Singapore has one of the most sophisticated payment landscapes in Southeast Asia. Consumers move fluidly between PayNow, contactless cards, digital wallets, and buy-now-pay-later — often switching method by channel and context. Getting the mix right is not just a convenience issue; it directly affects conversion rates and average order value.

This guide covers every major payment method in the Singapore market in 2026: how each works, who uses it, what it costs merchants, and how to accept them all without running multiple payment providers.

Most popular payment methods in Singapore

Singapore’s most popular payment methods in 2026 are PayNow (the national real-time bank transfer network), Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, GrabPay and ShopeePay digital wallets, Apple Pay and Google Pay (which sit on top of the card network), and buy-now-pay-later options including Grab PayLater, SPayLater, and Atome. PayNow dominates in-person retail and small transactions. Cards dominate higher-value e-commerce. Wallets and BNPL are growing fastest among younger, mobile-first consumers.

The table below summarises all major payment methods in Singapore by type, typical merchant fee range, and best use case.

Singapore payment methods compared: fees and use cases

Singapore businesses can accept a wide range of cashless payment methods. The table below covers the main categories, typical merchant fees through HitPay, and the best-fit scenarios for each method.

Local payment methods

Note on Apple Pay / Google Pay: These are card tokenisation methods — they use the customer's linked Visa or Mastercard. The merchant fee is the same as for the underlying card (2.8% + S$0.50 for domestic; 3.65% + S$0.50 for international). No separate setup is needed; Apple Pay and Google Pay appear automatically at checkout when cards are enabled.

Note on BNPL (Atome, ShopBack PayLater): These are online-only methods. Grab PayLater and SPayLater work both online and in-person.

All rates are per successful transaction. No monthly fee, no setup fee. Visit hitpayapp.com/pricing for the current full rate card.

PayNow & QR payments

PayNow is Singapore’s national real-time fund transfer scheme, operated by the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS). It enables instant transfers between all major Singapore bank accounts using a mobile number, NRIC/FIN, or business UEN — at no cost to the sender and at very low cost to the merchant.

For businesses, PayNow is the single most important local payment method to support. It is ubiquitous across Singapore: hawker stalls, F&B outlets, retail shops, service businesses, and e-commerce all rely on it. Payment is push-based — the customer initiates and authorises the transfer — which means zero chargeback risk for the merchant.

PayNow QR is the QR code format used to initiate a PayNow transfer. Display your QR at the counter or embed it in an online checkout, and customers scan and pay directly from their banking app. HitPay generates SGQR-compliant QR codes — the national standard set by MAS — meaning one QR accepts PayNow and other compatible payment schemes simultaneously.

HitPay charges 0.65% + S$0.30 for PayNow transactions of S$100 and above, and 0.9% (minimum S$0.20) for transactions below S$100. No monthly fees, no setup fees.

Learn more about PayNow for business →

Cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex)

Cards remain the dominant payment method for higher-value e-commerce and for customers who prefer to pay on credit or earn rewards points. Singapore has strong credit card penetration, and international shoppers — tourists and overseas buyers — rely heavily on cards.

Visa and Mastercard cover the vast majority of Singapore cardholders. Domestic card transactions on HitPay are charged at 2.8% + S$0.50. International cards — issued outside Singapore — are charged at 3.65% + S$0.50, reflecting the additional interchange and cross-border processing cost.

American Express is accepted by HitPay and is relevant for premium retail, corporate accounts, and travel businesses. Amex cardholders often have higher average spend.

Cards also underpin Apple Pay and Google Pay: when a customer taps their phone at a terminal, the payment runs on the underlying card credential — so your card acceptance rate automatically covers these wallet methods.

3D Secure (3DS) authentication is built into HitPay’s card processing. This adds a layer of fraud protection and shifts liability for fraudulent transactions to the card issuer, protecting merchants from a significant category of chargeback. Learn more about chargebacks and how to prevent them →

Digital wallets (GrabPay, Apple Pay, Google Pay)

Digital wallets are a distinct payment category in Singapore, sitting between bank transfers and traditional cards. They are app-based, quick to use, and often tied to loyalty rewards — which drives strong repeat usage.

GrabPay is Singapore’s dominant super-app wallet, used by Grab’s large regional user base. Customers load funds or link a card to their GrabPay account. For merchants, GrabPay acceptance opens the door to Grab’s rewards-driven ecosystem, where users are often motivated to pay via Grab to earn GrabRewards points. HitPay supports GrabPay for both online checkout and in-person payments via the POS app.

ShopeePay is Shopee’s integrated payment wallet, heavily used by the Shopee shopping platform’s user base. As with GrabPay, customers earn loyalty points for paying via ShopeePay. HitPay supports ShopeePay for online and in-person transactions.

Apple Pay and Google Pay are contactless wallet methods that use device-stored card credentials. They are accepted wherever your card terminals support NFC contactless payment — no separate integration required. For online checkout, both are supported via HitPay’s hosted payment page. These methods are particularly valued for their speed at the point of sale: no PIN entry required for many transactions.

For a deeper explanation of how digital wallets work and how they compare to cards, see What is a digital wallet? →

BNPL (buy now, pay later) in Singapore

Buy now, pay later lets customers split a purchase into interest-free instalments, while the merchant receives the full payment amount upfront. BNPL consistently increases average order value (AOV) — particularly for fashion, electronics, home goods, and lifestyle purchases — because it reduces the perceived cost of higher-priced items.

HitPay supports three BNPL options in Singapore:

Grab PayLater — Singapore’s most widely adopted BNPL product, available through the Grab app. Customers pay in monthly instalments, and Grab handles the lending risk. Available for both online checkout and in-person transactions via HitPay’s POS app. Because Grab has enormous user penetration in Singapore, offering Grab PayLater can meaningfully lift conversion for purchase values above S$50.

SPayLater (Shopee PayLater) — Shopee’s instalment product. Customers who shop via Shopee or have a SPayLater account can use it across HitPay-powered checkouts, both online and in-person. Strong overlap with e-commerce buyers who are already in the Shopee ecosystem.

Atome — A standalone BNPL brand operating across Singapore, Malaysia, and other APAC markets. Atome splits purchases into three equal payments over three months with zero interest for the buyer. Available for online transactions via HitPay.

It is worth noting that ShopBack operates a BNPL product (ShopBack PayLater) in Singapore, though this is accepted via ShopBack’s own merchant network rather than through HitPay’s current integration. If ShopBack is a major channel for your business, check directly with ShopBack on merchant onboarding.

All BNPL options via HitPay are available through the same HitPay account and dashboard — no separate merchant agreements or integrations required. Enable any BNPL method under Payment Methods in your HitPay dashboard.

Cross-border and international payment methods

Singapore’s position as a regional hub means many businesses serve international buyers: Chinese tourists, Indian professionals, regional e-commerce customers, and overseas B2B partners. Accepting local payment methods from these buyer groups — rather than forcing them to card payment — materially reduces friction.

Alipay+ is the international acceptance arm of Alipay, covering over 25 e-wallet brands across Asia. Tourists and visitors from China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea, the Philippines, and other markets can pay using their home wallet app — you display one Alipay+ QR. This is particularly relevant for retail, F&B, and tourism businesses in Singapore.

WeChat Pay is a separate cross-border wallet used primarily by Chinese visitors. Supporting WeChat Pay alongside Alipay+ captures the full Chinese tourist spend audience.

UPI — India’s Unified Payments Interface — is increasingly relevant in Singapore, which has a large Indian-origin resident and visitor population. HitPay has a partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India’s international arm (NIPL) that enables UPI acceptance in Singapore, allowing Indian visitors to pay via UPI QR at HitPay-enabled merchants.

HitPay’s cross-border payments capability covers 12 APAC markets and over 700 local payment options, all accessible from a single merchant account. Funds settle in the merchant’s home currency (SGD for Singapore businesses). See HitPay cross-border payments →

Cross-border and tourist payment methods in Singapore

Singapore is one of Southeast Asia's most visited tourist destinations. Visitors from China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, and Vietnam often arrive with a home-market e-wallet as their primary payment method. These customers may not have a Singapore bank account or card — and cannot use PayNow.

HitPay's Borderless QR displays a single QR code at your counter. International visitors scan it with their home wallet app — WeChat Pay, UPI, PromptPay, QRIS, or others — and pay in their home currency. You receive SGD. Currency conversion is handled automatically — no additional hardware, no separate QR codes, no FX setup required.

Businesses that regularly serve international customers — F&B outlets, retail stores, salons, tourist attractions, hotels, and medical clinics — benefit most from enabling Borderless QR. It is a single setup that covers the full cross-border wallet suite.

For domestic customers, PayNow QR and GrabPay / ShopeePay continue to operate as normal on a separate channel — Borderless QR does not replace them.

How to accept all of them with HitPay

The operational challenge for most Singapore businesses is not knowing which payment methods to offer — it is managing multiple payment providers, separate reconciliation streams, and different settlement timelines. HitPay consolidates all of the above under one account, one dashboard, and one settlement cycle.

Single integration, all methods. Whether you are running a Shopify store, a WooCommerce site, or a custom-built platform, one HitPay integration enables PayNow, cards, GrabPay, ShopeePay, BNPL, and cross-border wallets. No separate merchant agreements per payment method.

Online checkout. For e-commerce, HitPay’s payment gateway presents all enabled payment methods to the customer at checkout. Customers choose what suits them — you collect the payment either way.

In-person payments. The HitPay POS app on Android or iOS turns any device into a payments terminal. Accept PayNow QR, contactless cards, GrabPay, ShopeePay, and BNPL — with per-transaction receipts and real-time reporting in the dashboard.

Payment links and invoices. For service businesses, freelancers, and anyone collecting payment remotely, HitPay payment links and invoices support all enabled payment methods. Share via WhatsApp, email, or SMS — no website required.

Getting started:

1. Register at dashboard.hit-pay.com/register — no setup fee, no monthly fee

2. Complete business verification (UEN, ACRA registration, director ID)

3. Navigate to Payment Methods in your dashboard and enable the methods relevant to your business

4. Install the relevant plugin (Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, etc.) if you run an online store

5. Download the HitPay POS app if you take in-person payments

Most Singapore businesses are accepting payments within 24 hours of signup.

See HitPay Singapore pricing → · Explore the HitPay payment gateway →

Related HitPay resources for Singapore businesses

• PayNow for Business — accept PayNow QR payments →

• HitPay Payment Gateway for Singapore →

• Singapore Pricing →

• What is a Digital Wallet? →

• What is a Chargeback? →

Accept every Singapore payment method in one account

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Frequently Asked Questions