Looking for a credit card that doesn’t drain your wallet with fees? The Capitec Global One Credit Card might be exactly what you need. It’s designed for everyday South Africans who want real value without the premium price tag.
What makes it different? You get 1% cashback guaranteed on every purchase, interest rates starting from prime, and a monthly fee of just R50. Compare that to R90-R200 charged by many competitors, and the savings add up fast.
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Below are helpful, related guides.The card works through Capitec’s Live Better rewards program, which is refreshingly simple. No complicated tiers, no confusing points systems, no subscription fees. Just real cash paid into your account on the 10th of every month.
Here’s the practical side: credit limits up to R500,000, zero currency conversion fees for international purchases, 55 days interest-free if you pay your balance in full, and 1GB free Capitec Connect data monthly.
Plus free travel insurance when you book with the card.
Let’s break down everything worth knowing. The real costs, how Live Better actually works, requirements to qualify, and whether this card makes financial sense for your situation.
What Is the Capitec Global One Credit Card?
Capitec keeps things straightforward. They offer one credit card, not multiple confusing tiers like gold, platinum, or whatever marketing names other banks dream up.
The Global One Credit Card integrates with your Global One transactional account, creating a unified banking experience.
The card comes in black (it used to be gold until the color change). Some people call it the “Capitec Black Card,” but it’s the same product.
Mastercard branded, accepted at millions of merchants worldwide, and designed to work seamlessly with the Capitec mobile app.
Your credit limit depends entirely on your affordability assessment. Capitec looks at your income versus existing debts to determine what you can actually afford to repay.
The maximum available is R500,000, but most approvals fall between R15,000 and R150,000 depending on income and credit profile.
Monthly fee sits at R50. That’s it. No sneaky annual fees, no membership charges, no hidden costs for basic features.
The fee structure is transparent: R50 monthly, personalized interest rates from 11.75% to 22.25%, and various transaction fees depending on how you use the card.
Key features at a glance:
- 1% cashback on all purchases (guaranteed, no minimum spend)
- Additional 0.5% cashback through Live Better if you meet banking goals
- 1GB free Capitec Connect data every month
- Up to 55 days interest-free on purchases
- Zero currency conversion fees internationally
- Free basic travel insurance when booking with the card
- Contactless payments and digital wallet support (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Garmin Pay)
- Budget facility for spreading large purchases over 6-48 months
- Earn interest on positive balances
The card integrates completely with the Capitec banking app. You manage everything digitally: check your balance, make payments, adjust spending limits, view transactions, redeem cashback. Branch visits aren’t necessary unless you prefer face-to-face service.
Live Better Rewards: How Cashback Actually Works
Time to demystify Live Better, because this is where real value lives.
Live Better is Capitec’s rewards program that launched properly. It’s free to join—no subscription fees ever.
Unlike points-based systems where you need calculators to figure out what 10,000 points actually mean, Live Better pays real cash directly into your account.
The cashback structure has two parts:
Base cashback: 1% on every credit card transaction. Swipe, tap, insert, scan to pay—doesn’t matter how you use it. Spend R10,000, get R100 back. Simple math, no exclusions, no minimum purchase amounts.
Bonus cashback: Additional 0.5% on all Capitec card spending (including your credit card) if you complete monthly Bank Better goals. Three requirements:
- Make 5 transactions through the Capitec app (transfers, scan to pay, buying airtime/electricity/data)
- Link 3 recurring payments or debit orders to your Capitec account
- Have 1 credit product, funeral plan, or fixed savings account with Capitec
Hit those three goals? Your 1% becomes 1.5% total. On that same R10,000 monthly spend, you now get R150 instead of R100. Over a year, that’s R1,800 versus R1,200—an extra R600 just for banking slightly smarter.
All cashback gets paid on the 10th of every month into your Live Better savings account. The money earns higher interest than your regular savings, and you can transfer it to your main account anytime. Capitec literally turns the 10th into a second payday.
Partner rewards add extra value. Live Better includes deals with 30+ retailers and service providers:
- Dis-Chem: 15% instant discount on 140+ brands when paying with Capitec
- Tiger Wheel & Tyre: 2.5% cashback on tyres, batteries, wheels
- Cashbuild: 1% cashback on building materials
- Boxer: Monthly savings, cashback, and B Rewards integration
- Exclusive Books: 10% cashback on Live Better days
- ANEW Hotels: 25% discount on bookings
- EasyEquities: R50 free investment credit + 20% off brokerage fees
- GetSmarter: R4,000 discount on online courses
- Shell: 20 cents per litre back on fuel through V+ card integration
Partner rewards stack with your base cashback. Buy groceries at Boxer with your Capitec credit card? You get 1% base cashback plus whatever Boxer partnership benefits apply. That’s real value multiplication.
One practical example: Someone spending R8,000 monthly on their credit card, hitting Bank Better goals, filling up twice at Shell (R1,000 fuel), and shopping once at Dis-Chem (R500) could easily earn R150-R200 monthly in combined cashback and discounts.
That’s R1,800-R2,400 annually offsetting the R600 in card fees multiple times over.
Fees, Interest Rates, and Real Costs
Let’s talk money—what you actually pay.
Monthly service fee: R50. That’s your baseline cost for having the card. Annually, R600. Significantly cheaper than premium cards charging R100-R200 monthly.
Initiation fee: R50 one-time when you’re first approved. Not recurring.
Interest rates are personalized based on your credit profile, ranging from 11.75% to 22.25% per annum. Your rate depends on your credit score, income stability, and debt-to-income ratio.
People with excellent credit get closer to prime (currently around 11.5%), while those with weaker profiles pay higher.
Here’s the key: pay your statement balance in full by the due date and you avoid interest completely. The 55-day interest-free period applies to purchases when you clear your balance monthly.
Use credit as a payment tool, not a borrowing tool, and interest becomes irrelevant.
Minimum repayment: 3% of your outstanding balance monthly. Lower than some banks requiring 5%, giving you flexibility.
But understand—paying only the minimum means interest accumulates rapidly. A R10,000 balance at 20% interest paying only minimums takes years to clear and costs thousands in interest.
Transaction fees:
- Local purchases: R0 (free at all South African merchants)
- International purchases: R0 currency conversion fee (this is huge—most banks charge 2.5-3%)
- Cash withdrawals at ATMs: Fees vary by ATM operator
- Cash advances: Interest applies immediately, no interest-free period
- Online purchases: R0 (free for both local and international e-commerce)
Let’s do cost analysis. Bare minimum annual cost if you’re disciplined: R600 in monthly fees. If you spend R5,000 monthly and hit Bank Better goals, you earn R900 cashback (1.5% of R60,000 annual spend).
That’s R300 net gain, not counting partner rewards or free data value.
Compare to a premium card: R1,800 annual fee + no guaranteed cashback on base spending. The Capitec card becomes obviously better value for everyday users who aren’t frequent business travelers needing lounge access.
The free 1GB Capitec Connect data monthly adds roughly R150 value (R1,800 annually if you were buying data separately). Factor that in, and the effective cost becomes negative if you maximize benefits.
Requirements to Qualify and Apply
Capitec sets some of the most accessible credit card requirements in South Africa.
Minimum income requirement: R3,000 per month for salaried employees according to the most recent official Capitec website.
Self-employed individuals need R5,000-R10,000 monthly depending on stability of income. Some sources cite R5,000 as the standard—either way, it’s significantly lower than premium cards requiring R25,000-R58,000.
Age requirement: Minimum 18 years old. No maximum age, though lending criteria tighten as you approach retirement.
Residency: South African citizen with valid SA ID. Foreign nationals need valid work permit and residence permit. Capitec primarily serves local residents.
Credit score matters but isn’t absolute. Capitec assesses affordability more than pure credit score.
People with no credit history have been approved (building credit from scratch), and people with some blemishes can still qualify if income supports affordability. Obviously, recent defaults, judgments, or debt review make approval difficult.
Required documentation:
- Original South African ID or valid passport with work permit
- Latest salary slip (most recent month)
- 3 consecutive months of bank statements showing salary deposits
- Proof of residence dated within last 3 months (utility bill, lease agreement, rates notice)
Self-employed applicants may need additional documentation like tax returns or business bank statements to verify income stability.
Capitec conducts affordability assessment as required by the National Credit Act.
They calculate your income minus existing debt obligations to determine how much additional credit you can responsibly handle. This protects both you and the bank from overlending.
Your approved credit limit depends entirely on this assessment. Someone earning R10,000 with no debt might get R50,000. Someone earning R30,000 with R8,000 in existing obligations might get R80,000. The bank tailors limits to individual circumstances.
Application channels—three options:
Capitec banking app (fastest): Download the app, create your profile if you’re new to Capitec, navigate to credit card section, complete the digital application form, upload documents via phone camera, submit. Approval decisions often come within hours for straightforward cases.
Online via Capitec website: Visit the credit card page, click apply, fill out the comprehensive form, upload documents, submit. Same process as app but desktop interface.
In-branch: Visit any Capitec branch with your original documents, speak to a consultant who guides you through application, submit documents in person. This takes longer but offers face-to-face assistance.
Processing time: 2-5 business days typically for complete applications. Simple cases with clear income and good credit get approved faster. More complex situations requiring additional verification take longer.
Card delivery: Free via courier to your verified address once approved. Allow 7-10 business days for delivery. Activation happens through the app, at an ATM, or at a branch.
