Quick Answer: For Singapore SMBs that need PayNow, GrabPay, ShopeePay, and BNPL options like Atome under one roof — with no monthly fees and next business day SGD payouts — HitPay is the stronger fit. Stripe is a powerful global infrastructure platform, but its Singapore-specific local payment method coverage is narrower and requires more technical setup. HitPay is licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) (licence PS20200643) and built specifically for SMBs across Southeast Asia.

Singapore merchants evaluating payment gateways in 2026 face a clear fork: a globally oriented developer platform, or a locally grounded SMB solution. Both HitPay and Stripe operate in Singapore, charge no monthly fees, and support card payments. But the differences in local coverage, onboarding speed, and payout mechanics matter significantly at the SMB level.

What local payment methods does each gateway support in Singapore?

HitPay supports 50+ payment methods in Singapore, including PayNow, GrabPay, ShopeePay, Atome, ShopBack PayLater, GrabPay PayLater, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. For merchants serving tourists and regional visitors, HitPay also accepts cross-border wallets including WeChat Pay (China), UPI (India), PromptPay and TrueMoney (Thailand), DuitNow (Malaysia), QRIS (Indonesia), QR Ph (Philippines), and KakaoPay/PayCo/LINE Pay (South Korea).

Stripe in Singapore supports cards (Visa, Mastercard), PayNow, GrabPay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, WeChat Pay, and bank transfers. It does not natively cover ShopeePay, Atome, ShopBack PayLater, or the full range of inbound cross-border QR wallets that HitPay handles. Developers can extend Stripe's capabilities using its Custom Payment Methods API — but that requires engineering resources most SMBs don't have on hand. As Stripe's own documentation illustrates, building custom integrations is a developer-first workflow.

For a Tiong Bahru café or a Bugis boutique that wants GrabPay, ShopeePay, and Atome live at checkout within a few days — no code required — HitPay is the faster, more complete path. For context on how digital wallets and gateways differ in function, see Digital Wallet vs Payment Gateways — Understanding the Differences.

How do fees and pricing compare?

Neither platform charges a monthly fee — both bill per transaction. For card transaction rates, see hitpayapp.com/pricing. HitPay settles domestic SGD transactions next business day; cross-border payments settle at T+2. Stripe's standard payout schedule varies and is not consistently next business day for Singapore merchants by default.

Invoicing

Stripe charges an additional 0.4% per paid invoice (capped at S$2 per invoice) on top of its standard transaction fee for merchants using Stripe Invoicing. This applies to Stripe's Invoicing Starter tier. For a Singapore business processing card payments via invoice:

• Stripe total cost per invoiced card payment: 3.4% + S$0.50 (card fee) + 0.4% (invoice fee, capped S$2)

• HitPay total cost per invoiced card payment: 2.8% + S$0.50 (card fee) + S$0 (no invoice fee)

Example — S$500 invoice paid by domestic card:

For a business sending 50 invoices per month averaging S$500 each, the Stripe invoicing fee alone adds up to approximately S$100/month in additional costs — before factoring in the higher card transaction rate.

HitPay invoicing is included with every account at no additional charge. There is no per-invoice fee, no invoicing tier, and no minimum volume requirement. Invoices can be created from the HitPay dashboard, sent by email, and paid via PayNow, cards, GrabPay, BNPL, or any other enabled payment method.

How quickly can a business get started?

HitPay accounts are approved within 1–3 business days. Sign-up is free. Once approved, merchants can activate PayNow, GrabPay, ShopeePay, and card payments from the dashboard — no developer needed. Payment links, POS, invoicing, and an online store are all available immediately after onboarding.

Stripe's onboarding is also free and relatively fast for card-only setups. However, activating local Singapore wallets like GrabPay requires additional configuration, and BNPL methods are not available natively. Businesses without developer resources will find Stripe's full local stack harder to deploy quickly.

For merchants who want to accept PayNow or GrabPay through social channels — WhatsApp, Instagram DMs — HitPay's payment links are purpose-built for that use case. See how payment links in Singapore enable PayNow and card acceptance on WhatsApp and Instagram.

Which is better for developers and custom integrations?

Stripe has the deeper developer platform. Its API documentation, webhook ecosystem, and global infrastructure are industry-leading. For businesses building complex subscription billing, marketplace payments, or multi-party splits, Stripe's toolset is extensive. Stripe processed US$1.9 trillion in payments volume in 2025 — a signal of enterprise-grade scale.

HitPay also offers a full API and supports custom integrations — including a drop-in checkout UI. The platform integrates natively with Shopify, WooCommerce, Xero, and other common SMB tools. For developers who want to extend HitPay's capabilities, the HitPay Drop-In Checkout UI provides a lightweight integration path.

The practical distinction: Stripe is the right call for engineering-led teams building financial products. HitPay is the right call for merchants who need a complete, locally tuned payment stack without a development team.

HitPay vs Stripe — side-by-side verdict

HitPay Best for: SMBs across Singapore that need zero monthly fees, 50+ payment methods including PayNow, GrabPay, ShopeePay, Atome, and cross-border QR wallets — with next business day SGD payouts and 1–3 day onboarding, without requiring a developer.

Stripe Best for: Engineering-led businesses or developer teams building custom payment products, platforms, or global commerce infrastructure that requires Stripe's advanced API, subscription tooling, and 100+ international payment methods — and have the technical resources to configure local Singapore payment methods beyond card and PayNow.

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