SnapScan vs MasterPass Scan to Pay
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SnapScan
This app simplifies payments for everyday needs, from online shopping and parking to sending money to friends and paying bills. Securely link your bank cards, manage multiple cards with nicknames, and authenticate transactions with a PIN or biometrics. You can also top up a digital wallet for faster payments or donate to charities.
- In-store and online payments
- Pay for parking
- Send money to friends
- Buy prepaid electricity, airtime, and data
- Settle bills
- Donate to charities
- Manage multiple linked cards
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Payments shouldn’t disrupt the joy of simple pleasures. Whether you’re on the go or on the couch, SnapScan allows you to make quick and easy payments. After installing the app, simply load your bank card and add a secure PIN or enable biometric authentication. It’s as simple as that. Pay nice: - Shop in-store and online - Pay for parking at various locations - Send money to friends - Buy prepaid electricity, airtime and data - Settle bills (via invoices and in the app) - Donate to charities, and set up recurring monthly donations Manage your account: - Load up to three cards to use for payments - Add a nickname for each card so you always know which card you’re using - Top up your SnapScan Wallet and make payments using the funds you loaded - Authenticate your payments with a 4-digit PIN or biometrics - Verify your account to withdraw money from your Wallet to your linked bank account, or send money in your Wallet to a friend What you need: A valid credit or eCommerce-enabled debit card (SnapScan works with all South African banks and most international credit cards). A South African cellphone number Need help? Our team is here for you at help@snapscan.co.za For additional information or to sign up as a merchant, visit our website: www.snapscan.co.za Powered by Standard Bank
MasterPass Scan to Pay
Easily scan and pay QR codes for groceries, bills, and online purchases. Securely add Visa and Mastercard for convenient payments without entering card details. Purchase prepaid airtime and data bundles instantly.
- Scan and pay QR codes
- Securely add bank cards
- Pay bills and online purchases
- Buy prepaid airtime and data
- No need to enter card details
- Industry-standard encryption
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Scan to Pay powered by Ukheshe. Our app makes it easy to scan and pay QR codes for almost anything, from groceries to bills to online shopping. Sign up using only your mobile number and securely add bank cards from Visa and Mastercard for safe and convenient payments. Your cards are protected with industry-standard encryption keeping you safe and secure. You can pay any printed or online QR codes from Scan to Pay/Masterpass or SnapScan. Pay bills from Pay@, Easy Pay, DStv, municipalities and more. You can also pay faster at online retailers like Takealot and more by selecting Scan to Pay or Masterpass when checking out. You don’t need to enter card details or banking information. Our app provides convenience when buying prepaid airtime, data and SMS bundles from MTN and Vodacom for yourself or someone else. Select the product you want and use your saved cards to pay. Your prepaid airtime and data will be automatically loaded. No need to enter voucher codes. Scan to Pay is a convenient and secure way to make payments.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SnapScan at 4.4 against MasterPass Scan to Pay's 1.8. SnapScan also leads on review sentiment (38% vs 13%) and ratings volume (113 vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SnapScan holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SnapScan has 113 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of SnapScan's written reviews are positive against 13% of MasterPass Scan to Pay's.
SnapScan ships an update monthly, MasterPass Scan to Pay every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | SnapScan | MasterPass Scan to Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (113 ratings) — better | 1.8 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 38.3% of reviews — better | 12.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 113 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | FireID (Pty) Ltd | Ukheshe Technologies (Pty) Ltd |
Customer experience
SnapScan
MasterPass Scan to Pay
Bugs and requests
SnapScan
Reported bugs
32 issues- Authentication issues
- Card rejection
- Incorrect dialling code added
- Cannot add new card
- Verification fails
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- No button to submit card details
- Card change limit reached
- Focus issue with camera
- Error occurred, try again later
- Card error, please try again later
- Withdrawal errors
- App crashes on adding bank card
- Scan feature does not autofocus
- App does not send verification email
- App does not connect to banking app
- Phone number confirmation issues
- App bombs out when opened
- Wallet feature requires exact amount
- OTP required for payments
- App not working on iPhone 15 Pro
- App not working on iPhone 14 Pro
- Interface not optimized for XR models
- Card no longer works after update
- App freezes when opened
- App closes unexpectedly
- App refuses to accept UK credit card
- App rejects phone number variations
- App requires phone number but rejects it
- App does not let user enter personal information
- Extra authentication issues
- OTP never gets sent
- Address coding locked to US zip code mode
Requested features
15 requests- Add cancel option for payments
- More vendors and shops
- Label cards for easier identification
- Allow partial wallet payments with cards
- Add Apple Watch functionality
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- Categorize purchase history by vendor
- Add search functionality for purchase history
- Support for foreign phone numbers
- Interoperate with other ePayment systems
- Manual verification process
- Support for virtual cards
- Option to label cards
- Add City of Johannesburg Municipality as merchant
- Apple Watch app
- Support jailbroken phones with disclaimer
MasterPass Scan to Pay
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SnapScan
No in-app purchases
MasterPass Scan to Pay
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SnapScan free?
Is MasterPass Scan to Pay free?
Which has better reviews, SnapScan or MasterPass Scan to Pay?
Do SnapScan or MasterPass Scan to Pay have ads?
Which is updated more often, SnapScan or MasterPass Scan to Pay?
Other comparisons
