Starting 1 December 2024, a major shift will occur across toll plazas in South Africa as the transition from magstripe payments to contactless payment methods starts.

N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) has fully adopted contactless payments at all mainline and ramp toll plazas on the N3 Toll Route between Cedara in KwaZulu-Natal and Heidelberg in Gauteng.

What to expect:

From 1 December 2024, N3TC toll plazas will no longer accept any VISA or Mastercard cards for payments which require the swiping of the magstripe on the back of these cards.

Toll plazas on the N3 Toll Route include:

KwaZulu-Natal

• Mooi Mainline Plaza
• Mooi South Ramp Plaza
• Mooi Treverton Ramp Plaza
• Tugela Mainline Plaza
• Tugela East Ramp Plaza
• Bergville Ramp Plaza

Free State

• Wilge Mainline Plaza

Gauteng

• De Hoek Mainline Plaza

How cards are affected:

• Consumer and business debit and credit cards issued by South African banks can no longer be swiped for payment at toll plazas on the N3 Toll Route.
• Closed-loop cards, such as gift cards, will not be accepted
• Some debit cards, which were previously not allowed, will now be accepted
• Only MasterCard or VISA debit or credit cards will be accepted for contactless payments at toll plazas on the N3 Toll Route
• Fleet, garage, and petrol magstripe cards will still be accepted in the interim but will transition to EMV contactless from 1 July 2026

This upgrade will improve security and reduce fraudulent card transactions. This change enables real-time payments and offers enhanced security as it allows you to keep your card in your possession during payment.

Starting from 1 December 2024, please be prepared for this change and ensure that you have the necessary payment options ready to make your journey on the N3 Toll Route smoother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Available Payment Options:

For your Safety. Convenience. Mobility. the following payment options will be available at all toll plazas on the N3 Toll Route:

• Contactless-enabled debit or credit cards (i.e., MasterCard or VISA cards with a microchip and issued by South African banks)
• Smart devices (smartphones or smartwatches with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, etc) which are linked to a virtual or physical bank card
• SANRAL tags
• Cash
• Fleet cards

If you do not have a contactless card or device, you can still pay with cash, use a SANRAL tag or pay with a Fleet card. Tags are faster and more convenient as they eliminate the need to stop and transact with a card. Please note that payments made with contactless-enabled devices may be slower than using physical cards. We ask customers to be patient, as online payments may take longer than offline ones.

ENDS.