Travel Agency Websites in Singapore: STB Licence and Payments

Do you need an STB travel agent licence?

If you sell, arrange or advertise tours, or sell travel and accommodation together, you very likely need one. STB's Travel Agent Licence page (updated 10 December 2025) says operating as a travel agent without a valid licence is an offence under the Travel Agents Act 1975, and suggests independent legal advice if you are unsure.

Licensed agents appear in the Travel Agent Directory on TRUST, which customers can check. Your website should make that check easy by showing the exact licence number.

What the Travel Agents Regulations require on your website

Regulation 19 of the Travel Agents Regulations 2017 covers advertisements. In the version in force from 1 January 2025, it says a licensee must include, in every advertisement relating to its supply of a travel product: the licensee's name, its licence number, and its contact information as notified to STB. It also says a licensee must not publish an advertisement it knows or ought to know is false or misleading, or that is inaccurate.

Regulation 20 requires the same name and licence number on every contract document for a travel product, which for a website means booking confirmations, invoices and terms you send.

Package pages: inclusions, exclusions and prices

Because inaccurate advertisements are prohibited, package pages need more care than a typical product page. A customer should never have to guess what the price includes.

Consumer protection law also applies. The Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act treats misleading customers about a material fact as an unfair practice, which reinforces the same discipline.

Deposits, card payments and chargeback exposure

Travel is unusual for online payments: customers pay weeks or months before the service, and the amounts are large. If a trip is cancelled, disrupted or disputed, a card payment can be challenged long after you have paid suppliers.

1. 1

   Show deposit and cancellation terms before payment

   State the deposit amount, when the balance is due, and the cancellation charges by date, on the package page and at checkout. Ask customers to tick that they have read them.

2. 2

   Take the balance closer to departure

   Collecting the balance nearer the date reduces how much is exposed if plans change, and matches when you pay most suppliers.

3. 3

   Keep evidence for every booking

   Booking confirmations, accepted terms, itineraries sent, and supplier confirmations. These are what you submit if a card payment is disputed.

4. 4

   Offer PayNow for local customers

   PayNow payments are not subject to card chargebacks, though refunds and complaints still follow your terms and consumer law.

5. 5

   Use clear descriptors

   Make sure your business name on card statements matches what customers know, so they do not dispute a charge they do not recognise.

Stripe's documentation explains disputes and evidence in detail, and our Stripe dispute and chargeback guide walks through responding to one. To compare fees across providers, see our payment gateway comparison.

Passport data and the PDPA

Travel agencies collect some of the most sensitive data a small business handles: passport numbers, dates of birth, sometimes visa documents and health information. The PDPA applies to all of it.

• Collect only when needed. Ask for passport details when a booking requires them, not on the first enquiry form.
• Use a secure upload, not email. Passport scans in email threads are copied to every device and are hard to delete. A secure form or booking system is better.
• Limit who can see it. Only staff handling that booking should have access.
• Delete on a schedule. Keep passport copies only as long as the booking and any legal record-keeping need, then delete them.
• Check suppliers. Airlines, hotels and ground handlers receive the data too; share only what each one needs.

A breach involving passport numbers may have to be notified to PDPC and to the people affected. That makes the cost of getting this wrong much higher than the cost of a proper upload form.

Booking engines, enquiry forms and what the site needs

Many small agencies do not need full online booking. An enquiry form that captures dates, group size and interests, plus fast replies, often works better for tailored packages. Fixed-departure tours with set prices are where online deposits make sense.

Whatever you choose, plan for these features: package pages that are easy to update when suppliers change, a bilingual option if you serve Chinese- or Malay-speaking customers, a WhatsApp button, an enquiry or booking form with consent wording, and a payment link or checkout for deposits. Our guide to website costs in Singapore shows how these features affect the budget.

Do it yourself or get help?

Adding your licence number to the footer, booking confirmations and social profiles is a five-minute job you should do today. Reviewing package pages for accuracy is a regular task for whoever updates tours.

For a new site, our Website Pro (S$2,990) includes up to 12 pages plus a blog, two languages, enquiry or booking forms with email alerts, and a PDPA cookie and privacy notice. For deposits by card and PayNow, Online Payment Setup (S$290) sets up Stripe or HitPay in your name with checkout buttons and reusable payment links. Licensing questions go to STB; legal questions on your terms go to a lawyer.