2026-10-09 00:00 · 4 min read
Once you have a settled balance, you are asked a good question: how do you want it? The honest answer depends on your life. A person with no bank account needs something different from a person who has just run out of electricity.
Here are the main routes, and who each one tends to suit. Available options can change over time, so check the withdraw page for what is open to you today.
Every withdrawal is checked by a person before it is paid, whichever option you pick. We cannot promise how long that takes, so be wary of anyone who does. What we can say is what happens after payment: airtime, data and electricity land directly, while a bank transfer still has to clear on the bank's side.
Airtime goes straight onto your cellphone, on Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, Telkom or Rain.
It suits you if you are on prepaid and you often find yourself with nothing left to make a call. It needs no bank account and no paperwork beyond the verification you already did. The trade-off is that airtime is only useful for your phone, so it is not something you can use at a shop.
More detail is on our free airtime page.
Data bundles work the same way, on the same networks.
It suits you if data runs out before the month does. It also pairs well with earning itself, since offers and surveys need data to complete. See free mobile data for the details.
A small tip: if you plan to earn on the app, a data bundle is the route that feeds itself. Just remember to keep the offers that need lots of data for wifi, as we explain in how to earn without burning your data bundle.
Electricity comes as a prepaid token for an Eskom or municipal meter.
It suits you if you are on a prepaid meter and the lights are the thing you worry about at the end of the month. It also suits a shared household where the electricity is the bill that matters most. You will need your meter number to hand. Check it twice, because a wrong digit is a wrong meter. See free electricity.
Vouchers cover retail and other options, such as 1Voucher, Shoprite and Checkers, and Takealot.
They suit you if what you need is groceries or a specific purchase. A Shoprite or Checkers voucher goes straight to the shelves, and a 1Voucher PIN can be spent or sent where 1Voucher is accepted. Look at Shoprite vouchers and 1Voucher for how they work.
Betting vouchers also exist, and are for people aged 18 and over only. If gambling is a problem for you or someone in your home, simply leave them alone. Nothing here pushes you towards them.
A transfer goes to a South African bank account or eWallet, such as Capitec or an FNB eWallet.
It suits you if you need actual cash in hand or want to pay for something that vouchers do not cover: transport, rent, a school fee. It is the most flexible route and also the one that takes the longest to clear after it has been paid, because a bank has to process it.
If you do not have a bank account, an eWallet can still get you cash. Our eWallet page explains how to cash one out without a bank account.
Before you can use any of these, you need a settled balance and verified identity. We list everything in what you need before your first withdrawal.
