Getting the payment right matters just as much as making it. CAO only starts processing your application once the full administration fee has arrived and cleared — and money sent against the wrong reference may never be matched to you. Below are the two routes CAO lists in its 2027 Entry FAQs, paying online and paying at an EasyPay outlet, plus how to confirm your payment has actually landed.

By the end you will know which reference number belongs to which route, the steps for paying while you apply and after you have logged out, what proof to hold on to, and how long to wait before checking your status.

Before You Pay: What You Need in Hand

Get these ready first, so you don't get stuck halfway through a payment:

  1. Your CAO number — shown on screen while you apply and sent to the email address you gave.
  2. Your unique EasyPay number — also issued while you apply, and emailed to you together with your CAO number and password.
  3. The right administration fee for your entry term and applicant category. January 2027 entry costs R250 for South African citizens and R300 for international applicants if the money reaches CAO on or before 31 October 2026, and R470 and R580 respectively on or after 1 November 2026. July 2027 entry uses the same amounts around 31 May and 1 June 2027.
  4. A way to pay that you can finish in one sitting: a Visa or Mastercard for online payment, or cash or card, as the EasyPay outlet you visit accepts.
  5. An email address and cellphone number you can actually reach, since CAO sends its acknowledgement letter by email and keeps in touch by SMS and email.

Keep your CAO number, EasyPay number and password to yourself. CAO says these are the only valid numbers it recognises, and they belong to you alone. Never hand them to someone who offers to pay for you in return for a fee or a promise of admission.

The Two Reference Numbers, and Why They Are Different

Two numbers, two routes — and mixing them up is one of the most common reasons a payment never shows up.

  • CAO number: Use it for online payments on the CAO website, and for card payments at CAO reception during the specified periods. Under CAO's Terms and Conditions, online payments on the CAO website go against your unique CAO number.
  • CAO-EasyPay number: Use it at an EasyPay vendor — Shoprite, Pick n Pay, Boxer or Woolworths, for example. Under CAO's Terms and Conditions, payments at an EasyPay vendor go against your unique CAO-EasyPay number.

So: online, enter the CAO number where it is asked for — not the EasyPay number. At a shop, don't hand the cashier your CAO number and expect it to work as an EasyPay reference. Lost either number? The section below on finding your EasyPay number shows how to recover it from CAO's own pages and letters before you pay.

Method 1: Pay Online by Card While You Apply

If you are applying online and have a Visa or Mastercard handy, this is the easiest way. CAO's 2027 Entry FAQs describe paying online at the same time as you complete your application or a Change of Mind.

  1. Go to cao.ac.za and click Apply in the top navigation bar.
  2. Read what is shown and carry on with the application as prompted.
  3. Work through each page, fill in everything asked for, and double-check your programme choices and their ranking order before moving on.
  4. When you reach the payment step, choose the Make Payment option.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to pay by Visa or Mastercard, typing your card details exactly as they appear on the card.
  6. Complete the one-time password (OTP) check your bank sends by SMS or email. While the transaction is processing, don't refresh the page — CAO's FAQs list refreshing mid-transaction as a possible cause of a failed card payment.
  7. Wait for the on-screen confirmation that your payment went through, and save or print it.
  8. If you haven't already, submit your application by clicking Process My Application, then wait for the prompt confirming it has been successfully submitted to CAO.
CAO Payment Methods

Method 2: Pay Online by Card After You Have Logged Out

Submitted without paying, or need to pay a Change of Mind fee later? You don't have to start over. CAO's FAQs give two online routes you can use after logging out.

Option A: Through the Payments menu

  1. Open cao.ac.za.
  2. Click Payments in the top menu bar.
  3. Enter your CAO number, then click Make Payment.
  4. Pick your payment option: Visa or Mastercard, or EasyPay, which lets you pay by debit or credit card through the EasyPay website.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions, complete any OTP check, and don't refresh the page while the transaction is processing.
  6. Keep the payment confirmation shown on screen.

Option B: Through Check My Application

  1. On cao.ac.za, click the Check My Application icon on the homepage.
  2. Enter just one identifier — your CAO number, your South African ID number or your passport number — then click Submit.
  3. Choose a payment option: Pay Now by Visa or Mastercard, or Pay Now by credit or debit card or other payment options through the EasyPay website.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions and keep the confirmation.

Don't mix this up with the applicant login. Checking your application this way needs one identifier only — CAO number, ID number or passport number — and no password. The separate applicant login, used for things like uploading documents and updating details, needs your CAO number and password. So never type your password on a page that only asks for an identifier.

Method 3: Pay at an EasyPay Outlet

No card for online payment, or did your online card payment fail? CAO's FAQs point you to any EasyPay outlet — Shoprite, Checkers, Pick n Pay, Boxer and Woolworths are the examples given.

  1. Sort out your unique EasyPay number before you leave home. It came by email when you applied, together with your CAO number and password, and it also shows on some CAO letters, such as a Payment Outstanding, Acknowledgement or Summary letter.
  2. Confirm the exact administration fee for your entry term and applicant category, so you can pay the full amount in a single visit.
  3. At the outlet, tell the cashier you are making an EasyPay payment to CAO.
  4. Give the cashier your unique EasyPay number as the reference, then check that number on the till slip before you walk away from the till — digit by digit.
  5. Pay in full and keep the till slip: it is your proof of payment for this route.
  6. Then give it until the next business day to reflect. Under CAO's Terms and Conditions, an application paid via EasyPay reaches institutions the next business day after the bank has cleared the funds.

Can't find your EasyPay number? You can get it back without paying first: click the Check My Application icon on the CAO homepage, enter your CAO number, ID number or passport number, click Submit, and your EasyPay number appears on screen. Or call the CAO call centre on 031 268 4444 during office hours (Monday to Thursday 08:00–16:30 and Friday 08:00–14:00) for help with your EasyPay number.

What Proof of Payment to Keep, and For How Long

Hold on to proof of payment until your application has been acknowledged and your status shows the fee has arrived. What counts as proof depends on your route:

Payment routeProof to keepWhere to find it again
Online card during applicationOn-screen payment confirmation and any bank confirmationYour bank statement and the email confirmation, if issued
Online card after logoutOn-screen payment confirmationYour bank statement
EasyPay outletTill slip showing the EasyPay reference and amountThe physical slip; photograph it as a backup
Change of Mind feePayment confirmation or till slip for that submissionAs above, kept separately from the original application payment

CAO's FAQs say that if you didn't pay or upload documents when you applied, you should upload your proof of payment and any other supporting documents through the Upload My Documents icon on the homepage as soon as possible. Do it promptly instead of waiting for a reminder message — and keep your own copy even after uploading.

A Note on Bank Deposits and EFT

You will see bank deposit and EFT mentioned all over third-party guides, and some older or institution-specific pages even describe deposit slips and bank details. But the CAO sources opened for this page — the 2027 Entry FAQs and Terms and Conditions — list only two routes for the administration fee: online at cao.ac.za (by Visa or Mastercard, or through the EasyPay website) and at an EasyPay outlet, with card payments also possible at the CAO office during specified periods. The Terms and Conditions are blunt about it: all payments to CAO go through EasyPay or online at cao.ac.za, and the CAO office does not accept cash.

That is why this page publishes no bank account details for a CAO deposit, and does not present bank deposit or EFT as a verified CAO payment method for the 2027 cycle. Thinking about a bank transfer anyway? Check the current payment instructions on cao.ac.za for your cycle first, confirm the exact reference to use, and keep proof of payment. A payment sent to a university by mistake is a different situation: CAO's FAQs say to forward your proof of payment to CAO's payment queries channel, quote your CAO reference number, and check whether the amount paid to the university covers the CAO fee, paying any remainder to CAO.