Receive international payments with Visa Direct

What you get with Visa Direct.

With Visa Direct, you can receive international fund transfers directly into your Absa debit or credit card via Visa Direct.

It's convenient

No hassle to withdraw or deposit hard cash.
It's safe

Your money is sent through Visa’s secure network.
It's fast

Funds are available in your account within 30 minutes.

What is a Visa Direct transaction?

We have partnered with Visa to enable our customers to receive cross-border transfer payments into their Visa credit or debit card account.

However, Absa cardholders currently cannot send Visa Direct cross-border transactions.

How to receive money globally with Visa Direct

A cross-border sender instructs their bank or merchant to initiate a Visa Direct Money Transfer from their Visa card to your Absa Visa debit or credit card account.

The sender bank receives the instruction to create a Visa Direct payment instruction. Once all validations are complete, the sender bank sends the Visa Direct payment instruction to Absa.

Absa receives the Visa Direct payment instruction and transfers the money into your Visa debit or credit card account.

Note: The cross-border transaction limit is set at US$600 per transaction. No fees are charged to cardholders for receiving the funds.

Business Banking, corporate accounts and prepaid cards are excluded from this offering until further notice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Visa Direct?

Visa Direct is a faster, simpler way for cardholders to receive cross-border payments. Absa has enabled the receipt of funds to Visa Credit cards accounts and accounts with linked Visa Debit cards. Anyone who has a Visa card account with a participating bank worldwide can use Visa Direct to send money to an Absa customer in South Africa with an eligible debit or credit card. Business Banking, Corporate accounts, and prepaid cards are currently excluded from this service.
Is there a limit to the amount that may be sent?

Yes. The cross-border transaction limit is set at US$600 per transaction.
Who can send money to my account via Visa Direct?

Any cardholder worldwide with a Visa credit or debit card. Visa Business and Corporate cards are excluded.
How long will it take for the money to reflect in my account after the transfer is done?

The speed of transfer to the beneficiary Visa card account is determined by the beneficiary’s Visa card issuer, that is, whether they offer Fast Funds or Conventional Funds Availability.

At Absa we provide for Fast Funds Availability hence funds will be available in 30 minutes or less after the payment instruction is approved.
What is difference between Fast Funds and Conventional Funds availability?
Fast Funds Availability: The recipient bank makes funds available to the recipient’s account within 30 minutes after the payment instruction is approved.

Conventional Funds Availability: The recipient bank makes funds available to the recipient’s account as soon as possible, but no later than two business days after receiving the payment instruction.
What is the service fee charged?

This will be prescribed by the sender's bank, as per their fee structure. Eligible Absa Visa cardholders only receive the Visa Direct transactions.
Will the beneficiary be charged for this service?

No service fee is charged to the beneficiary for receiving funds from the sender.
How does the beneficiary access the funds received?
Please refer to the different types of Visa cards:

Visa debit card: Funds will be transferred into the beneficiary’s banking account linked to their Visa debit card. A beneficiary can access the funds received through their banking account or directly from their Visa debit card for cash withdrawals, bill payments or retail purchases.

Visa credit card: Funds credited into a Visa credit card may offset the Visa credit card’s outstanding balance with the card issuer. The beneficiary can use his/her credit available balance amount for bill payment or retail purchases.
How do I determine the exchange rate used for the Visa Direct transaction?

This information will be provided by the sender’s bank and will most likely be displayed as part of the send/payment process.
What recipient information is required by the sender to initiate the transaction?
Recipient name and surname

Recipient address

Primary account number

Name of the bank

Name of account (debit or credit)
Can a sender cancel a Visa Direct transaction?

In most cases a sender will not be allowed to cancel a transaction once it has been submitted. That’s why they need to ensure the details provided are correct before they proceed with the transaction. The sender can contact their bank for any enquiries.