Empowering cash-based customers with voucher payment partnerships

Voucher payments are no longer a niche convenience — they’re a mainstream bridge into the digital economy for millions of South Africans who prefer, need or must use cash. Today Pay@, a South African payment-solution provider, announced a partnership with OTT Voucher to broaden voucher payment acceptance across billers, merchants and municipal channels — a move designed to deepen financial inclusion, reduce fraud exposure and open e-commerce to cash-first consumers.

The announcement, published 5 November 2025, explains how the collaboration integrates OTT’s cardless, single-use voucher codes into Pay@’s existing payments rails so customers without bank cards or who are wary of sharing card details can still pay bills, shop online or top up services instantly and securely. The arrangement builds on Pay@’s earlier voucher work with 1Voucher, and follows Pay@’s August roll-out of OTT Voucher acceptance — which the company says has already produced “thousands of monthly voucher transactions.”

Why vouchers matter now

Mobile money and bank-account ownership have grown rapidly across sub-Saharan Africa, yet cash remains dominant for many everyday transactions. The press release cites World Bank and Reserve Bank context showing bank-account ownership has expanded since 2011 while emphasising that nearly 4 million South Africans remain underbanked or unbanked. In that gap, vouchers serve as a pragmatic, low-friction bridge: consumers buy a voucher with cash at retail outlets and redeem a secure PIN online — no card, no bank account, and no sensitive details transmitted.

“Voucher payments are a strategic enabler of financial inclusion while safeguarding consumers’ finances,” says Lani van der Merwe, Payment Network Manager at Pay@. She highlights the dual drivers behind uptake: smartphone penetration and a heightened demand for safer online payment options in the face of rising cybercrime.

How the Pay@ — OTT integration works (simple)

• A customer purchases an OTT Voucher at a retail touchpoint (major supermarket, spaza or petrol station) or via a banking app.

• The voucher is converted into a single-use PIN (digital code).

• The customer uses that code at an online checkout or biller portal integrated with Pay@ to complete the transaction.

• Merchants and billers receive immediate confirmation while the consumer avoids sharing card or bank details.

Distribution and partner reach

OTT’s network is extensive: its website and partner pages list availability through major retail chains and thousands of local outlets. The press release specifically names Shoprite, Pick n Pay and Boxer among the retailers where OTT Vouchers are available, and notes the distribution footprint is “as widespread as prepaid airtime,” making vouchers accessible in townships, rural towns and urban centres alike. OTT also integrates with leading banking apps and partner ecosystems, widening the points where cash can be digitised.

Clare Parker, Head of Marketing at OTT, underlined the partnership’s mission: “By acting as a financial pathway between cash and the digital economy, voucher payments enable participation in e-commerce and bill payments while mitigating fraud and card-related risks.” OTT’s public materials and case studies reinforce the company’s role as a distributed cash-to-digital solution across merchant verticals.

What this means for merchants and billers

For businesses, voucher acceptance widens the addressable market: vendors can convert previously unreachable cash customers into paying online shoppers or bill-payers without needing to change checkout infrastructure dramatically. For billers and municipal systems that lose revenue through non-payment, vouchers can raise collection rates while giving low-income consumers a safer payment route. Pay@ says this integration “broadens businesses’ customer base by accessing a much larger cash-based market segment, improving payment collection rates.”

Early traction and scale

Pay@’s statement notes the offering launched in August and, since then, has recorded steady uptake — described as thousands of voucher transactions per month. The company positions vouchers as complementary to its pre-existing voucher work with 1Voucher, which is already sold at major retailers and spaza shops and has helped normalise voucher use in South Africa’s digital payments mix.

Risks, safeguards and the consumer angle

Vouchers reduce certain risks (card-skimming, phishing tied to card numbers) because they avoid sharing sensitive financial credentials. Still, consumer education and tight merchant-integrations are critical: retailers and billers must verify voucher authenticity, maintain transparent fees, and ensure clear instructions so consumers understand redemption steps. Pay@ and OTT emphasise that single-use PINs and wide retail distribution lower fraud vectors while enabling a familiar, cash-based buying journey.

The bottom line

The Pay@ — OTT Voucher partnership is a practical step toward financial inclusion in South Africa: it scales a proven cash-to-digital pathway, taps a widespread retail footprint, and offers merchants a way to monetise a previously hard-to-reach customer segment. As digital commerce grows, such voucher rails may become a foundational complement to cards and wallets — particularly for underbanked or privacy-conscious consumers who want to transact online without exposing financial details.