South Africans can now pay with cryptocurrency at nearly 700,000 merchants across the country using Luno Pay, which is now available at all Scan to Pay-enabled merchants.
Together with Scan to Pay’s 650,000 merchants and Luno Pay’s existing network of over 30,000 merchants, this expansion unlocks access to major household retailers, including Checkers, Makro, Vodacom, and Shoprite, bringing crypto payments into the mainstream and marking a major step for cryptocurrency adoption.
Additionally, Luno Pay users earn up to 10% back in Tether (USDT) instantly when paying with USDT at any of these nationwide merchants. Tether is a popular stablecoin pegged to the US dollar.
Christo de Wit, South Africa country manager for Luno, says, "We're moving from niche acceptance to the mainstream, giving our users the freedom to spend their crypto anywhere they shop while also earning meaningful rewards. Luno is making crypto payments as simple as traditional card transactions, but without extra fees, yet with the added flexibility of paying directly from over 50 different crypto assets and the benefit of instant USDT rewards.”
The expansion builds on Luno Pay's already impressive track record since its launch in November 2024. Over 48,000 completed payments have been processed across more than 1,600 merchants, representing a transaction volume of over R28 million. Notably, 70% of Luno Pay users are repeat customers.
The integration leverages existing payment infrastructure, ensuring merchants don't need to make technical changes or investments to accept Luno Pay. For consumers, paying with cryptocurrency is simple: scan the QR code displayed at checkout using the Luno app, confirm the payment details, and select the cryptocurrency you wish to use for payment. Rewards in USDT are automatically applied to your purchase.
This development positions Luno Pay at the forefront of South Africa's digital payment evolution, while rewarding customers for adopting innovative payment technology. Luno Pay users can confidently use crypto for daily purchases, from groceries and electronics to telecommunications and online shopping.
Access to all Scan to Pay merchants has been made possible through Luno’s payments partner, MoneyBadger.
Carel van Wyk, MoneyBadger co-founder and CEO, says, “South Africans are increasingly moving from holding Bitcoin as an investment vehicle to using their Bitcoin for day-to-day expenses. This move expands the number of places where South Africans can pay with Bitcoin significantly, and we believe it will benefit everyone.”