The new SASSA payment card will enable all approved social grant recipients or beneficiaries access to their social grant every month, wherever they are in the country.
The new card is a SASSA-branded smart payment MasterCard – which has an embedded chip containing beneficiaries’ personal details, fingerprint and secret PIN.
Beneficiaries who collect their grants from pay points and merchants need to swap their old cards for a new card before 30 September 2018.
Those beneficiaries who receive their grants through their personal bank accounts need not swap their cards unless they want to change the method of payment. To swap the old card for the new card, beneficiaries are required to bring the old SASSA card and ID. Only the person collecting the social grant is required to do the card swap.
What are my responsibilities when I use my new SASSA gold card?
Once you have swapped your old SASSA card for the new gold SASSA card, you will now be the holder of our new card containing an embedded chip with your biometric information. Please keep your card in a safe place. Keep your PIN a secret. Never give your card to anyone.
Do not divulge your PIN to anyone (relatives, micro-loan companies, children). If you do so, they can withdraw all your grant money. Please keep it in a safe place so that you can receive your social grant every month.
What are the benefits of the new SASSA payment card?
The new SASSA card operates fully within the national payment systems, and it has the following exciting benefits:
. Free cash withdrawal from any participating merchant (such as such as Pick n Pay and Shoprite);
. One free over-the-counter cash withdrawal at the Post Office;
. Free swipes (purchase payments) at all merchants;
. One free ATM balance inquiry per month
When can I access my social grant?
Funds are available from the first day of every month. However, the beneficiaries do not have to draw their money and stand in a queue for long hours. They can go any time during the month, from the 1st to the 25th, to draw their social grant.
What happens if I use the wrong PIN?
If you have forgotten your PIN and entered the wrong PIN three times at an ATM, the card is retained by the ATM, and will not be returned to you.
If you use the incorrect PIN at the participating payment vendor (such as Pick n Pay and Shoprite), the money will not be paid over and your card will be locked. You must go to the nearest SASSA local office for your PIN to be reset.
What must a beneficiary do if the ATM does not pay out?
The beneficiary should keep the slip from the ATM, as this contains important information required to lodge a dispute with the bank that owns the ATM. Beneficiaries should contact the SASSA Call Centre (0800 600 160) to report the incident.
What happens if a beneficiary does not their access grant for three months?
If a beneficiary does not access their grant for three consecutive months, the grant will lapse and they will have to re-apply.
Are deductions allowed from the SASSA Payment Card?
Only deductions for funeral schemes or insurance will be allowed. The deduction must not be more than 10% of the value of your social grant amount. Only an accredited financial service provider is allowed to sell funeral schemes/insurance.
What must I do if I lose or damage my SASSA payment card?
If a SASSA card is lost or stolen, call the help desk immediately on 0800 600 160 to STOP the card. Then go to the nearest police station for an affidavit stating how the card was lost or stolen.
The affidavit must be signed by the police and then be presented to SASSA when one requests a replacement card.
Visit the nearest SASSA local office to request for a replacement card. The cost of a replacement card is R20, which will be deducted from your next grant payment. You will be required to complete a lost card replacement fee form. In the event of the card being damaged the same process must be followed. The re-issue will also cost R20. If the card issued malfunctions, the same process must be followed as above, and in this instance beneficiaries will not be expected to pay for the card as the fault is a technical one. The damaged card must be returned to SASSA.
To know more, contact SASSA on 0800 6010 11 (toll-free) or visit the SASSA local office at the Thusong Centre, corner of Paddy and Wesley Street, Robertson.
