5 Surprising things you didn’t know about Yoco

Matt Brownell, VP Commercial at Yoco

By this point, you’ve probably (we hope) heard about how Yoco is pushing boundaries for small business in Africa, and that we use cutting edge tech to build uniquely tailored solutions, like super-fast card machines and versatile online payments products, that accept all major cards and mobile payment methods. 

Here are some things to take note of about Yoco that might just surprise you:

1. Fees go down (and stay down) as your business grows

So we’re kinda famous for leading the revolution on zero contracts or monthly fees for card machines and online payments.

Everyone knows we only charge one low transaction fee, nothing else. But, did you know Yoco also lowers your fees the more you transact?

After only three months of transacting with Yoco, your total transactions per month could qualify your business for even lower rates — based on our sliding scale. And once you’ve qualified, your fee will automatically be reduced, and it’ll never increase again —  even if your sales or turnover take a knock in the future.

But what does the sliding scale really mean?

Let’s crunch the numbers: Yoco fees start at 2.95% (ex VAT), whether you take online or in-person card payments.

The first turnover threshold for a rate reduction is at R20 000, so everyone who transacts less than a combined (in-person and online) total of R20k per month will get charged the same 2.95% fee. Then, as your business grows, your transaction fee gets reduced as follows (examples are all ex VAT, for clarity):
  Some examples, for total monthly card transactions of: 

 R5 000, you’d pay Yoco only R147.50  

 R10 000, your Yoco fee would be about R295 

 At R20 000, Yoco’s fee drops to 2.85% (ex VAT), and would cost about R570 

 At R40 000, your fee drops to 2.75% (ex VAT), costing about R1100 

 At R60 000 fees drop to 2.65% (ex VAT), and costs about R1590 

 At R80 000 it drops to 2.6% (ex VAT), costing about R2080 

 After R100 000, you’ll get custom rates and benefits!  

Don’t forget, no matter what transaction fee you’re being charged, if sales stop for whatever reason, you pay R0 and your rates remain unaffected. That’s it.

2. Accept tips on any Yoco device and let the gratitude flow

The last couple years have been hard enough – if someone wants to show you some love, who are we to get in the way?

Easily allow your happy customers to reward you for their great experience with Yoco’s nifty Tips feature. Whether you’re using the Neo or Khumo where it’s configured onscreen, or the Go where the Yoco App does the heavy lifting for you, it’s simple to set up and manage in-app or on-device. Need reports? Want to see which employee is outshining the rest while you’re offsite?

No problem — all the information about tips is also already captured in the Yoco App and Business Portal in real time! Oh wait, you didn’t know about the Yoco App and Business Portal?!

3. The free trailblazing software: our App and Business Portal

They’re built to run and manage your business for you, using either or a combination of both: the Yoco Business Portal is your business’s digital HQ, and the Yoco App is your very own personal assistant on the go! Here’s how they work:

The Yoco Business Portal

The Portal helps you to understand all the ins and outs of your business performance, and manage the practicalities of staff access, cash flow, and collating data from multiple stores.

All reports can be downloaded into Excel and CSV format, from the cloud, anywhere in the world.

You’ll get a dynamic dashboard of key information, with live data that is simply yet powerfully organised and displayed for impactful insights and sophisticated convenience.

Manage admin with features like inventory tracking and intuitive product organisation, so you can always find what you need, when you need it.

Take a closer look and view sales reports at the touch of a button – broken down by number of sales, gross sales, payments, product, staff, categories, and brands.

The Yoco App

The Yoco App helps you run and manage your business from your phone or tablet, no matter where you are, in seconds.

Recons are seamless, and creating sales reports are simple, with real-time insights to keep track of how your business is performing.

See all your business transactions in one place — whether cash, card, mobile, or online. Catalogue and sort multiple product types, while keeping on top of stock and inventory. 

Keep track of your sales and view the details of each transaction. Add and manage staff access securely, and manage or send invoices via Whatsapp or email. The Yoco App does it all, simply and smoothly.

4. Free access to a bespoke e-commerce toolkit with Yoco’s Online Payment Suite

Yoco’s Online Payment Suite offers a selection of online payment solutions, with the right fit for your online payment needs, no matter how you do business.

Here’s how it works: when you sign up with Yoco, you get access to Yoco Gateway, Yoco Link, and Yoco Vouchers.

You don’t need to have or buy a Yoco card machine to use any of these three intuitive online products that cater to all aspects of your business. You get to tailor your payment solutions to however you get paid.

Yoco Gateway

Our e-commerce payment platform that lets you accept cards from your website or online store.

It’s simple to set up with a few clicks — no special expertise required. Compatible with WordPress, Wix, WooCommerce, and Shopstar.

Yoco Link

An online payment link that can be sent via WhatsApp, SMS, email, on your invoices, or via social media.

Yes, this means you can take card payments without a card machine or a website! It’s so simple, it’s genius. You won’t believe how many ways you can use this versatile product to get paid.

Yoco Vouchers

Vouchers create a great additional income stream, make for lovely gifts, and give loyal customers the chance to support their favourite businesses in a different way. What’s not to love? (Watch this for more.)

5. Get a cash advance (not a loan!) with Yoco Capital

Yoco Capital helps you grow your business with a cash advance. What’s so special about it? Well, it’s unlike any loan you’ve ever heard of!

You can apply from the Business Portal in three steps that take less than five minutes, and get your money the next day.

After paying one flat fee that you agree to (you heard right — no interest charged!), Yoco takes a small percentage of your future card transactions to pay back the cash over time.

If your sales slow down (or stop), so do your repayments — no penalties, late fees, or collateral. We don’t get paid, till you get paid.  

With our easily-accessible qualification criteria, we’ve opened up business capital for all small businesses — whether you sell fabric at the flea market, have a home beauty salon, wash cars — or anything in between.

Yoco Capital offers transparency, affordability, and opportunity to small businesses across the country. Now if that doesn’t surprise you, I don’t know what will!

About Yoco

Yoco is an African technology company that builds tools and services to help small businesses get paid, run their business better, and grow. We believe that by opening up more possibilities for entrepreneurs to be successful, we can help create more jobs, enable people to thrive and help to drive our economy forward.

Visit www.yoco.co.za for more.