How to Set Up PayNow for Your Ecommerce Store in Singapore

PayNow is Singapore’s preferred real-time transfer method. Available across DBS, OCBC, UOB, and virtually every Singapore banking app, it costs less to accept than card payments and settles the next business day. Here is the full integration process, step by step.

What You’ll Need

• Singapore-registered business with a UEN — sole proprietorships (ROB), partnerships, and companies (ACRA-registered) all qualify
• Singapore business bank account — any PayNow-participating bank (DBS, OCBC, UOB, Maybank Singapore, CIMB Singapore, and others)
• Business verification documents — ACRA BizFile extract or SSM equivalent, plus a director or owner NRIC
• Ecommerce platform — Shopify, WooCommerce, or a custom checkout
• Payment gateway account — HitPay or Stripe (Step 2 covers the choice)

PayNow for ecommerce works through a licensed payment gateway, not through direct bank API access. Your gateway generates a dynamic QR code at checkout, the customer scans it in their banking app, and funds clear immediately. You cannot accept merchant PayNow payments by simply registering a personal PayNow proxy — the gateway is required.

Step 1: Confirm Your UEN Registration with ACRA

Your business’s Unique Entity Number (UEN) is required to open a merchant payment gateway account. Every ACRA-registered entity already has a UEN — confirm yours before starting the gateway application.

1. Visit bizfile.acra.gov.sg and search for your business name
2. Download a free BizFile extract — this is the document gateways require for KYC
3. Confirm the entity status shows “Live” or “Registered”
4. Note your UEN — you will enter it on every gateway application form

If your business is not yet registered, complete ACRA registration before proceeding. Gateway KYC applications without a valid UEN are rejected.

Step 2: Choose a PayNow-Compatible Gateway

Two gateways dominate PayNow acceptance for Singapore ecommerce: HitPay and Stripe. Both support Shopify and WooCommerce, offer no setup or monthly fees, and settle the next business day. The decision comes down to PayNow transaction fee, card fee, and which platform you are on.

PayNow and card fee comparison (Singapore, verified July 2026):

Sources: hitpayapp.com/sg/pricing; stripe.com/en-sg/pricing (verified June 2026). Verify before signing up.

Choosing between them:

The PayNow fee breakeven between HitPay and Stripe is S$200 per transaction:

• Below S$200 average order value: Stripe’s 0.8% flat costs less per PayNow transaction (no fixed fee)
• Above S$200 average order value: HitPay’s 0.65% + S$0.30 costs less per transaction
• High-value orders above S$625: Stripe caps at S$5.00 per PayNow transaction; HitPay does not cap

For stores with AOV above S$200, HitPay is the cheaper PayNow gateway. For stores selling lower-value items where most orders fall below S$200, Stripe’s flat percentage costs less per transaction.

On card fees, HitPay is consistently cheaper than Stripe at all volumes (2.8% vs 3.4% for domestic cards). If card payments represent most of your volume, HitPay is the lower-cost choice across both PayNow and cards.

For a full Stripe fee breakdown, see our Stripe Singapore fees guide.

Step 3: Register Your Merchant Account

Registration is self-serve for both HitPay and Stripe. For HitPay, sign up at hitpayapp.com, enter your business details and UEN, and submit your merchant application — review takes 1-3 business days. For Stripe, create an account at stripe.com, complete the Settings → Business details section with your UEN, and Stripe activates most Singapore accounts within 1-2 business days.

Both gateways let you explore the dashboard before KYC is complete, but live payments are blocked until verification is approved.

Step 4: Submit Your KYC Documents

Both gateways require document verification to comply with MAS licensing requirements under Singapore’s Payment Services Act. Prepare documents before submitting to avoid delays.

Required documents:

Tips to clear KYC faster:

• Use a PDF BizFile extract downloaded directly from ACRA — screenshots are not accepted
• Ensure the business bank account statement shows your company name, not a personal name
• Describe your products clearly — vague descriptions like “general merchandise” trigger manual review

For companies with multiple directors, HitPay may request NRIC for all directors. Stripe typically only requires the primary account owner’s identity verification.

Step 5: Retrieve Your API Credentials

After KYC approval, collect your credentials from the gateway dashboard before touching your ecommerce platform.

HitPay credentials:

1. Log in to your HitPay dashboard
2. Navigate to Settings → Payment Gateway
3. Copy your API Key and note your Salt (used for webhook verification)
4. Store both in a secure location — you will enter these into your Shopify or WooCommerce plugin

Stripe credentials:

1. Log in to your Stripe Dashboard
2. Navigate to Developers → API keys
3. Copy your Publishable key and Secret key
4. Never share or expose your Secret key in client-side code or a public repository

For custom integrations, also retrieve your webhook signing secret from Developers → Webhooks in the Stripe Dashboard. This allows your server to verify that webhook events are genuinely from Stripe.

Step 6: Connect PayNow to Your Ecommerce Platform

Shopify — HitPay

1. In your Shopify admin, go to Settings → Payments
2. Under “Third-party payment providers,” click Choose third-party provider
3. Search for HitPay and click Connect
4. Enter your HitPay API Key and Salt
5. Under payment methods, enable PayNow
6. Save and activate

HitPay also offers a dedicated Shopify app via the Shopify App Store — search “HitPay” and install. Either path results in the same integration.

Shopify — Stripe

1. In your Shopify admin, go to Settings → Payments
2. Under “Third-party payment providers,” choose Stripe
3. Connect your Stripe account (or create one from within Shopify)
4. Once connected, log in to your Stripe Dashboard at dashboard.stripe.com
5. Go to Settings → Payment methods
6. Find PayNow and click Enable
7. Return to Shopify — PayNow now appears at checkout automatically

WooCommerce — HitPay

1. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add New
2. Search for HitPay Payment Gateway and install
3. Activate the plugin
4. Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Payments → HitPay → Manage
5. Enter your API Key and Salt
6. Enable PayNow under the HitPay payment methods list
7. Save

WooCommerce — Stripe

1. Install the WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway plugin (official plugin by Stripe and WooCommerce)
2. Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Payments → Stripe → Manage
3. Enter your Stripe Publishable key and Secret key
4. In your Stripe Dashboard, go to Settings → Payment methods and enable PayNow
5. Save

Custom Checkout (API)

Both HitPay and Stripe expose REST APIs for custom checkout flows: POST order details to the gateway’s charge or payment intent endpoint, receive a PayNow QR code in the response, display it at checkout, and confirm payment via server-to-server webhook. PayNow QR codes expire after 1 hour (per Stripe’s documentation) — build in a refresh flow so customers who return after expiry see a new code.

Step 7: Run a Live PayNow Test Transaction

PayNow sandbox environments have limited reliability for end-to-end testing. The fastest way to verify your integration is a small live transaction from your own Singapore bank account.

Test checklist:

• PayNow appears as a payment option at your store’s checkout
• Selecting PayNow generates a QR code on screen
• Scanning the QR code with your Singapore banking app opens a PayNow payment screen showing your store name
• Completing payment returns you to the order confirmation page
• The order status updates to “paid” in your gateway dashboard
• The order status updates in your ecommerce platform (Shopify orders, WooCommerce orders)
• Your gateway’s webhook log shows the payment event fired

If the order stays pending after a successful PayNow scan: Your webhook endpoint is not receiving calls from the gateway. Check that your webhook URL is publicly accessible (not a localhost URL), correctly entered in the gateway dashboard, and that your server is responding with HTTP 200. HitPay and Stripe both log webhook attempts in their dashboards — check the delivery log to see the exact error.

Refund test (optional): Process a refund on your test order and confirm it updates in both your gateway dashboard and ecommerce platform. Per Stripe’s documentation, refunds take 2-7 business days to return to the customer’s bank. HitPay processes refunds through the originating bank on a similar timeline.

Step 8: Go Live and Track Your First Settlement

With your test passing, your PayNow integration is ready for real orders.

Settlement monitoring checklist for your first week:

• First real PayNow order appears in your gateway transaction log with the correct amount
• Settlement arrives in your business bank account within the gateway’s published timeframe (next business day for HitPay; T+1 + payout schedule for Stripe)
• Gross PayNow revenue minus gateway fees equals the net deposit in your bank account
• Bank statement description matches the gateway name so you can reconcile easily

Settlement math example (50 PayNow orders/month, S$150 AOV, S$7,500 gross):

• HitPay: 50 × S$1.275 = S$63.75 in fees (0.65% × S$150 + S$0.30 per transaction)
• Stripe: 50 × S$1.20 = S$60.00 in fees (0.8% × S$150)

At S$150 AOV, Stripe costs less. At S$200 AOV, both cost the same. Above S$200 AOV, HitPay is cheaper. Both gateways export monthly transaction CSVs that import into Xero and QuickBooks.

For a broader comparison of Singapore payment gateways — including Shopify Payments, Checkout.com, and Adyen — see our best payment gateway for ecommerce in Singapore guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does PayNow work with Shopify Payments in Singapore?

No. Shopify Payments Singapore does not support PayNow. To accept PayNow at checkout, you need a third-party gateway — HitPay or Stripe. Both integrate directly with Shopify via official apps and add PayNow alongside card payments. See our Shopify Payments Singapore guide for what Shopify Payments does and does not support in Singapore.

What are the PayNow transaction limits for Singapore ecommerce merchants?

Limits are set by each customer’s bank, not your gateway. Most Singapore banks cap individual PayNow transactions between S$1,000 and S$200,000 depending on account type, per bank policy and MAS guidelines. For typical ecommerce orders this is not a practical constraint. Your gateway may also set initial account limits — confirm with HitPay or Stripe after approval.

How long does PayNow settlement take?

Settlement is determined by your gateway, not PayNow itself. HitPay settles PayNow payments next business day, including weekends. Stripe settles on a T+1 basis — funds reach your Stripe balance the day after the transaction, then pay out according to your payout schedule (default: automatic daily). Both are faster than card payments, which typically take 3-5 business days.

Can international customers pay with PayNow?

No. PayNow requires a Singapore bank account or qualifying e-wallet. International customers cannot use it. HitPay and Stripe both handle international Visa, Mastercard, and Amex alongside PayNow in one integration — no separate gateway needed. International card fees: HitPay 3.65% + S$0.50; Stripe 3.4% + 1.5% cross-border surcharge + S$0.50.

Is PayNow free for merchants to accept?

No subscription or bank origination fee applies to receiving PayNow payments — costs come from your gateway. HitPay charges 0.65% + S$0.30 per PayNow transaction (hitpayapp.com/sg/pricing). Stripe charges 0.8%, capped at S$5.00 (stripe.com/en-sg/pricing, verified June 2026). Neither charges setup or monthly fees. Both are cheaper than card processing.

Keep Reading

• Best Payment Gateway for Ecommerce in Singapore
• Stripe Singapore Fees: Complete Breakdown
• Shopify Payments Singapore: Fee Breakdown by Plan
• Best Payment Gateway Ecommerce — Full Hub