Frequently Asked Questions

Terms used in this industry

Billing Company	The details of the individual or Body Corporate that will get monies paid to them, so that the bulk bill can be paid
Registration Form	The Form which must be completed by every person on the system
Bulk Bill	This is the municipalities, bulk electricity supply into a complex
Property Managers	The people responsible to pay the municipality account
End User	The person who is buying electricity through us
Residential Property	These are houses
Commercial Property	Offices, factories
Tokens	This is a 20 digit number, encrypted number which gets generated for electricity
Municipality	The entity that provides electricity
Eskom	Provider of electricity
Vending	Refers to someone who is generating the token on behalf of the end user
Property Developer	The person who is developing land for residential or commercial properties
Deposit	An amount payable to netVendor, should the end user’s money RD
FBE	Free Basic Electricity, which is given to selected people, based on income
Government Token	Same as above
Meter readers	The people employed to read the actual meter at the residence
Private Metering	A company like netVendor, that manages the electricity consumption in a complex
Key Change Tokens (KCT)	This is a token generated to re-program a meter
Supply Group Code (SGC)	This is a code unique to every pre-payment company. It is issued by Eskom

Can I buy my electricity at the shops?

Yes. You can purchase from Pick ‘n Pay, Shoprite Checkers and BP Express Shops.

What is the deposit and how much must I pay?

The deposit is to protect the Body Corporate. If there are insufficient funds in the end users account, we are able to honour the token and still send the 20 digit token and pay the Body Corporate at the end of the month. The amount that must be paid for the deposit is the maximum amount the customer would buy at one time for electricity so that if there is a RD payment, the whole amount will be recovered. If the transaction does RD then the client will be charged, R50 penalty charge and the account will be locked until such time as a deposit slip has been received by netVendor.

Do we have to pay a deposit?

We only take deposits from some complexes, not all.

What are the Banking details for netVendor?

The banking details are the same for everyone except the reference, which is unique to an account. This reference is of utmost importance.
First National Bank
Account Name: netVendor Collections
Account Number: 62265761322
Branch Code: 223726
Reference: E.g. netVendor Account Number + Unit Number (SAE123/1)

What happens if I accidentally delete my pin?

The client can contact the netVendor office for assistance, within office hours.

What happens if I accidentally delete my token?

A lost token can be requested by sending the following SMS message to the netVendor server (082 576 1676) PIN*Last eg: 1234*last. The system will then send you the last token generated on your account.

What are netVendor’s hours?

Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm
Saturday’s from 8am to 12o’clock
Sundays and Public Holidays: Closed

What is the after hour help line/technical support number?

0861 116 199 until 20H00 Monday to Friday

What is the telephone number of netVendor?

0861 116 199

What is the number I send a sms to for a token?

082 576 1676

What is the netVendor fax number?

086 530 3081/3

Who can I talk to about your system?

Call: Mary on 0861 116 199

Who can I talk to about administration?

Call: Kylie on 0861 116 199

Who can I talk to about reports or system problems?

Call: Renee on 0861 116 199

Who are PSC?

They are a branch of netVendor in Pretoria

Who are netVendor Gauteng?

A branch of netVendor in Johannesburg

Who are netVendor Cape?

A branch of netVendor in Cape Town.

Who are netVend Metering Solutions?

They are our Namibia branch.

How do I register with netVendor?

If you have access to the internet, you can go to our website and print Customer Registration Form. Complete the form and then fax it to our offices on 086 530 3081. You will be registered within 2 hours, once registered; you will receive your 4 digit pin, via cell phone. If you do not have access to the internet, we can either forward a form via email or we can fax it to you.

How do I buy electricity using my cell phone?

The customer will receive a 4 digit pin once they have submitted their registration form (with banking details – no banking details, the person can only request last or free electricity, if the complex qualifies) and a short explanation on how to buy will be smsed to them. Basically they go to send a message. Put in the 4 digit pin, star, amount and send it to our server. (1234*100 sends to 082 576 1676) within minutes you will receive your 20 digit pin.

Can I use any cell phone to purchase electricity?

Yes. We will register one cell phone on the system. If it should be lost or stolen you can phone our office so that we can change the details. If you do wish to use another cell phone, use the following command “MeterNumber*PIN*Amount”.
Eg: 04180356588*1234*200 send to 086 576 1676

What happens if I do not have a STAR on my cell phone?

You can use the HASH key (#) or a SPACE.

How do I request my free electricity?

On your cell phone you request it by sending a message for example: PIN*free (1234*free)

How do I buy on the internet?

netVendor will provide you with an account number and password, go to the website and follow the prompts.

How do I change my banking details?

We request that a Change Request form be completed, as we do not take banking details over the phone.

How do I change my cell phone details?

We can change these details on the telephone.

Who are the meter manufacturers that netVendor use?

netVendor uses any meter manufacturer that carries the STS logo.

Who can I speak to in netVendor about meter orders?

Call: Mary on 0861 116 199

Are the prepaid meters expensive compared to normal meters?

No. A normal sub-meter can often cost nearly as much as our prepaid meters depending on where you buy it and who you get to install it for you. If you are at the stage where you do not already have a separate electrical board and are still going to be installing one then getting an integrated earth leakage prepaid meter can actually cost you less than buying an earth leakage and meter separately.

Won't my tenants be able to just by-pass me and get recharge vouchers from anyone that sells them?

No. netVendor meters can only be recharged by vouchers supplied by netvendor, so there is no way a tenant can by-pass you or our system.

Are the prepaid meters easy to tamper with?

Any meter is easy to tamper if you know what you are doing. At netVendor we provide you exception reports that manages this process. It details any person that has not purchased within a prescribed number of days and it also monitors each purchase and compares this to the complex average, and if found below a prescribed percentage, the client will be flagged on a report. Tampering is thus picked up on the netVendor system very early.

Should I change my lease agreement if I put in pre-paid meters?

We suggest that you do and recommend that you put in the relevant clauses pertaining to the supply and consumption of electricity. (ask your lawyer or agent for advice). This is especially important if you are going to link the electricity purchases to the rental collection.

What unit charge should be used when selling vouchers on to tenants?

The tenant should be billed the rate that you are paying to the council, which can vary according to the tariff structure you are on. It is therefore important to ensure that you know what rate you are paying the council. This way you will not be under or overbilling.

Can a tenant refuse to have a prepaid meter?

If you have an existing tenant they may have reservations about the new meters. We feel that if you point out the benefits of how prepaid meters can work best for both parties they will be happy to have one installed.

As a tenant can we insist that an owner puts in a prepaid meter?

We feel that these meters offer great advantages to both tenants and owners and that if you discuss this with your owner they will also see the advantages and will be willing to install a prepaid meter. The cost of installation is not that high the owner may be willing to pay the full cost

What happens if I go away and I run out of electricity?

We suggest that if you are going away for a short period i.e. a month or less, that you make sure that you have recharged your meter with enough electricity to last this amount of time (bare in mind your average consumption for this period) For longer periods and possibly even in the case above you should make sure that everything that is not essential is turned off and unplugged, thus minimising any usage. You will still need to ensure that you have sufficient electricity to keep your meter going for anything that you can't turn off (e.g. alarm, gate, pool etc) We suggest that you have a friend or family member check your property once a week as this is the best way to ensure that your property will be safe from crime, water damage or any other disaster..