wallet. Absa, Capitec, Nedbank and Standard Bank all offer Masterpass digital wallets, and you don’t need to be a customer of either bank to download and use the app.

When shopping, Masterpass users simply scan a Zapper QR code displayed at a point of sale, or online at a wide range of Zapper merchants, to pay for goods and services. Once a QR code is scanned, the payment amount is entered and confirmed by entering the cardholder’s ATM PIN code or a one-time PIN code sent to their mobile phones. Every transaction processed through Masterpass is authorised by the cardholder, ensuring that customers are always in control and have high levels of security for the transaction.

By adding Zapper to the QR codes compatible with Masterpass, Mastercard has cemented its role as market organiser for QR payments in South Africa, with Masterpass users also able to scan Pay@ and SnapScan codes using the Masterpass app. 

“We’re excited to work with Zapper as part of our strategy to deliver the seamless, on-demand experience today’s mobile consumer expects at every payment point,” says Mark Elliott, division president, Mastercard South Africa. “It is only by driving collaboration across the payments ecosystem that we can deliver secure, interoperable and convenient payments systems that will bring us closer to a cashless world.”

“It is an honour to be partnering with Mastercard. Through this partnership we are able to extend our offering to users and merchants alike, benefitting all parties and empowering more people to adopt mobile payments as their preferred payment option,” added Will Heygate, Zapper South Africa CEO.