What is the easiest way to pay a friend back straight away?

Send them an Instant Payment via PayShap from the GoTyme Bank app. All you need is their account or cellphone number. The money lands in seconds and anything under R5,000 is free, with no branch code and no waiting for a business day.

Why their cellphone number is enough

With PayShap, you can pay someone using their cellphone number if you don’t have their account details. That’s because many people have their cellphone number linked to a ShapID at one or more banks.

In the app, tap Pay, choose to pay a cellphone number, enter their number and then select the bank you want to pay them at. We’ll automatically check whether an Instant Payment is available.

Before you confirm, you’ll see their registered name, so you can make sure the R150 for last night’s Uber is going to the right person.

What it costs and when it lands

Most friend-to-friend payments, like splitting a bill or covering a round, sit under R5,000. That means paying someone back is free and instant. So you can settle up at the table rather than promising to sort it later. Above R5,000, the same Instant Payment costs one flat fee of R7 and has a limit of up to R50,000.

Open the GoTyme Bank app, tap Pay and settle up with a PayShap instant payment before you’ve even left the table.