Postbank warns SASSA Gold cards will stop working after August 31

Postbank has warned social grant beneficiaries that SASSA Gold Cards will no longer work after 31 August and urged anyone who has not yet migrated to a Postbank Black Card to do so to avoid disruptions to grant payments.

What Postbank is telling beneficiaries

The bank said the migration is essential to ensure uninterrupted access to social grant payments, because SASSA Gold Cards are being phased out and will stop working after the 31 August deadline. Postbank warned that beneficiaries who fail to replace their cards before the deadline risk experiencing disruptions to their grant payments.

Where and how to replace a card

Postbank said beneficiaries can collect Postbank Black Cards at selected Shoprite, Checkers, Usave, Pick n Pay, Boxer and Spar stores nationwide. Card replacement sites operate Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. Beneficiaries can dial 120355# on their mobile phones to locate their nearest site.

The bank said replacing a card is free of charge and requires only a valid South African identity document or temporary ID.

Bank warns against delaying

Postbank appealed to beneficiaries not to wait until the August payment dates or the final days of the migration period, warning that delaying could result in long queues and unnecessary congestion at service points.

“We are already noticing a steady increase in queues at several of our card replacement sites and based on current trends, we anticipate that queues will become considerably longer in August, which is the final month before the deadline. Beneficiaries who postpone their visit until then may experience substantial delays due to the expected increase in demand.”

— Postbank Chief Commercial Officer Thamsanqa Cele

Support and enquiries

Postbank said it had put resources in place to support beneficiaries during the migration programme and stressed the success of the process depended on beneficiaries replacing their cards while there was still time.

The bank discouraged beneficiaries from visiting SASSA offices unnecessarily for payment enquiries relating to SASSA Gold Cards or Postbank Black Cards, advising that those using either card should visit a nearby Postbank site or contact the bank’s call centre for enquiries or payment-related assistance.

Postbank said its customer service teams at service sites and contact centres are equipped to assist beneficiaries with payment enquiries, including cases where grant payments had not been received, PIN-related issues, replacement cards for lost or stolen cards, and transactions that were being declined.