Head-to-Head Specification Audit
Luno vs PayFast
Businesses Accepting Crypto Payments · South Africa
Specification Matrix
| Metric | Luno | PayFast |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/moTie | $0/moTie |
| API Rate Limit | 100 req/minBetter | 60 req/min |
| Target Country | South Africa | South Africa |
| Category | Cryptocurrency Exchange | Payment Processing API |
| Compliance (vendor-stated) | FSCA, FICA, POPIA | POPIA, PCI-DSS |
| Hosting Regions | ZA, EU | ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg |
| Native Integrations | 2 listed | 6 listedBetter |
Luno — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓FSCA-registered in South Africa
- ✓ZAR on/off ramp
- ✓API for business accounts
- ✓Supports BTC ETH XRP USDC
- ✓Trusted by 10M+ users in SA
PayFast — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓Only major payment gateway with POPIA-compliant ZA data residency by default
- ✓Supports EFT, credit card, Instant EFT, Mobicred, and SnapScan natively
- ✓No monthly fee — pay 2.0–3.5% per transaction only
- ✓Recurring billing API supports subscription SaaS models out of the box
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is lower-priced, Luno or PayFast?+
Both tools start at Free plan available on their entry plans.
Which compliance frameworks do Luno and PayFast list?+
Both list POPIA in their vendor documentation. Luno additionally lists FSCA, FICA. PayFast additionally lists PCI-DSS. These are vendor-stated frameworks. VektorIndex has not independently audited these claims.
Does Luno or PayFast list POPIA as a supported compliance framework?+
Luno lists POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) as a supported compliance framework per its vendor documentation. VektorIndex has not independently verified this claim. South African organisations should request the vendor's current Data Processing Agreement and confirm data residency settings before processing personal information. PayFast lists POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) as a supported compliance framework per its vendor documentation. VektorIndex has not independently verified this claim. South African organisations should request the vendor's current Data Processing Agreement and confirm data residency settings before processing personal information.
Which has a higher documented API rate limit — Luno or PayFast?+
Luno has a higher documented API rate limit at 100 req/min versus PayFast at 60 req/min.
Which data hosting regions do Luno and PayFast support?+
Luno lists hosting regions: ZA, EU. PayFast lists hosting regions: ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg. For data residency requirements in South Africa, confirm exact region configuration directly with each vendor.
Data last updated: 29 August 2026 — Sourced from official vendor documentation. Not independently audited. Report incorrect information
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