Your cookie choices

We use necessary cookies to make this site work. With your permission, analytics cookies help us understand usage and marketing cookies support advertising.

You can reject non-essential cookies and still use the site. Change your choices anytime in Cookie settings.

Cookie policy
Cookie settings

Standard Bank Shyft review

Updated September 28, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.

Our verdict

Standard Bank Shyft suits South African travellers and anyone wanting a simple prepaid card for spending abroad, without paying to hold it. Its monthly fee is ZAR 0, top-ups are free and the currency conversion fee is 0.5%, so running costs stay low.

Key facts

Best for
A no-charge prepaid card for cross-border spending out of South Africa.
Monthly fee
ZAR 0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Currency conversion fee
0.5% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Free ATM withdrawals
ZAR 0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Card type
Prepaid (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Top-up fee
Free (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Currencies
5 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
South Africa (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Features
Multi-currency, Virtual card, Travel
Official website
getshyft.co.za

Pros and cons

Pros

  • The monthly fee is ZAR 0 and top-ups are free, which ranks 1 of 419 brands on monthly fee.
  • A currency conversion fee of 0.5% matches the prepaid-card median of 0.5%.
  • The multi currency, virtual card and travel list pairs multi-currency with a virtual card, covering 5 currencies.

Cons

  • The free ATM withdrawal allowance is ZAR 0, so cash on the ground costs extra.
  • Support runs on help centre only, so a phone or chat line is not part of the package.
  • The 0.5% conversion fee applies on every conversion and ranks 115 of 259 on the site.

Ready to try Standard Bank Shyft?

Scored 8.9 / 10 by DebitCue.

See alternatives

Who it suits

  • South African travellers who want to hold 5 currencies and pay a single conversion fee of 0.5%.
  • Spenders who do not want a charge for holding a card, since the monthly fee is ZAR 0.
  • Anyone comfortable with a prepaid card, where money is loaded before it is spent.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Skrill, whose monthly fee of €5 makes it the pricier hold.
  • CrediMax Cardy EX prepaid Visa, also at a monthly fee of BHD 0, so the choice rests on multi-currency and virtual card features.

Fees and currency costs

The monthly fee is ZAR 0 and top-ups are free, so holding and funding the account costs nothing to set up. The cost to watch is conversion at 0.5%, which lines up with the prepaid-card median of 0.5% and sits under the site median of 1%. Shyft ranks 1 of 419 brands on monthly fee.

Who runs it

Shyft is issued by The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited, which is headquartered in South Africa. It holds an FSCA licence, 11287, so the prepaid balance sits with a regulated South African bank rather than an offshore wallet. Service is digital throughout, with support running on help centre only.

How Standard Bank Shyft compares

Where Standard Bank Shyft is available

Available
Botswana, South Africa
Licence in South Africa
FSCA (11287), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to hold a Shyft card?+

There is no charge to keep the account open: the monthly fee is ZAR 0 and top-ups are free. The cost to watch is the currency conversion fee of 0.5%, which applies each time you spend in a currency the account does not already hold. Withdrawing cash is the other watch point.

Is Shyft regulated?+

Shyft is issued by The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited and holds an FSCA licence, 11287. The licence sits with a South African bank rather than an offshore wallet, so the prepaid balance is held by a regulated institution. Questions are handled through help centre.

How many currencies can the card hold?+

The account supports 5 currencies, and multi-currency is listed among the card's features in multi currency, virtual card and travel. Converting between them costs 0.5%, so loading the currency you plan to spend in before a trip keeps that fee off most of your card payments.

Are ATM withdrawals free?+

The free ATM withdrawal allowance is ZAR 0, so cash abroad is charged rather than included, and Shyft ranks 41 of 115 brands on that measure. For spending abroad, the conversion fee of 0.5% is the number that matters more.

What kind of card is Shyft?+

It is a prepaid card, so you load money first and then spend what is in the account. Virtual card and travel features are listed in multi currency, virtual card and travel, which suits a traveller who wants a card number that can sit in a wallet. Support runs on help centre.

Where is Shyft available?+

Shyft is based in South Africa and is licensed there by the FSCA under 11287. The multi currency, virtual card and travel list pairs travel with multi-currency, which points to use abroad. It is a South African account rather than one built for a single currency market.

How does Shyft compare on cost?+

On monthly fee Shyft ranks 1 of 419 brands on the site, with a fee of ZAR 0 at the site median of €0. Its conversion fee of 0.5% is more competitive than the site median of 1%, while the ZAR 0 ATM allowance is the weak spot.

Sources

  • getshyft.co.za checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity, Monthly fee, Support channels, Licences

    “Shyft operates under the license of The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited”

  • shyft.co.za/fees checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Free ATM withdrawals, Card type, Currencies, Features, Currency conversion fee, Top-up fee

    “ATM withdrawal (excluding currency conversions) - Standard Bank: Free Other bank: R16”

Compiled from 2 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Protection.

Standard Bank Shyft

A no-charge prepaid card for cross-border spending out of South Africa.

8.9/10See alternatives