In this guide · 8 sections
- 01Why a PayNow screenshot proves nothing
- 02How to confirm a PayNow payment properly
- 03Make it automatic: gateway PayNow for online orders
- 04Common fake payment tricks sellers face
- 05Staff rules for counters, pick-ups and delivery
- 06If you were caught by a fake payment
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
Never release goods on a screenshot. Check the payment in your own bank app or payment gateway before handing over. PayNow is instant, so a genuine payment appears within moments. For online orders, use gateway PayNow with automatic confirmation so an order is only marked paid when the money arrives.
Why a PayNow screenshot proves nothing
Anyone can edit the amount, name or time on a screenshot with free apps, or reuse a real confirmation from an old payment to someone else. The Singapore Police Force has described scammers sending "forged screenshots showing funds being transferred" to the victim's bank account as part of a scam targeting painting companies. The same trick works on any seller.
| What the buyer shows | What may really be happening |
|---|---|
| "Transfer successful" screen | Edited image, or a transfer to a different account |
| Correct amount and your name | Your name copied from an earlier genuine payment |
| A scheduled or future-dated transfer | Money not sent yet, and can be cancelled |
| An email "from the bank" confirming payment | Spoofed email; banks don't confirm payments to the seller this way |
| "It's processing, takes 1 to 2 days" | PayNow is instant; a delay claim is a red flag |
The ABS PayNow page describes PayNow as an instant transfer service available 24/7, 365 days a year. If the money is not in your account a minute after the buyer says they paid, it has not arrived.
How to confirm a PayNow payment properly
Make one person responsible for confirming payments, and give them a quick way to check.
Turn on incoming-payment notifications
Most bank apps can send a push notification or SMS for incoming PayNow transfers. Turn it on for the business account and the phone that the counter or packer uses.
Check the transaction in the bank app, not the chat
Open your own bank app or internet banking and look for the credit with the right amount, time and sender name. Ignore anything the buyer forwards.
Match a reference
Ask buyers to put the order number in the PayNow reference, or use a dynamic QR that includes it. This stops one genuine payment being claimed for two orders.
Release goods only after it shows
No credit in the account, no handover. Polite and firm: "Our system confirms payments automatically; I'll release it as soon as it shows."
Record it
Mark the order as paid with the bank reference, so nobody else releases the same order twice.
For a business, receiving PayNow to your UEN through PayNow Corporate also shows customers your registered business name, which reduces confusion about who they are paying. Our guide to PayNow UEN QR and business display names explains the set-up and the June 2026 nickname change.
Make it automatic: gateway PayNow for online orders
The best defence is to remove the screenshot step entirely. When customers pay through a payment gateway such as Stripe or HitPay, each order gets a dynamic PayNow QR with the exact amount. The gateway confirms the payment and your website or shop system marks the order as paid by itself.
Static UEN QR plus screenshot
- Free to receive
- Manual check for every order
- Easy to fake or reuse confirmations
- Reconciliation by hand
Best for: Very low volume, face-to-face sales with a bank app check.
Gateway PayNow (dynamic QR)
Safer- Order marked paid only when money arrives
- Amount and order reference built in
- Small fee per transaction
- Feeds into Xero or your store system
Best for: Any online store or business taking more than a few orders a week.
Our guide to accepting PayNow on your website compares gateway fees and set-up. Gateway fees are usually small compared with one lost parcel.
Common fake payment tricks sellers face
- The overpayment refund: the buyer sends a screenshot showing S$500 instead of S$50 and asks you to refund the difference. There was no S$500. Refund only after checking the full amount is in your account, and only to the original sender.
- The rushed pick-up: a buyer or "driver" arrives, shows a screenshot and pushes to collect before you can check, often during a busy period.
- The proxy buyer: someone else "pays on behalf" and the screenshot shows a different sender name. The real account holder may later report the transfer as a scam and the money can be frozen or reversed.
- The fake bank email or SMS: a message styled as your bank confirming an incoming payment. Banks show credits in your account, not by emailing sellers.
- Courier or platform impersonation: a link to "receive payment" or "verify your account" that asks for your banking details. No genuine buyer needs you to log in anywhere to pay you.
Our guide to courier impersonation scams targeting online sellers covers the link-based versions.
Staff rules for counters, pick-ups and delivery
Most fake-screenshot losses happen when a staff member feels pressure to be helpful. A written rule takes the decision off them.
Payment confirmation rules
If you were caught by a fake payment
ScamShield's I have been scammed page lists the steps: contact your bank immediately, file a police report online or at a Neighbourhood Police Centre, secure your accounts, and report to the platform administrators. For a seller, that means:
- Your bank: call its anti-scam hotline if you sent any refund, so it can try to stop or trace the transfer.
- Police: file a report online with the screenshots, chat history, phone number and any delivery details.
- The platform: report the buyer on Carousell, Facebook Marketplace or wherever they contacted you.
- Unsure if it is a scam? Call the ScamShield Helpline on 1799.
Do it yourself or get help?
Turning on bank notifications and writing a one-page staff rule takes an hour, and stops most fake-screenshot losses on its own.
If you sell online or take regular PayNow orders, automatic confirmation is worth setting up. Our Online Payment Setup (S$290) sets up Stripe or HitPay in your business's name with PayNow, cards and Apple Pay or Google Pay, adds checkout or payment links to your website, and tests it end to end. Gateway transaction fees are charged by the provider.
Frequently asked questions
PayNow transfers are instant and available 24/7, according to the Association of Banks in Singapore. A genuine payment normally shows in the recipient's bank account within moments. If a buyer says a PayNow payment is processing and will arrive in a day or two, treat it as a warning sign.
PayNow has no card-style chargeback, but if the money came from someone else's account without their consent, the account holder can report it and an investigation may tie up the funds. That is why you should be careful with payments from a sender whose name does not match the buyer. Check the sender before releasing high-value items.
Yes, for confirming payments. A dynamic QR from a payment gateway carries the exact amount and order reference, and the gateway marks the order as paid only when the money arrives. A static UEN QR is fine for receiving money, but you must check every payment in your bank app yourself.
Keep it short and neutral: our system confirms payments automatically, and we release orders as soon as the payment shows. It usually takes a minute. A genuine buyer waits; a scammer often leaves. Make sure staff know they will never be blamed for following the rule.
If you lost goods or money, file a police report online with the screenshots, chat history and contact details, and call your bank's anti-scam hotline if you sent any refund. Report the buyer to the selling platform. If you are not sure whether it is a scam, call the ScamShield Helpline on 1799.