Card swiping is no longer permitted at toll gates across the country and a variety of factors have contributed to the imposition of this restriction, reports Cape {town} Etc.
The new rule was implemented on 1 December 2024, ahead of the festive season. The intention behind its introduction is the enhancement of security. Another reason for the implementation of the restriction is to increase the effectiveness of the payment process at toll gates.
As such, toll gates across South Africa will only accept payment by way of card tapping as opposed to the traditional magstripe swiping method, reports Primedia+.
Cash payments however are still permitted.
Affected areas include the N3 toll route from Johannesburg to Durban, the N4 toll route from Pretoria to Komatipoort, and Chapman’s Peak, along with surrounding areas.
In addition, MyBroadBand has stated that South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) intends to ultimately eliminate magnetic stripe / swiping payment methods completely by July 2026.
Toll gates have become card fraud hotspots in recent years, which has resulted in banks aiming to roll out contactless payments at these plazas.
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