In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
Every pawnshop advert, including your website, must conspicuously show the trading name in your licence, must not be false or misleading or encourage pawning to gamble, and may list only your registered business landlines. Jewellery sales need the Registrar's approval.
Which rules apply to a pawnshop website?
Pawnbrokers in Singapore are licensed by the Registry of Pawnbrokers under the Pawnbrokers Act 2015 and Pawnbrokers Rules 2015. On top of those, the Registrar attaches conditions to every licence. The current Registrar's Conditions of Pawnbroker's Licence, in force from 19 February 2024, include a section on advertising and marketing that applies 'regardless of its format (e.g. TV, print, audio, online)', and to material issued through a third-party agent or vendor.
| Area | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Adverts and website | Trading name as in licence, stated conspicuously | Licence condition 11(a) |
| Content | No false or misleading information; no inducement to pawn to gamble or pay gambling debts | Licence condition 11(b) |
| Contact numbers | Only your own business landline numbers registered with a licensed telco | Licence condition 11(b)(iii) |
| Systems | All pawnbroking operations computerised | Licence condition 3 |
| Jewellery sales | Registrar's approval before second-hand or new jewellery sales in the pawnshop | Licence conditions 8 and 9 |
| Separate dealing company | Registration and AML duties under the PSPM Act | MinLaw ACD |
Unlike licensed moneylenders, pawnbrokers do not have a short list of permitted advertising channels in these conditions. Our moneylender website guide shows how much stricter that regime is, which matters if you run both businesses.
What a pawnbroker's website must show
Treat every page, post and ad as an advertisement under condition 11.
Do
- Show the trading name exactly as in the licence, prominently, on every page
- List outlet addresses that match your licensed places of business
- Use only your registered business landline numbers
- Explain loan terms, redemption and auctions accurately
- Keep rates and promotions current, with conditions stated
Do not
- Show mobile numbers or WhatsApp numbers as contact numbers
- Promise 'highest valuation' or similar claims you cannot back up
- Suggest pawning to fund gambling or clear gambling debts
- Let an agency run ads under a different brand name
- Leave expired promotions on the site
Check your licence details against the Registry's list of licensed pawnbrokers before launch. Customers do the same, and a mismatch in name or address looks like a scam.
Selling forfeited jewellery: approvals and set-up
Many pawnshops sell unredeemed items or new jewellery from the same premises. The licence conditions treat these as separate businesses that need the Registrar's approval first.
- Forfeited pledges only (condition 8.2): separate inventory and counters from pawnbroking, no credit to help customers buy, and records proving each item was bought at auction or forfeited.
- General second-hand dealing (condition 8.3): run by a separate legal entity with separate accounts, with clear signage, and its adverts must not suggest it offers pawnbroking. Anyone selling an item to it gets a written notice that the transaction is a sale, not a pawn.
- New jewellery (condition 9): a separate legal entity from the pawnbroker, with separate inventory, and clear separation from second-hand items where both are sold.
Those conditions are written around sales 'within the pawnshop premises'. They do not describe online checkout. Before you take payment online for forfeited items, ask the Registry in writing how the conditions apply, and keep the reply.
PSPM rules for a jewellery company
The Precious Stones and Precious Metals (Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing) Act, run by MinLaw's Anti-Money Laundering / Countering the Financing of Terrorism Division (ACD), covers jewellers and second-hand goods dealers. ACD's regulatory regime page states that pawnbrokers are not regulated dealers, because they already have AML duties under the Pawnbrokers Act 2015.
A separate jewellery or second-hand dealing company is a different matter. It is usually a regulated dealer that must register with the Registrar of Regulated Dealers. ACD lists penalties of up to S$75,000 and three years' jail for dealing without registration or exemption.
PSPM checklist for the dealing company
The thresholds and filing deadline come from ACD's transaction-based requirements page, last updated May 2026. For the general question of which licences online sellers need, see our licence to sell online guide.
Catalogue or full online store?
For most pawnshops, a catalogue that shows available items and invites customers to view them in store is the lower-risk starting point. A full checkout adds payment, delivery and AML questions.
Catalogue website
Simpler- Photos, weight, purity and price with 'view in store' or enquiry button
- Payment and ID checks happen at the counter
- Fewer open questions with the Registry
Best for: Pawnshops testing online demand.
Online store with checkout
More set-up- Card or PayNow payment and delivery or collection
- Usually run by the separate dealing company
- Needs written confirmation from the Registry and PSPM processes
Best for: Groups with an approved jewellery company and steady stock.
If you do go to checkout, our Shopify store cost guide covers platform and payment fees. Keep the store under the dealing company's own name so it never looks like a pawnbroking service.
Do it yourself or get help?
A small pawnshop site is straightforward to build yourself if you check every page against condition 11 and keep stock listings current. Where it gets harder is separating the pawnbroking and dealing brands cleanly online, and building a catalogue that stays accurate as items sell.
IT Sorted's Business Website (S$1,490) builds up to six pages using only the licence details you give us, without mobile-number widgets. For an approved dealing company, a Shopify Store (S$1,890) sets up up to 30 products, payments and policies in the company's own account. We build to your instructions; regulatory questions belong with the Registry of Pawnbrokers and ACD.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The Registrar's Conditions of Pawnbroker's Licence apply to advertisements in any format, including online. Ads must conspicuously state the trading name in the licence, must not be false or misleading or encourage pawning to gamble, and may show only the pawnbroker's own registered business landline numbers.
The licence conditions say advertisements must not state any contact number other than the pawnbroker's own business landline numbers registered with a licensed telecommunications company. A WhatsApp button linked to a mobile number would conflict with that, so check with the Registry of Pawnbrokers before using one.
Selling unredeemed pledges needs the Registrar's approval, with separate inventory, counters and records. The conditions are written for sales within the pawnshop premises and do not describe online checkout, so get written guidance from the Registry before taking online payments.
No. MinLaw's ACD states that pawnbrokers are not regulated dealers because they already have anti-money-laundering duties under the Pawnbrokers Act 2015. A separate jewellery or second-hand dealing company is usually a regulated dealer that must register and meet PSPM duties.
Regulated dealers must carry out customer due diligence when prescribed, and file a Cash Transaction Report through SONAR within 15 business days for designated transactions where cash or cash equivalents above S$20,000 are received. Copies of filed reports must be kept for five years.