Late last week, Yoco debuted its latest payment solution for SMEs at a glittering function in Sandton.

The Neo Touch is Yoco’s latest addition to their range of next generation card machines made for small to medium businesses who want to get paid, fast. The reason for the excitement tha was evdent at the launch is that the company has been consistently demonstrating a commitment to enabling small and medium businesses to seamlessly accept payments, the lifeblood for businesses. 

The company opened by achowledging the undeniable elephant in the room – the tough economic climate that businesses and individuals in South Africa are currently in. But, they also expressed optimism in the resilience of the country and the remarkable ability of local businesses to weather tough storms. Yoco’s belief in this resilience could be seen in the launch of the Neo Touch, which took nearly 15 months to develop. The company explained that the device is the first of its kind – a card machine designed in its entirety by Yoco, in Cape Town, stating that ‘’the Neo Touch is effortlessly intuitive and reliable, setting a new bar for ease.’’ 

“The team took this opportunity to completely redefine what a card machine looks and feels like. The Neo Touch is bespoken in its shape and design,” explained Lungisa Matshoba, CTO. “We are proud to present a custom-made card machine that is now unique to South Africa.”

“The small square design, and fully responsive touch screen makes it comfortable to handle, and delightful to use. Business owners are facing challenges like power cuts and inflation at unprecedented levels; we believe that getting paid shouldn’t be one of them.”

The card machine offers customers a hassle-free payment experience. It processes insert and tap transactions with high speed approval and accepts a full range of payment methods including AMEX, Apple, Google, and Samsung Pay – helping business owners keep queues to a minimum.

Yoco has the distinction of being the first payments company to receive permission from the Payments Association of South Africa to remove magstripe functionality. By removing swipe-to-pay functionality, Yoco has introduced an additional layer of security to protect both customers and consumers, while beneficially bringing down the production cost of the hardware. This swipe method of paying has historically resulted in high fraud rates, and only accounts for a tiny percentage of Yoco’s total transactions. 

The Neo Touch is also equipped with unlimited 4G data, WiFi capabilities, and an all-day battery to ensure that business owners are always connected and able to take payments. At launch, the card machine comes bundled with a free charging stand allowing customers to charge the device when it’s not in use, on their countertops. 

“But this device isn’t simply about getting business owners paid, it is about making that payment experience as seamless and premium as we can. The Neo Touch is the best tap-and-pay machine in the market right now,” asserted Matshoba. 

Customers can purchase the Yoco Neo Touch at a launch special price of R899, including the charging stand for a limited period. It is available in-store and online.