Quick Answer: Singapore merchants can accept GrabPayLater by enabling it through a licensed payment gateway such as HitPay, which supports GrabPay and GrabPayLater for both online and in-person transactions. HitPay operates under a Major Payment Institution licence issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) (licence PS20200643) and requires no monthly fees to get started. Approval typically takes 1–3 business days, and domestic SGD settlements arrive the next business day.

Singapore's buy now pay later (BNPL) market has grown sharply as consumers look for flexible payment options at checkout. GrabPayLater, embedded directly inside the Grab super-app, is one of the most accessible BNPL methods for Singapore shoppers — no separate app download, no new account registration. For a boutique in Tiong Bahru or a lifestyle brand in Bugis, accepting GrabPayLater means reaching customers who have already opted into instalment spending inside an app they use for food, transport, and groceries.

According to World Bank financial inclusion data, digital payment adoption in Southeast Asia has accelerated significantly since 2020, with embedded wallet and BNPL products driving much of the growth. Singapore consistently ranks among the region's most cashless economies, making BNPL acceptance increasingly table-stakes for retail and lifestyle merchants.

What Is GrabPayLater and How Does It Work for Merchants?

GrabPay PayLater is a post-paid instalment feature within the GrabPay wallet. Customers pay for purchases in monthly instalments — Grab extends the credit, not the merchant. This means merchants receive the full transaction amount upfront; the instalment risk sits with Grab, not the business.

For merchants, the practical outcome is straightforward: customers can split a $200 purchase into monthly payments, but the merchant is paid in full on settlement day. This dynamic typically increases average order values, particularly for fashion, electronics, and wellness categories.

What Payment Methods Should a Singapore Merchant Accept Alongside GrabPayLater?

GrabPayLater works best as part of a broader payment stack — not as a standalone option. Singapore shoppers expect choice at checkout. A complete setup for a Singapore merchant typically includes:

• PayNow — instant bank transfer, zero transaction friction

• GrabPay and GrabPayLater — wallet and BNPL for Grab users

• SPayLater — Shopee's BNPL, available online and in-person

• ShopeePay — strong with younger and mobile-first shoppers

• Atome and ShopBack PayLater — additional BNPL options with distinct user bases

• Visa, Mastercard, Amex — required for card-carrying customers

• Apple Pay, Google Pay — contactless card via mobile

For merchants near tourist corridors such as Orchard Road, cross-border wallets add meaningful coverage. HitPay supports WeChat Pay, UPI, QRIS (Indonesia), PromptPay (Thailand), and QR Ph (Philippines) for Singapore merchants — enabling international shoppers to pay in their home currency while the merchant settles in SGD. This is covered in detail in the guide to online payment methods in Singapore.

How Do Merchants Enable GrabPayLater in Singapore?

GrabPayLater is not available as a direct merchant integration from Grab — merchants access it through a payment gateway that has a direct integration with Grab.

Steps to enable GrabPayLater via HitPay:

1. Create a free HitPay account at hitpayapp.com — no setup fee, no monthly fee.

2. Submit business verification documents (typically takes 1–3 business days for approval).

3. Navigate to the Payment Methods page in the HitPay dashboard.

4. Locate GrabPay / PayLater by Grab and toggle it on (existing GrabPay merchants have offline auto-enabled).

5. For new merchants, complete the form submission on the Payment Methods page.

6. Once activated, GrabPayLater appears automatically at checkout — online and on the HitPay POS app.

Online merchants using Shopify, WooCommerce, or a custom integration inherit GrabPayLater support once the HitPay plugin is connected and the method is enabled in the dashboard. For in-person merchants, the HitPay POS app displays the GrabPayLater QR option natively at checkout.

What Are the Settlement and Payout Terms for GrabPayLater?

For domestic SGD transactions processed through HitPay, settlements arrive the next business day. This applies to GrabPayLater alongside other local payment methods including PayNow, GrabPay, ShopeePay, and card payments.

Cross-border payment methods settle at T+2. Merchants can view all payout timelines, upcoming settlement amounts, and per-charge breakdowns inside the HitPay dashboard — a consolidated payout view that removes the need to manually calculate settlement dates.

For current transaction rates, see hitpayapp.com/pricing.

How Does GrabPayLater Compare to Other BNPL Options in Singapore?

All four BNPL options are available through HitPay in Singapore. Merchants do not need separate contracts with each provider — a single HitPay account enables all of them. This is covered in the full guide to BNPL options in Singapore.

GrabPayLater's primary advantage is distribution: Grab's daily active user base in Singapore is substantial, and PayLater is surfaced prominently within the payment flow. Atome and ShopBack PayLater serve distinct loyalty ecosystems and are worth enabling in parallel rather than as alternatives.

What Do Merchants Need to Know About Chargeback and Refund Risk?

BNPL chargebacks are handled differently from card chargebacks. When a customer disputes a GrabPayLater transaction, the dispute process runs through Grab — merchants are not directly exposed to card-network chargeback fees on BNPL transactions. However, merchants should maintain clear fulfilment records.

For card payments processed through HitPay, all transactions are protected by 3D Secure (3DS) technology by default, which shifts fraud liability to the issuing bank. If a cardholder disputes a transaction for reasons other than fraud — such as non-delivery — the standard dispute process applies.

Merchants looking to build a complete, low-risk checkout experience across BNPL and card methods will find a useful operational breakdown in the guide to accepting BNPL at checkout with Atome and ShopBack PayLater.

Frequently Asked Questions