Head-to-Head Specification Audit
PayFast vs Stitch Money
E-Commerce & SaaS Businesses · South Africa
Specification Matrix
| Metric | PayFast | Stitch Money |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/mo | Custom pricing |
| API Rate Limit | 60 req/min | 100 req/minBetter |
| Target Country | South Africa | South Africa |
| Category | Payment Processing API | Open Banking |
| Compliance (vendor-stated) | POPIA, PCI-DSS | POPIA, PCI-DSS |
| Hosting Regions | ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg | AF-South |
| Native Integrations | 6 listedTie | 6 listedTie |
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
Stitch Money — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓South Africa's leading open banking API — Plaid equivalent for SA
- ✓Instant EFT, account verification, income verification
- ✓Lists POPIA compliance framework — SA data residency only (vendor-stated)
- ✓Used by Lula, Zoona, LifeCheq for credit scoring
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is lower-priced, PayFast or Stitch Money?+
Stitch Money uses custom pricing. PayFast starts at Free plan available. Contact Stitch Money directly for a quote.
Which compliance frameworks do PayFast and Stitch Money list?+
Both list POPIA, PCI-DSS in their vendor documentation. These are vendor-stated frameworks. VektorIndex has not independently audited these claims.
Does PayFast or Stitch Money list POPIA as a supported compliance framework?+
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. Stitch Money 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 — PayFast or Stitch Money?+
Stitch Money has a higher documented API rate limit at 100 req/min versus PayFast at 60 req/min.
Which data hosting regions do PayFast and Stitch Money support?+
PayFast lists hosting regions: ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg. Stitch Money lists hosting regions: AF-South. 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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