Trust & Safety

TipNow helps car guards, waiters, petrol attendants, street artists and other service workers receive cashless tips safely. This page explains our verification checks, how tips become available for payout, how we prevent abuse, and what fees apply.

How money moves

Customer tips

The public scans your QR code and tips using Card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.

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Tip is recorded

After a successful payment, the tip is recorded in your TipNow wallet with date, time, and amount.

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Funds become available

Tips become available when your balance is R50+ and the funds have cleared into TipNow's account.

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Weekday payouts

Request a payout and TipNow pays out to your bank account Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 10:00 (less fees).

TipNow is not a bank. The wallet is a transaction ledger and payouts are made to your bank account.

KYC & FICA (Service Provider Verification)

TipNow verifies service providers to protect the public, service providers, and our banking relationships. We use a light verification approach designed for fast onboarding.

TipNow onboards car guards, waiters, petrol attendants, street artists and other tip-receiving service workers ("Service Providers").
Service Providers must be 18 years or older.
OTP verification: During registration, a one-time PIN (OTP) is sent to the service provider's WhatsApp number. The service provider must enter the correct OTP to confirm they own the cellphone number. This prevents fake accounts and ensures every service provider account is linked to a real, verified phone number.
We verify identity and bank payout details before payouts are enabled.
Assisted onboarding is available via WhatsApp for service providers who need help.

Need help registering? WhatsApp us on: +27 69 264 7324

Frequently Asked Questions

We collect your name, surname, mobile number, and basic verification information. You will also submit bank payout details (for example, a photo of banking details) so we can pay you out correctly.

No. TipNow uses a light verification approach and does not require proof of address for standard onboarding.

Yes. If you don't have a bank account, we will assist you through our banking service provider to open an account so you can receive payouts.

OTP (One-Time PIN) verification is a security step during registration. TipNow sends a unique code to your WhatsApp number, and you must enter this code to complete registration. This confirms that you are the owner of the phone number and prevents anyone from creating an account using someone else's number.

Yes. We may refuse, suspend, or restrict accounts if verification fails, information appears incorrect, or activity suggests fraud or misuse.

24/7 WhatsApp Support Desk

TipNow offers round-the-clock support through WhatsApp. Our AI-powered support assistant is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can help you in most South African languages including English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, and more.

All you need to do is send a WhatsApp message to our support number and you'll get an immediate response. Our assistant can help with account queries, balance checks, payout status, registration help, and general questions about how TipNow works.

Chat with us anytime: +27 69 264 7324 — just send a WhatsApp message!

Instant responses: No waiting on hold or for email replies. Get help immediately, any time of day or night.
Multilingual: Chat in the language you're most comfortable with — English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana and more.
Account help: Check your balance, view your latest tips, track payout status, or get help with registration.
Human escalation: If our assistant can't help, a real person from the TipNow team will follow up with you.
No app needed: You don't need to download anything extra. Just use the WhatsApp already on your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Our AI-powered assistant responds instantly at any hour, any day of the week, including weekends and public holidays. If a human follow-up is needed, the team will respond during business hours.

Yes. Our assistant understands and responds in most South African languages. Simply send your message in the language you prefer and you'll receive a reply in the same language.

You can ask about your wallet balance, recent tips, payout status, how to register, how to print your QR code, how fees work, and anything else about TipNow. If the assistant can't help, it will connect you to a human team member.

Yes. WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted. Our support assistant will verify your identity before sharing any account-specific details, and sensitive information like bank details is never shared in full.

Payments & Settlement (When Tips Become Available)

When a member of the public scans your QR code, they are taken to a secure payment page to tip using card or supported digital wallets. Each successful payment is recorded in your wallet as a transaction with date, time, and amount.

Availability rules

Tips are recorded immediately after successful payment confirmation.
Funds become available for payout once your available balance is R50 or more AND the funds have cleared into TipNow's account.
Payouts are processed Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 10:00.

Recorded: The payment was successful and shows in your transaction list.

Available: Funds are eligible for payout based on the rules above.

Paid out: Funds were sent to your bank account and logged in your activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Shortly after the payment is successful, it will appear as a recorded transaction with the date, time, and amount.

You can request a payout when your available balance is R50 or more and the funds have cleared into TipNow's account.

Payouts are processed Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 10:00.

No. Tips are voluntary payments. If a payment fails or is reversed during processing, it will not be available for payout.

If a payment is reversed or does not clear into TipNow's account, it will not be marked as available for payout and may be removed from your available balance.

Fraud Prevention & Abuse Controls

TipNow uses monitoring and controls to reduce abuse and protect service providers and the public.

Identity and bank detail checks before payouts are enabled
Static QR codes linked to a verified service provider account
Location signals and monitoring to detect unusual activity
Transaction monitoring for suspicious patterns
Manual review and payout holds for flagged accounts

Frequently Asked Questions

Location signals help us detect unusual activity patterns and reduce fraud. We do not sell personal location data.

QR hijacking is when someone replaces or misuses a QR code to redirect payments. TipNow monitors for suspicious activity and can suspend payouts while investigating.

TipNow may pause payouts and request additional verification while we investigate suspicious activity.

Wallet Model (Ledger & Payouts)

TipNow provides a wallet ledger that records transactions and a wallet balance. TipNow is not a bank. Wallet balances are a record of tips received and do not earn interest.

Wallet = transaction history + balance
Payouts are made to your bank account after you request payout and meet the availability rules

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The wallet is a ledger that records tips and balances. Payouts are made to your bank account.

No. TipNow processes payouts Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 10:00, once funds are available for payout.

Fees & Charges

TipNow is designed to keep tipping simple and to protect service provider earnings. Fees are transparent and apply to successful tips and payouts.

Fee	Amount
Platform commission	5% of each successful tip
Card / Apple Pay / Google Pay processing	Paid by TipNow
Payout fee	R3.50 per payout (always charged)

If banking or processing costs change, TipNow may update fees. Any changes will be shown on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

TipNow pays the card and digital wallet payment processing fees.

The payout fee covers the cost of transferring funds to bank accounts and payout processing.

Yes. If banking or processing costs change, TipNow may update fees. Any changes will be shown on this page.

In rare cases (for example, if a payment is reversed or corrected after payout), your wallet balance may become negative. If this happens, TipNow may recover the outstanding amount from future tips before processing new payouts.