Paystack has rolled out its onsite card checkout for Shopify merchants in South Africa. Once installed and configured, customers enter card details and complete payment entirely within the Shopify storefront. There is no redirect to a separate payment page. That removes a step that has historically caused shoppers to abandon their baskets.
A smoother route to completed payment
South African retailers spend heavily on traffic, product discovery and building customer trust. However, a redirect at checkout can break that momentum at the worst possible moment. Thomas McKinnon, Paystack’s country lead for South Africa, positioned the product as a direct response to that friction. He said the goal was to make payment feel like a natural part of the checkout experience, not a separate process.
Shopify agencies have begun reporting early results from clients who adopted the feature. Mario Tuscano, managing director at AskMario, said some clients saw conversion rates rise by as much as 15 per cent after switching to the onsite flow. That figure reflects early client feedback rather than a controlled study. Even so, at peak retail periods such as Black Friday, modest conversion gains translate directly into meaningful revenue differences.
Paystack describes the product as South Africa’s first onsite card checkout built specifically for Shopify merchants. South African merchants can install the checkout app through the Shopify App Store.
What does the Terminal link mean for multichannel retailers?
Beyond the online checkout, Paystack is connecting Paystack Terminal with Shopify. The integration links in-store card payments directly to a merchant’s Shopify account. As a result, retailers operating both a website and a physical counter can manage both channels through a single, closer-connected system.
Mechiel Couvaras, senior account manager at Paystack South Africa, said many merchants serve online customers and in-store shoppers at the same time. The Terminal link brings those two revenue streams closer together. During high-volume periods, that visibility can make inventory and fulfilment decisions considerably easier.
The two products address distinct but related needs. The onsite checkout reduces interruption during digital payment. The Terminal integration connects physical card transactions with the merchant’s broader Shopify data. Together, they strengthen Paystack’s position as a full-stack payments partner for multichannel retailers in South Africa.
Checkout infrastructure is becoming a core part of merchant software stacks. Payment providers that cut friction and bridge sales channels stand to gain relevance well beyond basic transaction processing. Investors and merchants alike should watch adoption rates through the festive season — and whether early conversion gains hold as the product scales.
Quick answers
It is an onsite card payment feature for South African Shopify merchants that allows customers to enter card details and pay without being redirected away from the merchant’s storefront. Merchants can install it through the Shopify App Store.
Early feedback from Shopify agency clients suggests conversion rate increases of up to 15 per cent after switching to the onsite checkout flow, according to AskMario managing director Mario Tuscano.
Paystack Terminal links in-store card payments directly to a merchant’s Shopify account, allowing retailers to manage both online and physical sales channels through a single integrated system.
