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SnapScan doesn’t really need an introduction. Users marry their credit cards with the app and can then shop anywhere with a SnapScan QR-code

Arguably the bank’s most well-known fintech acquisition in recent years is the QR code payment app SnapScan. In 2016 the bank acquired a majority share of Firepay, the company behind Snapscan, for an undisclosed stake.Firepay, which was co-founded in 2013 through startup incubator FireID by Kobus Ehlers and Malan and Philip Joubert among others, launched the SnapScan app in partnership with Standard Bank in 2014.

The company will continue to develop and expand its offering to provide a range of product development and payments services.Kobus Ehlers, Firepay CEO, said: “Our team is looking forward to building out our payments platform to solve the real-world payments problems we have always focused on, and to provide customers with the best experience possible. We’re excited to work with Standard Bank in our mission to achieve this both in South Africa and across the continent.”

“We are excited about working more closely with the Firepay team and think that there is an excellent strategic fit between their capabilities and Standard Bank’s vision for a truly universal bank, both in South Africa and throughout the African continent,” said Wendy Pienaar, SBSA Head of Emerging Payments.“Firepay’s experienced team and industry know-how will be used to bolster Standard Bank’s emerging payments strategy,” she added.In addition to SnapScan, the Firepay team’s technology platform already enables payments for several clients, including WeChat and Masterpass.

“We are excited about working more closely with the Firepay team and think that there is an excellent strategic fit between their capabilities and Standard Bank’s vision for a truly universal bank, both in South Africa and throughout the African continent,” said Wendy Pienaar, SBSA Head of Emerging Payments.“Firepay’s experienced team and industry know-how will be used to bolster Standard Bank’s emerging payments strategy,” she added.In addition to SnapScan, the Firepay team’s technology platform already enables payments for several clients, including WeChat and Masterpass.

Key Features Fast and easy signup Simple integration Customers need not re-enter card details Customers scan on a desktop or click to pay on a mobile device Responsive and mobile friendly Payment happens onsite with a trusted mobile payment provider! Why choose SnapScan?SnapScan is the preferred way for South Africans to pay with their phones.You may know the app from your favorite weekend market or local coffee shop, but SnapScan also provides payment solutions for larger merchants. From payments and invoicing for Pathcare laboratories to online checkout for big brands like Superbalist, Spree and Wellness Warehouse, we have expanded rapidly, and our flat rate of 3% (incl. VAT) per transaction is highly competitive.How do I start using SnapScan?To get started with SnapScan, you need a merchant account. No mountains of paperwork! Just mail help@snapscan.co.za and we set you up in no time. The sign-up process takes 10 minutes maximum, then we send you all the information you need.Once a customer has paid, their order is automatically completed and the website updates. As a merchant, your order list displays confirmation of the SnapScan payment, and you can begin the delivery process.

SnapScan allows South African customers to check out quicker and more securely with a scan or tap via card details stored on their phone. Customers spend less time in checkout, and more time shopping!

Customers, when purchasing, simply need to scan a QR (quick response) code in store using their phones. And the customer can use any MasterCard or Visa card to sign up. Ehlers added: “We tried to design a product which allowed absolutely everybody to be part of the formal side of the economy.”

In an interview with How we made it in Africa, Ehlers explained: “A sizable part of why we built the product the way we did really relates to how the economy of South Africa functions. So to give one example, we built SnapScan so the merchant selling the products doesn’t need any special hardware at all. No point of sales system is required.” Merchants who don’t have bank accounts can redeem payments at any Standard Bank ATM or selected supermarkets.

SnapScan’s partnership with Standard Bank has allowed the company to grow faster. But Ehlers and his team are still required to adapt to the differences between the corporate and start-up worlds. He explained: “A start-up can quickly make a decision and then two hours later start implementing, whereas in a large corporation there is a process, things move a lot slower. Politics are involved and different people – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, just the reality.”

Customers wanting a magazine who have no cash on them can download a free app [many people in South Africa use SnapScan daily for other transactions so already have the app], that allows them to scan the vendor’s QR code to pay for the magazine.

“We are excited to partner with Visa, a leader in payments globally, as they are constantly building world-class solutions for consumers and businesses. Our goals are well-aligned. As we scale our wallet across emerging markets such as Nigeria, Mexico and Ethiopia, partnering with Visa to give both consumers and businesses, who have been underserved, access to Visa’s global network made sense to us,” the company said in a press release.