Tap and go payments rolled out on N3 and N4 tollways

From December 1, many toll gates will no longer accept magnetic stripe cards for payments.

In November 2023 FNB introduced a pilot tap payment system at toll plazas on the N3 in partnership with Visa and the N3 toll concession (N3TC) as a quicker and more secure way to pay than swiping or inserting a card.

The devices, usable by all cardholders and not only  FNB clients, help reduce motorists’ wait at toll booths. They also reduce the possibility of fraud by allowing users to keep cards or payment devices in their possession during payment.

FNB said it has completed the roll out of contactless payments across selected toll gates before of the festive season rush. Motorists at selected toll plazas along the N3, Trac N4 and Chapman’s Peak tollways are able to use different payment methods for contactless payments. More than 88 lanes have been switched on along the N3 toll route between Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal at the De Hoek, Wilge, Tugela, and Mooi River plazas and the on- and off-ramps.

Tap and go toll gates are also installed along the N4 toll route between Pretoria and Mozambique at Diamond Hill, Middelburg, Machado, Nkomazi plazas and the on- and off-ramps.

FNB will roll out the system to additional tollway concessionaires in 2025.

Daniel Kaan, CEO for core banking and merchant services at FNB, said feedback from the introduction has been highly positive from toll concessionaires and cardholders. The bank said contactless payments provided a higher level of security as they used short-range wireless communication technology, which is less vulnerable to fraud than traditional “contact” payment methods

The tap and go-enabled toll plazas accept different payment methods, including tap-enabled debit and credit cards (Europay, Mastercard, Visa),  apps such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay, and wearables such as Garmin, Fitbit, Samsung and Apple. Foreign cards are also accepted at toll plazas.

Motorists who do not have a contactless card or device are able pay with cash or use a Sanral tag.  

Sanral and other toll concessionaires will continue accepting magnetic stripe payments until May 31 2025, while fleet and garage magnetic stripe cards can be used until June 30 2026.