Standard Bank Shyft review
Updated September 28, 2026 · HodlCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Standard Bank Shyft is a prepaid multi-currency card for South African travellers and spenders who want one card for foreign trips without a monthly charge. Costs are light on the basics, with a monthly fee of ZAR 0 and conversion at 0.5% on anything spent in another currency.
Key facts
- Best for
- A low cost prepaid multi-currency card for travel spending out of South Africa.
- Monthly fee
- ZAR 0↗
- Currency conversion fee
- 0.5%↗
- Free ATM withdrawals
- ZAR 0↗
- Card type
- Prepaid↗
- Top-up fee
- Free↗
- Currencies
- 5↗
- Legal entity
- The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited↗
- Headquarters
- South Africa↗
- Support channels
- Help-centre↗
- Features
- Multi-currency, Virtual card, Travel
- Official website
- getshyft.co.za
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 2 sources
Pros and cons
Pros
- Loading funds is free, so topping up adds nothing to the running cost.
- One card covers a physical and a virtual payment method, with 5 currencies available.
- Issued by The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited under an FSCA licence, 11287.
Cons
- Support runs on help centre only, so urgent problems wait on written guidance.
- It is a prepaid card, so the balance holds only what has been loaded rather than a bank balance.
- Conversion still costs 0.5% on each currency switch, which adds up for frequent spenders.
Ready to try Standard Bank Shyft?
Scored 8.9 / 10 by HodlCue.
Who it suits
- South African travellers who want one card for several currencies and a virtual card for bookings.
- Everyday spenders who want a monthly fee of ZAR 0 and a balance they control by loading.
- Readers who want the account held by a bank rather than an offshore issuer, under FSCA licence 11287.
Who should look elsewhere
- Monzo Flex, for readers who want a card priced in pounds, where the monthly fee is set as £0.
- Wise, for readers with pound income, since its monthly fee is £0 in pounds.
- Bitpanda, for euro spenders, whose monthly fee of €0 is priced in euros.
Fees
Shyft charges a monthly fee of ZAR 0, so holding the account costs nothing each month. Loading funds is free, which keeps topping up simple before a trip. The ongoing charge to watch is currency conversion at 0.5% on amounts spent in another currency, so costs rise the more often you switch.
The company behind it
Shyft is run by The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited and is based in South Africa, so the account sits with a South African bank rather than an offshore issuer. It holds an FSCA licence, 11287, which is the oversight to check on a bank issued card. Support runs on help centre only, so help is self serve for most questions.
How Standard Bank Shyft compares
8.9 vs 9.4
8.9 vs 9.0
8.9 vs 8.2
8.9 vs 9.5
8.9 vs 9.6
8.9 vs 9.0
8.9 vs 9.1A monthly fee of €0 on a euro card, which suits euro spending more closely than the 5 currencies held here.
8.9 vs 8.9
8.9 vs 8.1
8.9 vs 8.2
8.9 vs 9.5
8.9 vs 9.4
8.9 vs 9.2
8.9 vs 9.1
8.9 vs 9.0
8.9 vs 8.9- 8.9 vs 8.8
8.9 vs 8.8
8.9 vs 8.6
8.9 vs 8.5
8.9 vs 8.3
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
Does Shyft charge a monthly fee?+
No monthly charge is listed: the monthly fee is ZAR 0. Loading money onto the card is free as well, so the everyday cost of holding and topping up the account is minimal. The charge to watch is conversion on foreign spend.
What does it cost to convert currency?+
Currency conversion is charged at 0.5%. That fee applies each time you spend in a currency other than the one held, so a trip with plenty of local spending raises the bill. Holding balances before you travel keeps the number of conversions down.
What kind of card is it?+
It is a prepaid card, funded by loading money rather than drawing on a bank balance. The listed features, multi currency, virtual card and travel, cover a multi-currency account, a virtual card and travel, so one card serves both physical and online payments.
How many currencies can the account hold?+
The account supports 5 currencies. Holding balances in more than one currency means most spending at the destination is paid from a matching balance, which limits how often the conversion charge is triggered.
Are ATM withdrawals free?+
Cash withdrawals sit under a free allowance of ZAR 0, so ordinary ATM use adds nothing to the monthly cost. The monthly fee is ZAR 0 and loading is free, so a card used mainly for cash stays cheap to run.
Who is behind Shyft and is it regulated?+
The account is run by The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited and is based in South Africa. It holds an FSCA licence, 11287, which is the regulator to look for when judging the issuer. Bank ownership in South Africa is the main reassurance here.
How do I get help if something goes wrong?+
Support runs on help centre only, so there is no listed phone or live chat line. Questions are handled through written guidance, which suits routine matters such as a declined payment or a blocked card but is slower for urgent ones.
Who does Shyft suit?+
It fits South African readers who spend abroad and want one prepaid card holding 5 currencies, with a virtual card for online bookings. Readers who want a card priced in pounds or euros may suit another provider better.
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 low cost prepaid multi-currency card for travel spending out of South Africa.