In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
A licensed moneylender may advertise only in business or consumer directories, on its own website, and in or on its approved premises. SEO on your own site is allowed, but paid search ads, social media promotion, and marketing by SMS, WhatsApp or email are banned.
Where licensed moneylenders are allowed to advertise
The rules come from the Registrar's Directions on Advertising and Marketing Activities of Licensed Moneylenders, issued by the Registry of Moneylenders under the Moneylenders Act 2008. Paragraph 2 lists the only permitted channels, and paragraph 4 says anything not listed is also not permitted.
| Channel | Allowed? | Condition or note |
|---|---|---|
| Your own website | Yes | Must belong to the licensee; no gambling keyword stuffing |
| Business or consumer directories (print or online) | Yes | Only under moneylender, moneylending or financial services categories; not on the directory's main page |
| Inside or on the exterior of the approved premises | Yes | Not on walkways, parapets or nearby beyond the immediate exterior |
| SEO for your website | Yes | Expressly permitted in a footnote to the Directions |
| Paid search or sponsored links | No | Includes paid links on any web page; a paid Google listing is not treated as a directory |
| Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube promotion | No | General borrowing information without promotion is allowed |
| SMS, WhatsApp, WeChat or email marketing | No | Messages to existing borrowers about their outstanding loans are allowed |
| Cold calls and street marketing agents | No | Soliciting loans outside the approved premises is banned |
The Registry's own borrower FAQ tells the public that any loan advert arriving by flyer, SMS or email is either from a licensee breaking the rules or from an unlicensed moneylender, and asks them to report it. In other words, the public is being taught to distrust exactly the channels you are not allowed to use.
What your moneylender website must show (and must not)
Paragraphs 5 to 10 of the Directions apply to every advertisement, and your website counts as one. Required information must be in conspicuous text, not fine print.
Must show
- The business name exactly as stated in the licence
- Only the approved business address, if an address is shown
- Only approved landline numbers, if a phone number is shown
- Approved officeholders or employees, if a contact person is named
- Fees and qualifying criteria next to any discounted rate or special offer
Must not show
- Mobile numbers or unapproved landlines, including WhatsApp numbers
- Claims that cannot be verified, or that understate the cost of borrowing
- Anything aimed at work permit holders, domestic workers or low-income earners
- Any suggestion to borrow for gambling or gambling debts
- Requests for Singpass user IDs or passwords
- Claims of approval by any government agency other than the licence
Annex A of the Directions gives a concrete example: a message such as 'Foreign domestic workers are welcome' on the website or shopfront is not permitted. Footnote 8 also makes the licensee responsible for any material put up by an agent, even if it never names the business.
Scammers using your licence name
Unlicensed lenders and scammers often copy a real licensee's name, logo and address onto fake websites, WhatsApp profiles and social media ads, because the borrower checking the list of licensed moneylenders will find a real match. Since you are not allowed to advertise on social media at all, any 'you' on Facebook or WhatsApp promoting loans is a red flag you can point borrowers to.
State your channels on your website
Add a short notice: we do not advertise on social media, SMS or WhatsApp, and our only phone numbers are the landlines listed here.
Monitor for copies
Search your business name regularly, check Meta's Ad Library for ads using it, and watch for lookalike domains.
Report fake ads and pages
Use the platform's impersonation report form. Our guide to fake social media ads impersonating your business walks through it.
Tell the authorities
The Registry's FAQ asks the public to report loan SMS to the police through I-Witness. Report impersonation to the Registry too, so it is on record.
Take down lookalike domains
A copied site on a similar domain can be reported to the registrar and host. See our lookalike domain takedown guide.
Security and PDPA for moneylender websites
A moneylender website handles highly sensitive personal data: NRIC numbers, income documents, bank details. That raises both the Protection Obligation under the PDPA and the damage a hacked site can do. A defaced or compromised site is also an advertising problem, because attackers commonly inject gambling links and pages, which is exactly the content paragraph 3(a) prohibits.
Website security and data checklist
If something does go wrong, our website hacked guide covers the first hour, and our privacy policy and cookie consent guide covers the notice you need.
Do it yourself or get help?
The rules are short enough to apply yourself: read the Directions once, then check every page, button and contact detail against paragraphs 5 to 10. The penalty for getting it wrong is serious. Paragraph 12 notes that breaching the Directions is an offence with a fine of up to S$20,000 and may lead to revocation of the licence, and false or misleading advertising carries up to S$20,000, six months' jail, or both.
If you want help, a Business Website (S$1,490) can be built without WhatsApp widgets or mobile numbers, using only the details you give us from your licence. Website Security Hardening (S$290) covers updates, a firewall, admin 2FA and backups, and the PDPA Compliance Pack (S$690) provides the privacy policy and breach plan. We build to your instructions; for a ruling on any specific wording, ask the Registry of Moneylenders.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The Registrar's Directions list internet websites belonging to the licensee as one of only three permitted advertising channels, together with business or consumer directories and materials at the approved place of business. The website must still meet the content rules, such as showing the licensed business name and only approved landline numbers.
No. The Directions ban paid-for internet links on search results pages or any other web page, and ban advertising and marketing materials on social media and video sites for promoting the moneylending business. Search engine optimisation of your own website is expressly allowed.
Marketing by SMS, WhatsApp, WeChat or email to the public or to current or past customers is banned. The Directions do allow a licensee to message existing customers about their outstanding loans. Mobile numbers must not appear in any advertisement, including the website.
The business name as stated in the licence, in conspicuous text. If an address, phone number or contact person is shown, it must be the approved address, the approved landline numbers and an approved officeholder or employee. Discounted rates or special offers must also state any non-default fees and the qualifying criteria.
Screenshot it, report it to the platform as impersonation, and inform the Registry of Moneylenders. Add a notice on your website listing your only official channels and landlines. Fake loan offers by SMS or messaging app can also be reported to the Singapore Police Force through I-Witness.