In this guide · 8 sections
- 01Three ways to get paid: link, invoice button or PayNow QR
- 02Payment link fees in Singapore (Stripe and HitPay)
- 03PayNow QR on your UEN: free but manual
- 04Pay now buttons in Xero and reconciliation
- 05Invoice fraud: edited PDFs and fake bank-change emails
- 06Which option suits which business
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
Use a PayNow UEN QR on invoices if you want zero fees and can match payments yourself, an invoice Pay button (Xero with Stripe) for automatic reconciliation, or a payment link for one-off charges by WhatsApp or email. Always tell clients your bank details never change by email.
Payment link fees in Singapore (Stripe and HitPay)
Stripe describes Payment Links as a way to accept payments online without writing code: create a link and share it in emails, on social media or your website. Standard Stripe fees apply. HitPay charges its normal payment fees plus a 0.2% software fee for payment links (HitPay pricing).
| Payment method | Stripe | HitPay (payment link) |
|---|---|---|
| PayNow | 1.3% | 0.65% + S$0.30 from S$100; 0.9% (min S$0.20) under S$100; plus 0.2% |
| Domestic cards | 3.4% + S$0.50 | 2.8% + S$0.50, plus 0.2% |
| International cards | 3.4% + S$0.50, plus 0.5% (and 2% if converting currency) | 3.65% + S$0.50, plus 0.2% (and 2% on foreign currency) |
| Monthly fee | None | None |
Check Stripe's Singapore pricing on the day you sign up, as rates change. Our HitPay vs Stripe comparison works through the fees on typical amounts, payouts and which suits subscriptions.
PayNow QR on your UEN: free but manual
PayNow Corporate lets a business receive transfers to its UEN. Your bank can give you a QR code to print on invoices or quotes. Our guide to accepting PayNow on your website covers registration through your bank.
Register your UEN for PayNow with your bank
Done once in business internet banking. Use the account where you want customer payments to land.
Download the QR from your bank
Some banks let you generate a QR with a fixed amount and reference; a plain UEN QR leaves the customer to type both.
Add the QR and instructions to your invoice template
Show the UEN, your registered business name, the invoice number to use as reference, and the amount.
Ask customers to check the payee name
Before they confirm, their banking app shows the registered name linked to your UEN. Tell them it must match your business name.
Match payments weekly
Use your accounting software's bank feed to match incoming PayNow transfers to open invoices by amount and reference.
ABS's April 2026 PayNow release notes that businesses receiving PayNow through their UEN cannot use nicknames or change their registered account names, which is what makes the payee-name check worth asking for.
Invoice fraud: edited PDFs and fake bank-change emails
Making payment easy also makes it easy to redirect. The common trick in Singapore is not hacking the bank but changing the payment details your client sees.
Protect your invoices
Scammers also edit genuine PDF invoices, swapping the QR code or bank account before forwarding them. A link to an invoice hosted in Xero or QuickBooks is harder to tamper with than a PDF attachment.
Which option suits which business
Match the method to how often you invoice and who pays you.
| Business | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Freelancer, 5-10 invoices a month, local clients | PayNow UEN QR on invoice | No fees; matching is manageable |
| Agency or consultancy invoicing from Xero | Xero with Stripe Pay button, plus PayNow QR | Auto reconciliation; clients choose card or transfer |
| Home business taking deposits by WhatsApp | Payment link | Send in seconds, receipt sent automatically |
| Tuition centre with monthly fees | Recurring billing or invoice reminders | Links for one-offs; subscriptions for regular fees |
Do it yourself or get help?
Adding a PayNow QR to an invoice template and creating a Stripe payment link are both DIY tasks for most owners. Connecting the gateway to your accounting software so payments, fees and payouts reconcile cleanly is where time disappears.
Our Online Payment Setup (S$290) sets up Stripe or HitPay with payment links and PayNow. Xero / QuickBooks Integration (S$390) connects payments to your invoices and bank feed so reconciliation runs itself. For current fee detail, see our Stripe fees guide.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Once your UEN is registered for PayNow Corporate with your bank, you can download a QR code and add it to your invoice template, along with your UEN, registered business name and the invoice number to use as a payment reference. There is no gateway fee, but you need to match each transfer to its invoice yourself or through your accounting bank feed.
Stripe charges its standard fees on payments made through Payment Links, with no monthly fee. As of October 2026 its Singapore pricing lists 3.4% plus S$0.50 for domestic cards and 1.3% for PayNow, before GST. HitPay's payment links cost its normal payment fees plus a 0.2% software fee. Check both pricing pages before you choose.
Generally yes, if the link is from your own Stripe or HitPay account and the customer expects it. Scammers also send fake payment links, so tell customers which domain your links use, send them from your known business number, and never ask customers to log in to their bank through a link. Customers should see your business name on the checkout page.
State on every invoice that your bank details and PayNow UEN never change by email, and ask clients to verify any change by phone. Protect your invoicing mailbox with MFA, set up DMARC so your domain cannot be spoofed, and send invoices as links from your accounting system rather than editable PDFs where possible.
Largely. When a customer pays through the Stripe button on a Xero invoice, the payment is recorded against that invoice. You still reconcile the Stripe payout, which arrives net of fees, against your bank feed and record the fees as an expense. That is much less work than matching manual bank transfers one by one.