The introduction of the Benefits of the Current Payment System yielded broad positive benefits to both SASSA and beneficiaries, and to a large extent to the South African Economy. This new payment system absorbed the previously unbanked beneficiaries and incorporated them into the banking community. Almost 60% of cash beneficiaries had migrated from pay points and they had a preference to receive their social grants either at their convenient payment vendor or at the ATM's (at ATM's normal bank charges apply). Beneficiaries also had an opportunity to use the increased payment channels to access their social grants within the first seven calendar days of the month. Another benefit of the new system was that it significantly reduced the costs for transacting from the average of R30 to R16.44 per transaction.