Every question, in one place

How do I accept WeChat Pay or Alipay in Singapore?

Through a licensed acquirer — you do not contract with the wallets yourself. Uniweb Pay enables WeChat Pay and Alipay+ on your merchant account, on the same Sunmi P3 terminal or checkout page as your cards.

How do I get started?

Three steps: sign up, upload your documents, go live once they are approved — days rather than weeks. Online applications are currently unavailable; email [email protected] and we will take it from there.

What do I need to apply?

Business registration and the usual KYC and KYB documents a licensed institution has to collect. It is a document upload and review, not a self-serve instant signup.

How long until I can take payments?

Days rather than weeks, once documents are in and approved. We do not publish a guaranteed figure.

Which payment methods can I take?

Eleven in all: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay, Diners Club and Discover; Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay+ and WeChat Pay; and Dynamic PayNow — a QR generated per sale, carrying the amount, with a payment-success notification. The same set in store, online and in-app.

What is the terminal?

The Sunmi P3. It takes contactless, chip and insert, magnetic stripe and QR wallets, prints thermal receipts, and runs on 4G or Wi-Fi. Search any transaction on it, then void or refund it there.

When do I get paid?

Settlement runs in T+1 batches, in Singapore dollars. The merchant portal shows every batch with its fees, and daily statements are available as PDF.

Is Uniweb Pay regulated?

Yes — a Major Payment Institution under the Payment Services Act 2019, MAS Licence No. PS20200612. That is the higher of the two licence tiers, and it is verifiable in MAS’s own Financial Institutions Directory.

Who is Uniweb Pay not for?

Settlement is SGD only, so a business needing USD, EUR or GBP should look elsewhere. It is merchant-side and Singapore-based: not a wallet, not a bank account, and consumers cannot sign up.

What does it cost?

Rates are quoted per merchant rather than published. If you need a public card-not-present rate card to compare before speaking to anyone, other Singapore providers publish theirs and we do not.

Who do I talk to?

Call or WhatsApp +65 8385 3698 — the same number for both, answered in English or Chinese. By email: [email protected] for merchant support and [email protected] for reconciliation. Existing merchants sign in at merchant.uniwebpay.com.

What is Alipay+, and how is it different from Alipay?

Alipay+ is Alipay’s cross-border gateway. Enabling it once reaches mainland Alipay users and a set of partner wallets from other Asian markets, so a single enablement covers more shoppers than mainland Alipay alone. On your account it is one payment method, settled like the rest.

Which Chinese and regional payment methods can I accept?

Alipay+, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay as both a card scheme and a QR rail. They sit on the same merchant account as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club and Discover, so a shopper who reaches for a Chinese wallet and one who reaches for a card are the same sale to you.

Does the customer scan me, or do I scan the customer?

Both work. The shopper can scan a QR the terminal displays, or you can scan the payment code on their phone with the terminal. Alipay+, WeChat Pay and Dynamic PayNow all support both directions on the Sunmi P3.

A tourist pays from a Chinese wallet. What do I actually receive?

Singapore dollars, in the same T+1 batch as your card takings. Wallet sales are not a separate payout and not a separate account — they appear in the same merchant portal and on the same daily statement.

Do wallet payments need a second device at the counter?

No. Cards, wallets and Dynamic PayNow all run on one Sunmi P3. That is the practical difference from stitching a card terminal to a separate wallet arrangement: one device, one account, one reconciliation.

Can I take UnionPay cards as well as UnionPay QR?

Yes, both. UnionPay is one of the six card schemes on the account — tap, insert or swipe at the terminal — and UnionPay QR is supported as a scan.

How do I refund a wallet payment?

On the terminal. Search the transaction on the Sunmi P3 and void or refund it there, the same way you would a card sale — you do not raise a request and wait for someone to process it.

How do wallet sales show up in my reporting?

The merchant portal shows the split by payment method against your GMV trend, so you can see what share of takings came from Alipay+, WeChat Pay or UnionPay. Transactions filter by method or by outlet and export to Excel.

What is the difference between an acquirer, a gateway and a PSP?

The acquirer is the licensed institution that holds your merchant account, accepts the payment on your behalf and settles the money to you. A gateway is the technical route a card-not-present transaction takes to reach one. "PSP" is used loosely for either. Uniweb Pay is the acquirer — the licence is ours, not resold.

What should I check before signing with any Singapore provider?

Four things. That they hold a Payment Services Act licence and which tier — look them up in MAS’s own Financial Institutions Directory rather than taking the website’s word. Which methods are on one account rather than bolted on. When money actually lands, and in which currency. And who answers when something breaks.

How do I choose between the Singapore acquirers?

Start from your customers, not from the rate card. A café serving mostly locals is a different brief from a Bugis retailer where a third of the queue is paying by Chinese wallet. Match the provider to the methods your queue actually reaches for, then compare settlement speed, currency and support — the rate matters, but it is the thing you can negotiate.

What actually makes Uniweb Pay different?

Chinese and regional wallet coverage under a Singapore licence, on the same account and the same device as full card acceptance and Dynamic PayNow. Alipay+, WeChat Pay and UnionPay are what this company was built around, not a tile added late to a card product.

How long has Uniweb Pay been doing this?

Since 2015. It was the first overseas acquirer for Alipay in Singapore, and it is today one of the largest acquirers of Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay in the market, serving over 6,000 merchants. The MAS licence is verifiable in the regulator’s own register.

Where is Uniweb Pay not the right choice?

If you need settlement in USD, EUR or GBP, we settle SGD only. If you trade outside Singapore, the licence and the acquiring are Singapore-based. If you want a published rate card to compare before talking to anyone, other providers publish theirs. And if you want instant self-serve signup, a licensed institution cannot offer one.

Do I need different providers for in-store, online and in-app?

Not with us. One merchant account covers all three, they settle into the same SGD payout, and they appear in the same portal and the same statement. Stitching a terminal vendor to a separate online gateway is the arrangement this replaces.

Can I run Uniweb Pay alongside the provider I already use?

Yes — merchants commonly add wallet acceptance alongside an existing card arrangement and move the rest over later once they have seen the reporting. Talk to us about which order makes sense for your outlets: +65 8385 3698, or [email protected].

What is the best payment gateway in Singapore?

There is no verified public ranking of Singapore payment providers, so any answer naming one "best" has invented it. The answerable question is which of five briefs you have — a local counter, online-first, multi-currency, enterprise volume, or Chinese and regional wallets — because different providers win different ones.

In context: The best payment gateway in Singapore is the wrong question

Do I need a payment gateway or an acquirer?

Most merchants searching for a gateway need an acquirer. A gateway carries the payment data; an acquirer holds your merchant account, accepts the payment and settles the money to you. Ask who holds the licence and who pays you.

In context: The best payment gateway in Singapore is the wrong question

How do I check whether a provider is genuinely licensed?

Search the MAS Financial Institutions Directory at eservices.mas.gov.sg/fid. It lists which licence a company holds — Standard or Major Payment Institution — and which activities are in scope. Merchant acquiring has to be named in that scope.

In context: The best payment gateway in Singapore is the wrong question

Why will nobody publish a rate?

Because it depends on your card mix, ticket size, volume and whether cards are locally or foreign issued, none of which a provider knows before underwriting. Some Singapore providers do publish indicative rate cards; Uniweb Pay quotes per merchant and does not.

In context: The best payment gateway in Singapore is the wrong question

Which providers do Singapore merchants usually shortlist?

Across the different shapes: Stripe and Checkout.com for online-first, Adyen for enterprise volume, Airwallex for multi-currency, and HitPay, 2C2P, Xendit, FOMO Pay, Silkpay and Uniweb Pay among Singapore-focused providers. What each currently offers is for their own site and the MAS register to say.

In context: The best payment gateway in Singapore is the wrong question

When is Uniweb Pay the wrong choice?

If you want to compare published rate cards before speaking to anyone, if you need multi-currency settlement, if you trade outside Singapore or are not a Singapore-registered entity, or if you want instant self-serve signup. Those are briefs other providers serve better.

In context: The best payment gateway in Singapore is the wrong question

Can I accept WeChat Pay in Singapore without a Chinese business entity?

Yes. You accept it as a Singapore merchant, through a Singapore-licensed acquirer, and you are settled in Singapore dollars. No mainland entity, mainland bank account or mainland registration is involved.

In context: How to accept WeChat Pay and Alipay in Singapore

Do I need a separate terminal for Alipay and WeChat Pay?

Not with a smart terminal. A Sunmi P3 takes contactless, chip and insert, magnetic stripe and QR wallets on one device, so cards, Alipay+, WeChat Pay and Dynamic PayNow all run through the same unit on the same merchant account.

In context: How to accept WeChat Pay and Alipay in Singapore

What is the difference between Alipay and Alipay+?

Alipay+ is Alipay’s cross-border gateway. Enabling it reaches mainland Alipay users and a set of partner wallets from other Asian markets, so one enablement covers more shoppers than mainland Alipay alone.

In context: How to accept WeChat Pay and Alipay in Singapore

If a tourist pays in their own currency, what do I receive?

Singapore dollars. With Uniweb Pay the sale settles in the same T+1 batch as your card takings, into the same account, and appears on the same daily statement.

In context: How to accept WeChat Pay and Alipay in Singapore

How do I refund a WeChat Pay or Alipay sale?

On the terminal. Search the transaction on the Sunmi P3 and void or refund it there, the same way you would a card sale — you do not raise a request and wait for someone else to process it.

In context: How to accept WeChat Pay and Alipay in Singapore

How long does it take to get set up?

Days rather than weeks once your documents are in and approved. It is a document upload and review rather than an instant signup, because that is what a licensed institution has to do. We do not publish a guaranteed figure.

In context: How to accept WeChat Pay and Alipay in Singapore

Who is the best payment acquirer in Singapore?

No verified independent ranking exists, so any answer naming a single "best" provider is quoting a marketing page. The answerable question is which provider covers the payment methods your customers use, settles in the currency and on the cycle you need, and holds a Payment Services Act licence with merchant acquisition in scope.

In context: How to choose a payment acquirer in Singapore

Who should a Singapore merchant use for in-store card and wallet acceptance?

It depends on the queue. For mostly local card and PayNow volume, a Singapore all-rounder with published pricing is usually the fastest route. Where a meaningful share of customers pay by Alipay, WeChat Pay or UnionPay, a specialist acquirer in those wallets — Uniweb Pay is one — puts them on the same account and device as the cards instead of alongside.

In context: How to choose a payment acquirer in Singapore

What is the difference between MPI and SPI in Singapore?

They are the two licence tiers under the Payment Services Act 2019. Major Payment Institution is the higher tier and carries heavier obligations; Standard Payment Institution is the lower. Both appear in the MAS Financial Institutions Directory, along with the activities each licensee is permitted to carry out.

In context: How to choose a payment acquirer in Singapore

Should I choose on price?

Compare on price last. Method coverage, settlement currency and cycle, licence scope and day-to-day operations are all harder to change after you sign, while the rate is the item you can renegotiate. A rate saving is also worth less than a payment method you cannot accept at all.

In context: How to choose a payment acquirer in Singapore

Can I use two providers at once?

Yes, and merchants commonly do — typically adding wallet acceptance alongside an existing card arrangement, then moving the rest across later once they have seen the reporting. The cost is a second reconciliation for as long as it runs.

In context: How to choose a payment acquirer in Singapore

What is a merchant acquirer?

The licensed institution that holds a merchant’s account, accepts card and wallet payments on the merchant’s behalf, carries the merchant-side risk, and settles the money to the merchant’s bank account. In Singapore it is a licensed activity under the Payment Services Act 2019.

In context: Acquirer, gateway, PSP: what the words actually mean

Is a payment gateway the same as an acquirer?

No. A gateway is the technical route a payment takes to reach an acquirer; it does not hold a merchant account or settle money. Many companies do both jobs, which is usually simpler for a merchant — one contract, one support line, one reconciliation.

In context: Acquirer, gateway, PSP: what the words actually mean

What is a payment facilitator, and how is it different?

A payment facilitator holds one merchant account of its own and takes payments for many businesses underneath it as sub-merchants. That is why it can onboard a merchant in minutes; the trade-off is that the merchant sits inside someone else’s account and inside their risk appetite.

In context: Acquirer, gateway, PSP: what the words actually mean

How do I tell which one a provider is?

Ask whether the licence is theirs, then check the answer in the MAS Financial Institutions Directory. A licensee’s entry names the activities it is permitted to carry out, and merchant acquisition appears there by name when it applies.

In context: Acquirer, gateway, PSP: what the words actually mean

What is the difference between static and dynamic PayNow?

A static PayNow QR is a printed code with no amount in it, so the shopper types the amount and the merchant verifies by looking at a screenshot. A dynamic PayNow QR is generated for each sale, carries the exact amount, and returns a payment-success notification to the merchant. The difference is fraud exposure and reconciliation, not appearance.

In context: Dynamic PayNow, static PayNow and SGQR: what a merchant needs to know

Is SGQR the same as PayNow?

No. SGQR is Singapore’s unified QR label — a presentation standard that lets several payment schemes share one printed square. PayNow is a payment rail. What a customer can pay with depends on the schemes behind the SGQR label, not on the label itself.

In context: Dynamic PayNow, static PayNow and SGQR: what a merchant needs to know

Does Uniweb Pay offer SGQR?

No. Uniweb Pay offers Dynamic PayNow, on the same merchant account and the same terminal as its card and wallet acceptance. If a shared national QR label is specifically what you need, other Singapore providers offer it.

In context: Dynamic PayNow, static PayNow and SGQR: what a merchant needs to know

Can I take PayNow and cards on the same device?

Yes. On a Sunmi P3, Dynamic PayNow, the six card schemes and the wallets all run through one terminal on one merchant account, and settle into the same SGD payout.

In context: Dynamic PayNow, static PayNow and SGQR: what a merchant needs to know

How do I know a QR payment actually went through?

With Dynamic PayNow the merchant gets a payment-success notification and the sale appears as a transaction record. With a static PayNow sticker there is no such signal, which is why static acceptance ends up being verified from the customer’s screen.

In context: Dynamic PayNow, static PayNow and SGQR: what a merchant needs to know

How long does merchant account approval take in Singapore?

Days rather than weeks once a complete file is submitted and approved. The timeline depends far more on document completeness than on the provider, and any guaranteed figure is a quote of the good case rather than a commitment.

In context: Getting a merchant account in Singapore: documents, timeline and what gets checked

What documents do I need for a merchant account in Singapore?

Your business registration for the registered entity, identification for beneficial owners and directors, a bank account in the registered entity’s exact name, and evidence of what the business does — a website, menu, listings or shopfront photographs.

In context: Getting a merchant account in Singapore: documents, timeline and what gets checked

Why was my merchant account application delayed?

Most delays are unresolved mismatches rather than declines: a registered business activity that does not cover what the website sells, missing identification for a controlling person, or a bank account in a name that differs from the registered entity.

In context: Getting a merchant account in Singapore: documents, timeline and what gets checked

Can I get instant approval?

Not for your own merchant account with a licensed acquirer — the KYC and KYB checks cannot be skipped. Instant onboarding generally means becoming a sub-merchant inside a payment facilitator’s account, which is a different arrangement with different trade-offs.

In context: Getting a merchant account in Singapore: documents, timeline and what gets checked

Do I need a Singapore-registered company?

For a Singapore merchant account with a Singapore-licensed acquirer, yes. Uniweb Pay serves Singapore merchants and settles in SGD only; a business trading elsewhere needs an acquirer licensed in that market.

In context: Getting a merchant account in Singapore: documents, timeline and what gets checked

What payment methods should a small business in Singapore accept?

Contactless cards (Visa and Mastercard at minimum) and PayNow cover almost every Singapore merchant. Add UnionPay, Alipay+ and WeChat Pay where Chinese and regional visitors are a meaningful share of the queue, and American Express where corporate or higher-spend customers appear.

In context: Which payment methods should a Singapore merchant accept?

Do I need to enable Apple Pay and Google Pay separately?

Generally no. They ride card rails, so a terminal that accepts contactless cards accepts them. Alipay+ and WeChat Pay are different — those are separate enablements on the merchant account, and not every provider offers them.

In context: Which payment methods should a Singapore merchant accept?

Is it worth accepting UnionPay?

Wherever Chinese customers appear, yes, and it is the one merchants most often forget. It is worth having as both a card scheme and a QR rail, because Chinese customers use both.

In context: Which payment methods should a Singapore merchant accept?

How many payment methods does Uniweb Pay support?

Eleven on one merchant account: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay, Diners Club and Discover; Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay+ and WeChat Pay; and Dynamic PayNow. The same set applies in store, online and in-app. SGQR is not offered.

In context: Which payment methods should a Singapore merchant accept?

Does accepting more methods cost more?

The real cost is usually operational rather than per-transaction: another device on the counter, another statement, another reconciliation. Methods enabled on one merchant account avoid that, which is why "does it sit on the same account" is a more useful question than "do you support it".

In context: Which payment methods should a Singapore merchant accept?

Who can enable WeChat Pay for a merchant in Singapore?

A licensed acquirer, a global payments platform, a regional gateway, or a reseller of another institution’s licence. Most support the wallet; they differ on who holds your merchant account, who sets your rate and who resolves a dispute. Check any provider in the MAS Financial Institutions Directory and confirm Merchant Acquisition is in its licensed scope.

In context: Who can enable Alipay+ and WeChat Pay for a Singapore merchant

Is it better to use an acquirer or a reseller?

Neither is wrong — it is a trade-off. With an acquirer you have one counterparty for the money, the rate and the disputes. With a reseller you may get a closer local relationship, but the rate is set behind them and "why is my settlement late" is a forwarded question. Ask which one you are signing.

In context: Who can enable Alipay+ and WeChat Pay for a Singapore merchant

What is the difference between Alipay and Alipay+ on a provider’s list?

Alipay+ is Ant International’s cross-border gateway, which it publishes as connecting more than 50 wallets and national QR schemes across 220+ markets — so one enablement reaches travellers from many markets rather than mainland Alipay users alone. Ask each provider which they mean.

In context: Who can enable Alipay+ and WeChat Pay for a Singapore merchant

Do the wallets have to be on the same account as my cards?

They do not have to be, and that is the point of asking. A wallet arrangement running alongside a card terminal settles separately, reports separately and reconciles separately — every day. On one merchant account it is one payout, one portal and one statement.

In context: Who can enable Alipay+ and WeChat Pay for a Singapore merchant

What is interchange?

The portion of a card fee that goes from the acquirer to the bank that issued the customer’s card. The card scheme sets it, not your provider, and it is the floor under any rate you can be quoted.

In context: How payment processing fees are actually built

Why is my rate different from another merchant’s?

Mostly card mix rather than negotiation: card present versus not present, debit versus consumer credit versus commercial, and whether the cards you take were issued locally or abroad.

In context: How payment processing fees are actually built

Is interchange-plus cheaper than a blended rate?

Not inherently. It is more transparent — the statement separates what went to the issuer and the scheme from what went to your provider — which lets you tell whether a change is your provider or your customers.

In context: How payment processing fees are actually built

How do I compare two providers fairly?

Compare effective rates, not headline rates: total fees divided by total gross takings for the same month, with every non-percentage line item folded in. A headline number is not comparable unless you know which pricing shape each one is quoting.

In context: How payment processing fees are actually built

Does Uniweb Pay publish its rates?

No. Rates are quoted per merchant. Several Singapore providers do publish theirs, and if comparing public rate cards before speaking to anyone is what you need, that is a genuine reason to look at them.

In context: How payment processing fees are actually built

What is a chargeback?

A cardholder disputing a transaction with the bank that issued their card. The amount is debited from the merchant’s account while it is decided, and the merchant responds with evidence through their acquirer.

In context: Chargebacks and disputes

Is a chargeback the same as a refund?

No. A refund is something the merchant chooses to give. A chargeback is initiated by the cardholder through their issuer, runs on scheme deadlines, and usually carries an administration cost on top of the disputed amount.

In context: Chargebacks and disputes

What is the best way to reduce chargebacks?

Make refunds fast and easy, make sure the name on the customer’s statement matches your shopfront, show terms and cancellation policy at the point of purchase, and put what was bought on the receipt.

In context: Chargebacks and disputes

Which businesses get the most disputes?

Those with the longest gap between payment and delivery: prepaid packages, tuition and long courses, and advance bookings. A shop where the customer leaves with the goods carries the least.

In context: Chargebacks and disputes

Does Uniweb Pay publish its chargeback fees and process?

No. Chargeback handling specifics are not published. Ask us directly if it is material to your decision, and ask other providers the same questions in writing.

In context: Chargebacks and disputes

Is PCI DSS a legal requirement in Singapore?

It is not Singapore law and MAS does not enforce it. It is a card scheme standard, and the obligation reaches a merchant through the contract with their acquirer. Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act is a separate and genuinely legal obligation.

In context: PCI DSS: what a Singapore merchant actually has to do

What decides how much PCI DSS applies to me?

Whether cardholder data ever touches systems you control. A supplied terminal and a hosted checkout page keep it out of your systems entirely, which is the smallest scope available.

In context: PCI DSS: what a Singapore merchant actually has to do

Can I take a card number over the phone?

It puts you into the largest obligation there is, and it is the single most common avoidable mistake. Send a payment link instead.

In context: PCI DSS: what a Singapore merchant actually has to do

Do I need an external audit?

Most merchants complete a self-assessment questionnaire rather than an external audit. Which one applies depends on the setup — ask your provider directly, and keep the completed questionnaire.

In context: PCI DSS: what a Singapore merchant actually has to do

Do QR wallets add to my PCI obligation?

Generally not. Alipay+, WeChat Pay, UnionPay QR and Dynamic PayNow do not involve a card number reaching the merchant at all.

In context: PCI DSS: what a Singapore merchant actually has to do

What does T+1 settlement mean?

The takings for a day settle in the batch on the following day, rather than weekly or monthly. "T" is the transaction day.

In context: Settlement and reconciliation

Why does the amount in my bank not match a day’s sales?

Because you are paid by batch, not by sale, and the batch is net of fees for that period. Refunds and chargebacks may also fall into a different batch. Reconcile against the batch, not against the day.

In context: Settlement and reconciliation

Does it matter how many bank accounts my payments land in?

More than almost anything else on the contract. Each additional account is a separate daily reconciliation, permanently — and it never appears on a rate card.

In context: Settlement and reconciliation

Does Uniweb Pay settle in currencies other than SGD?

No. Settlement is SGD only, into a Singapore bank account in the registered name of the merchant entity. There is no multi-currency settlement and no repatriation outside Singapore.

In context: Settlement and reconciliation

Do online and in-store takings settle together?

With Uniweb Pay, yes — they are on one merchant account, so they arrive in the same T+1 batch and on the same statement.

In context: Settlement and reconciliation

Can I transfer my merchant account to a new provider?

No. It is a new application with new underwriting — the same KYC and KYB documents as the first one. Approval elsewhere is not evidence for the next institution.

In context: Switching payment provider without breaking a weekend

How long does switching take?

The application itself is a document upload and review. What sets the real timeline is your existing contract’s notice period, which is why reading that clause is the first step rather than the last.

In context: Switching payment provider without breaking a weekend

Should I close the old account first?

No. Run both live for a week, route new volume to the new provider, and only give notice once the new setup has taken real transactions including a refund and a void.

In context: Switching payment provider without breaking a weekend

Will I lose my transaction history?

Usually yes, when portal access ends with the account. Export statements and transaction data before you close anything. This is the most common regret and it is entirely preventable.

In context: Switching payment provider without breaking a weekend

Is a better rate a good reason to switch?

The weakest one. Headline rates are not comparable unless you know each provider’s pricing shape and your own effective rate. Coverage, settlement terms and support are better reasons.

In context: Switching payment provider without breaking a weekend

What should a card terminal in Singapore support?

Contactless, chip and insert, and magnetic stripe on one unit, plus QR wallets in both scan directions. Magnetic stripe is worth keeping — some cards overseas visitors carry still require it.

In context: Choosing a card terminal

Do I need a separate device for wallet QR?

You should not. A smart terminal takes cards, Alipay+, WeChat Pay, UnionPay and Dynamic PayNow on one unit and one merchant account, which means one batch and one reconciliation.

In context: Choosing a card terminal

What is the most overlooked thing to test on a demo?

Whether the terminal can scan the customer’s phone as well as display a code for them to scan. Which direction happens is the customer’s choice, and a device that does only one slows a queue.

In context: Choosing a card terminal

Does the terminal work without Wi-Fi?

The Sunmi P3 runs on 4G or Wi-Fi. That matters more than it sounds, because shop Wi-Fi tends to fail on the busiest trading day rather than the quietest.

In context: Choosing a card terminal

Does Uniweb Pay publish terminal prices?

No. Terminal pricing is quoted per merchant, in line with rates generally. Which third-party POS systems acceptance can sit behind is also not published — ask directly if you have an existing POS.

In context: Choosing a card terminal

How do I check if a payment company is licensed in Singapore?

Search its legal entity name in the MAS Financial Institutions Directory, the Monetary Authority of Singapore's own public register. It is free and it shows the licence tier and the licensed activities. For merchant payment acceptance, the activity to look for is Merchant Acquisition.

In context: How to check a payment provider is actually licensed

What is the difference between an MPI and an SPI?

They are the two payment institution tiers under the Payment Services Act 2019. They are distinguished by transaction thresholds and by the obligations that attach to each, so which tier a company holds is a real piece of information about the scale it is licensed to operate at.

In context: How to check a payment provider is actually licensed

Does a MAS licence mean my money is guaranteed?

No. A licence means the institution is regulated and carries continuing obligations under the Payment Services Act, including requirements about how customer money is handled for the relevant activities. It is not deposit insurance and it is not a guarantee of service quality or of any commercial outcome.

In context: How to check a payment provider is actually licensed

The company I am talking to is not in the register. Is that a problem?

It may just be a trading name. Search the legal entity instead. If the legal entity is genuinely not there, ask whose licence the service runs under and whose name goes on your merchant agreement — resellers and aggregators are common and legitimate, but you should know which one you are signing with.

In context: How to check a payment provider is actually licensed

Is Uniweb Pay licensed?

Yes. Uniweb Pte Ltd is a Major Payment Institution under the Payment Services Act 2019, MAS Licence No. PS20200612, with Merchant Acquisition in scope — verifiable in the register. Merchants contract with Uniweb Pte Ltd directly and hold the merchant account in their own name.

In context: How to check a payment provider is actually licensed

How do I accept payments from Chinese tourists in Singapore?

Through a Singapore-licensed acquirer, which enables Alipay+, WeChat Pay and UnionPay on your merchant account. You do not contract with the wallets yourself, you are settled in Singapore dollars, and no mainland entity or bank account is involved.

In context: Taking payment from visitors to Singapore

Is Alipay+ the same as Alipay?

No. Mainland Alipay is the app a mainland Chinese customer uses. Alipay+ is the cross-border gateway that connects a merchant to a set of partner wallets, of which mainland Alipay is one — Ant International publishes that it now connects more than 50 wallets and payment schemes across 220+ markets. Ask any provider which one they mean.

In context: Taking payment from visitors to Singapore

Do I still need magnetic stripe on my terminal?

In a market with this many overseas visitors, yes. Some cards a visitor is carrying still require it, and without it the transaction cannot be completed at all. Contactless, chip and insert, and magnetic stripe on one unit is the sensible floor.

In context: Taking payment from visitors to Singapore

Does accepting tourist wallets cost more than accepting local cards?

The cost of any given sale depends on the rail and on where the card or wallet was issued — cross-border interchange is higher than domestic. Uniweb Pay quotes per merchant and does not publish rates, so the honest answer is to ask for a quote against your own expected mix rather than a headline number.

In context: Taking payment from visitors to Singapore

Can my terminal handle the GST tourist refund?

This site does not publish how or whether the GST tourist refund scheme interacts with a payment terminal. It is a separate scheme with its own operator, it does not run on the card rails, and it is worth resolving with the scheme operator rather than with an acquirer.

In context: Taking payment from visitors to Singapore

What is the difference between a void and a refund?

A void cancels a transaction before it has settled — in practice usually the same day — so it largely never completes. A refund happens after settlement and is a separate movement of money in the opposite direction. The void is cheaper and faster, which is why catching a mistake before the day closes matters.

In context: Refunds and voids: three things that are not the same

How long does a refund take to reach the customer?

It depends on the rail and, for wallets, on the wallet operator rather than on the acquirer. Uniweb Pay does not publish per-rail refund timings, so ask for them against your own method mix rather than relying on a general figure.

In context: Refunds and voids: three things that are not the same

Can I refund a card payment in cash instead?

A card refund returns to the card that was used. It is worth explaining that at the counter rather than after the fact, because a customer expecting cash is a customer who may go to their bank instead.

In context: Refunds and voids: three things that are not the same

Do I get the processing fee back when I refund a sale?

That is a term of your specific agreement, and Uniweb Pay does not publish it. It is a fair question to ask any provider before signing, and it is worth having the answer in writing.

In context: Refunds and voids: three things that are not the same

How do I avoid chargebacks?

Mostly by being easy to reach. Publish your refund policy where customers see it before buying, make sure the trading name on their statement is recognisable as your shop, and answer questions quickly. Most lost chargebacks are not fraud — they are a customer who tried the merchant first and got nowhere.

In context: Refunds and voids: three things that are not the same

What is the fake PayNow screenshot scam?

A customer shows the merchant a convincing but fabricated payment-confirmation screen for a payment never made. It works against a static QR sticker, because the sticker carries no amount and the merchant is verifying payment by looking at the customer’s phone rather than at their own system.

In context: Payment fraud: what a merchant actually controls

How do I stop it?

Use a dynamic QR rather than a printed sticker. Dynamic PayNow generates the code per sale carrying the exact amount, and the merchant gets a payment-success notification — so the confirmation comes from your own system and there is no judgement call to make at the counter.

In context: Payment fraud: what a merchant actually controls

Is contactless less secure than chip?

Both carry cryptographic authentication and both are strong. Magnetic stripe is the weakest of the three entry methods, which is why it is worth having available for a visitor whose card requires it, and not worth using when the chip works.

In context: Payment fraud: what a merchant actually controls

Does Uniweb Pay screen transactions for fraud?

Uniweb Pay does not publish fraud screening, scoring or authentication specifics, so nothing here should be read as a claim about them. It is a fair question to ask before signing, and the answer belongs in the agreement.

In context: Payment fraud: what a merchant actually controls

How do I control refunds issued by my own staff?

Not with suspicion — with design. Staff should be able to refund on the device, because a refund needing a ticket will not happen with a customer standing there, and there should be an authorisation step so refunds are attributable. Then review the transaction list filtered by outlet and device; concentration is visible there and invisible in a monthly total.

In context: Payment fraud: what a merchant actually controls

Can I take card payments at a market or bazaar in Singapore?

Yes, with a terminal that carries its own mobile data rather than relying on venue Wi-Fi. Uniweb Pay supplies a Sunmi P3, which runs on 4G or Wi-Fi, takes contactless, chip, magnetic stripe and QR wallets, and prints receipts — so a pitch needs a charged device and nothing else.

In context: Taking payment away from the counter

Do I need a separate merchant account for a pop-up?

No, and you probably do not want one. Running the pitch on your existing account means the weekend settles into the same payout and filters as an outlet in the same portal. A separate arrangement is quick to set up once and a second reconciliation every month afterwards.

In context: Taking payment away from the counter

What if there is no signal at the venue?

Test standing where you will actually stand, because coverage in a hall, basement or tent is not coverage on the street. Uniweb Pay does not publish an offline acceptance mode, so plan for a connection rather than around its absence — and if another provider offers one, ask what happens to a transaction the issuer later declines.

In context: Taking payment away from the counter

Is a static PayNow QR good enough for a stall?

It is the worst place for one. A printed sticker carries no amount, so your staff verify payment by looking at the customer’s phone — in noise, with a queue, and with no record to check afterwards. A dynamic QR carries the exact amount and notifies your own system instead.

In context: Taking payment away from the counter

How quickly do takings from a weekend event reach my bank?

With Uniweb Pay, in T+1 batches in Singapore dollars, into the same payout as the rest of the business, with each batch and its fees shown in the merchant portal and a daily statement available as PDF.

In context: Taking payment away from the counter

Should each of my shops have its own merchant account?

Only if they are genuinely different legal entities — then they are different merchants and need their own applications and their own bank accounts in their own exact names. Where the shops trade under one registered entity, one merchant account with outlets under it means one settlement, one statement and one relationship.

In context: Running payments across several outlets

Can I see sales by outlet?

With Uniweb Pay, yes: the merchant portal shows live sales and a GMV trend, the split by payment method, and every outlet in one view, with transactions filterable by outlet or by method and exportable to Excel.

In context: Running payments across several outlets

Why does the payment-method split per outlet matter?

Because it tells you which of your sites is actually seeing visitor volume, and that is usually not where the owner assumes. It decides where signage goes, which methods to enable where, and which site justifies another device — and it is invisible in a blended total.

In context: Running payments across several outlets

What happens if I use a different provider at one shop?

A second portal, a second settlement cycle, a second statement and a second reconciliation, every day. It is quick to set up once and it is the arrangement that is hardest to unwind later, because by then a process depends on it.

In context: Running payments across several outlets

Can acceptance sit behind the POS system my outlets already run?

Uniweb Pay does not publish which third-party POS systems acceptance can sit behind. For a multi-outlet operator with an existing POS estate that is the first question to ask rather than the last, and the answer belongs in writing.

In context: Running payments across several outlets

Is there GST on payment processing fees in Singapore?

That is a question about a supply made to your business, and the answer depends on your registration status and on the entity billing you — so it is one for your accountant and for IRAS, not for a payments company. What your provider can and should give you is clear documentation of what was charged, in what form, and how often, which is what your accountant needs in order to answer it.

In context: GST and card payments in Singapore

Should I record the bank credit or the gross sales as my revenue?

Gross sales — what customers were actually charged — with fees handled separately as a cost. The bank credit is a batch of transactions less deductions, so recording it as revenue understates your sales by the fees. This is the single most common bookkeeping error in card acceptance.

In context: GST and card payments in Singapore

Does GST change depending on whether the customer pays by card, QR or cash?

No. Whether you charge GST on a sale is a question about your business and its registration status, not about the payment method. How the customer paid changes your fees and your reconciliation, not your obligation on the sale.

In context: GST and card payments in Singapore

Can Uniweb Pay tell me how to handle GST?

No, and no payment provider should. We can tell you what we charge, in what form you receive the documentation, whether fees come out of settlement, and how to pull a report showing gross sales and deductions separately. What to do with that in a return is for your accountant and IRAS.

In context: GST and card payments in Singapore

What reporting should I ask for before speaking to my accountant?

One month showing gross sales, the deductions as their own figure, and enough detail to tie each bank credit to a batch. If a provider cannot produce that, the problem is the reporting rather than the tax question, and it is worth solving first.

In context: GST and card payments in Singapore

Can I add a surcharge for card payments in Singapore?

What binds you is your merchant agreement, which passes down the card schemes' rules for your market and scheme mix — so the answer is in that document and your acquirer can confirm it in one sentence. Separately from whether it is permitted, any charge has to be disclosed before the customer commits rather than appearing at the terminal, and that part is yours regardless.

In context: Card surcharges and minimum spend

Can I set a minimum spend for card payments?

It is a different question from surcharging and your agreement may treat it differently, so check both rather than assuming one answer covers them. Commercially it is also a different instrument: it does not recover the fee, it pushes small transactions elsewhere — which is fine if they go to another method and expensive if they walk out.

In context: Card surcharges and minimum spend

Does Uniweb Pay allow surcharging?

That is set by the merchant agreement rather than by a general policy, so the right answer is the one in yours — ask us and you will get it in writing. What we will also do is show you your effective rate first, because a good number of these conversations end differently once the actual cost is on the table.

In context: Card surcharges and minimum spend

Is a surcharge worth it?

Work out the effective rate before deciding. On small baskets the fixed per-transaction component usually dominates, so a percentage surcharge does not recover what merchants think it does; and cash is not the free alternative it looks like once counting, banking and shrinkage are counted. Merchants who put real numbers on both sides often decide against.

In context: Card surcharges and minimum spend

What if I already surcharge and I am not sure I am allowed to?

Ask your acquirer for your position in writing today rather than waiting for a complaint. If it turns out not to be permitted, stopping is straightforward; being told about it by a scheme or a customer complaint is not.

In context: Card surcharges and minimum spend

Can I accept card payments without a website in Singapore?

Yes. A website is not a requirement for card acceptance — you can take payment on a portable terminal when the customer is in front of you, or send them a payment link or hosted checkout page hosted by your provider. What you need is a merchant account, not a website.

In context: Taking payment when you have no website

Is it a problem to take business payments by personal PayNow transfer?

It works and it creates four problems that surface later: business and personal money mixed, no durable transaction record, no position at all if the customer disputes what they received, and no way to accept a customer who wants to pay by card. It is the first thing worth changing.

In context: Taking payment when you have no website

Is it more expensive to sell remotely than at a counter?

Yes, structurally. A remote sale is card not present, which is priced differently from card present and carries a dispute position the counter does not. That is not a provider's choice; it reflects who carries the risk when the card and the cardholder are not there.

In context: Taking payment when you have no website

Should I take card numbers over the phone?

Avoid it. Somebody reading a card number aloud and somebody else writing it down is the worst version of card-not-present for both of you, and it drags systems into PCI DSS scope that would otherwise stay out of it. Send a payment link instead — the customer enters their own card on a page your provider hosts.

In context: Taking payment when you have no website

I sell at markets some weekends and online the rest of the time. Do I need two setups?

Usually one account covering both, rather than two arrangements. What to confirm before signing is that both settle into one batch and one account — several rails settling separately is a daily reconciliation cost rather than a one-off inconvenience.

In context: Taking payment when you have no website

Do foreign cards cost more to accept in Singapore?

Yes. A card issued outside Singapore falls into a different cost band, set by the card schemes rather than by any acquirer — which is why a shop on a tourist street and an identical shop with local customers can pay visibly different amounts on the same quoted rate.

In context: Foreign cards, multi-currency and DCC

If a tourist pays with a foreign card, what currency do I get paid in?

SGD. A Singapore merchant account settles in SGD regardless of where the card was issued or what currency the customer saw. On Uniweb Pay that is SGD in T+1 batches, with every rail in the same batch. Needing to hold another currency is a banking question rather than an acquiring one.

In context: Foreign cards, multi-currency and DCC

What is dynamic currency conversion?

It is the terminal prompt that offers a foreign cardholder the choice of paying in their own currency instead of SGD, with the conversion done at the point of sale rather than later by their own bank. It is offered to merchants as a revenue share, which is worth keeping in mind when weighing it.

In context: Foreign cards, multi-currency and DCC

Should I offer DCC?

It is a business decision, not a technical one. It earns something on each converted transaction and it costs you counter speed and, sometimes, goodwill — the rate offered is frequently worse than the customer's own bank's and experienced travellers notice. If you do offer it, the customer must get a genuine choice and must be able to pay in SGD; staff choosing on their behalf is what generates complaints.

In context: Foreign cards, multi-currency and DCC

How do I find out what foreign cards are actually costing me?

Ask your provider to compute your effective rate on last month's real transactions rather than quoting you a rate. If you are on a blended rate the foreign-card component is invisible by design, so the calculation is the only way to see it.

In context: Foreign cards, multi-currency and DCC

What actually goes wrong at the till during peak season?

Four things, in roughly this order: battery not lasting a long shift, wireless degrading in a crowded mall, a card scheme or wallet that is not enabled on the account meeting a customer who has nothing else, and a staff member who has not seen a particular situation before. All four are knowable three weeks in advance.

In context: Peak season readiness at the counter

Does settlement change over Chinese New Year or a long public holiday?

The batch cut-off and the run of non-working days both affect when money lands, so a long holiday changes the timing even though nothing about the arrangement changed. Confirm your cut-off time and how the holidays fall before the period rather than during it, particularly if your suppliers want paying in the same weeks.

In context: Peak season readiness at the counter

Which payment methods should I make sure are enabled before peak?

Ask for the full list on your account by name. Amex, Diners Club and Discover, and the QR half of UnionPay are the ones most often missing — and all of them are over-represented among exactly the visitors and corporate customers who arrive at peak. Enabling one on an existing account is an account change, but it is not instant, so three weeks out is the time.

In context: Peak season readiness at the counter

How long does it take to add a scheme to an existing merchant account?

It is an account change rather than a new application, so it is much shorter than onboarding — but it is not the same day either, and it is worth starting three weeks before peak rather than the week before. Ask your provider for their current turnaround rather than assuming.

In context: Peak season readiness at the counter

What is the single most valuable thing to do before a peak week?

Brief the counter. Hardware failures are visible and get fixed; a staff member unsure what to do for ninety seconds in front of a queue is invisible, happens repeatedly, and costs more in aggregate than any single technical fault.

In context: Peak season readiness at the counter

What is the best payment terminal for a restaurant in Singapore?

The one that takes every method your queue reaches for on a single device, so staff never switch boxes mid-transaction. In practice that means contactless, chip and insert, magnetic stripe and QR wallets on one unit, with receipt printing and a mobile data fallback. Uniweb Pay supplies a Sunmi P3.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore restaurant, café or hawker stall

Can I take WeChat Pay and Alipay at a hawker stall?

Yes, through a licensed acquirer — you do not contract with the wallets yourself. What matters at a stall is that the QR is dynamic rather than a printed sticker, so the amount is carried in the code and you get a payment-success notification instead of checking a customer’s screen.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore restaurant, café or hawker stall

Do delivery-platform orders come through my card terminal?

No. Delivery platforms collect from the customer and pay you out on their own cycle net of their commission, entirely outside your merchant account. Expect to reconcile dine-in and delivery separately.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore restaurant, café or hawker stall

How quickly do I get paid?

With Uniweb Pay, in T+1 batches in Singapore dollars, with each batch and its fees shown in the merchant portal and a daily statement available as PDF. Cards, wallets and Dynamic PayNow all settle into the same payout.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore restaurant, café or hawker stall

Can a Singapore shop accept UnionPay cards?

Yes, through an acquirer that carries the scheme. It is worth enabling UnionPay as both a card scheme and a QR rail, because customers who use one commonly use the other, and UnionPay is the scheme most often missing from a Singapore retail terminal.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore shop

Can staff process a refund at the counter?

On a Sunmi P3, yes — the transaction is searched on the device and voided or refunded there, rather than raised as a request. It is worth testing this specifically on any provider demo, using a sale made earlier rather than a fresh one.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore shop

How do I see which outlet is taking wallet payments?

The merchant portal shows the payment-method split against the GMV trend with every outlet in one view, and transactions filter by outlet or method and export to Excel.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore shop

Does Uniweb Pay handle GST tourist refunds?

We do not publish anything about GST tourist refund handling, so please ask rather than assume. Guessing at it here would be worse than saying plainly that it is not documented.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore shop

How does a Singapore attraction accept payment from Chinese tour groups?

Through a licensed Singapore acquirer that carries Alipay+, WeChat Pay and UnionPay on the same merchant account as the card schemes. Both QR directions should work — the visitor scanning your terminal and your terminal scanning their phone — because at peak arrival the faster direction varies by group.

In context: Taking payment at a Singapore attraction, ticket counter or travel agency

Can advance online ticket sales and gate sales use the same merchant account?

Yes. With Uniweb Pay one account covers in-store, online and in-app, settling into a single SGD payout in T+1 batches and appearing in one portal and one statement. Splitting them across providers means reconciling twice.

In context: Taking payment at a Singapore attraction, ticket counter or travel agency

What does Alipay+ actually reach?

It is Alipay’s cross-border gateway rather than mainland Alipay alone. Ant International publishes that it connects more than 50 wallets and national QR schemes across 220+ markets, so a single enablement reaches travellers from many source markets.

In context: Taking payment at a Singapore attraction, ticket counter or travel agency

What happens if a large group booking is disputed?

Uniweb Pay does not publish a chargeback process, and this page will not invent one. It is a fair and important question for a ticketing business — ask it directly and expect a specific answer from whoever handles disputes.

In context: Taking payment at a Singapore attraction, ticket counter or travel agency

Can a Singapore salon take payment for prepaid packages by card?

Yes, but be straightforward about the model when you apply. Long delivery periods change how an acquirer underwrites and prices an account, and a provider that learns about six-month packages after go-live is where problems start.

In context: Taking payment at a Singapore salon, aesthetics clinic or wellness studio

What happens if a client disputes a package they stopped using?

Uniweb Pay does not publish a chargeback process, and this page will not invent one. For a prepaid-package business it is the most important question to ask any provider, ahead of the rate — put it directly and expect a specific answer.

In context: Taking payment at a Singapore salon, aesthetics clinic or wellness studio

Can I take a deposit online and the balance in the studio?

Yes. Those are card-not-present and card-present acceptance, and with Uniweb Pay one merchant account covers both — a hosted checkout page for the booking and the terminal in the studio, settling into the same SGD payout and appearing in the same transaction list.

In context: Taking payment at a Singapore salon, aesthetics clinic or wellness studio

Do my clients need a Singapore card to pay by WeChat Pay or Alipay?

No. Those are wallets, not cards, and a visiting or resident client pays from their own wallet while you are settled in Singapore dollars on your normal cycle.

In context: Taking payment at a Singapore salon, aesthetics clinic or wellness studio

How can a Singapore school collect tuition from parents in China?

Through a Singapore-licensed acquirer that carries Alipay+ and WeChat Pay on your merchant account, so a parent pays from the wallet they already hold and you are settled in Singapore dollars on your normal cycle. No mainland entity or bank account is required on your side.

In context: Taking tuition and agency fees in Singapore

Is a long course a problem for a merchant account?

It is not a problem, it is an underwriting fact. A twelve-month delivery period is assessed the way prepaid packages are, so state the course length, any instalment structure and your refund terms at application rather than letting them surface later.

In context: Taking tuition and agency fees in Singapore

Can Uniweb Pay settle tuition into our parent company account in China?

No. Settlement is Singapore dollars into a Singapore bank account in the registered entity’s name. Moving funds onward to a mainland account is a separate arrangement with a different provider.

In context: Taking tuition and agency fees in Singapore

Do you handle instalment plans?

Uniweb Pay accepts each payment you charge and settles it to you, which covers term-by-term billing. It is not a consumer instalment or buy-now-pay-later product, where a third party advances the money and collects from the payer — worth being precise about which you mean.

In context: Taking tuition and agency fees in Singapore

What do I need to accept payments on a Singapore online store?

A merchant account with a licensed acquirer and a checkout that carries the methods your customers use — cards and PayNow at minimum, plus Alipay+ and WeChat Pay if you sell to Chinese and regional shoppers. Uniweb Pay provides a hosted checkout page, and an SDK for payments inside your own app.

In context: Taking payment for a Singapore online store

Can online and in-person sales use the same merchant account?

Yes. With Uniweb Pay one account covers in-store, online and in-app, settling into a single SGD payout in T+1 batches and appearing in one portal with transactions filterable by channel. Splitting across providers means reconciling twice.

In context: Taking payment for a Singapore online store

Why does the application ask about my website?

Because online acceptance is card-not-present and is underwritten on what you sell and how you deliver it. A site with no contact route and no published refund terms fails a basic card-scheme expectation and is a common reason an application stalls.

In context: Taking payment for a Singapore online store

Are Chinese wallets worth enabling for an online store?

If a meaningful share of your customers are Chinese or regional shoppers, yes — Alipay+ and WeChat Pay are as relevant at an online checkout as at a counter, and they are the methods most Singapore checkouts are missing.

In context: Taking payment for a Singapore online store

Can a Chinese company take payments in Singapore without a Singapore entity?

Not through a Singapore-licensed acquirer. A merchant account requires a Singapore-registered entity and a Singapore bank account in that entity’s exact name, because the acquirer is licensed to acquire for Singapore merchants.

In context: Opening in Singapore: taking payment as a China-headquartered brand

Will the acquirer need documents from our parent company in China?

Yes. KYB follows the ownership chain, so identification and verification are needed for the people who ultimately own and control the group. Collecting beneficial-owner identification before you apply, rather than during, is the single biggest thing you control about the timeline.

In context: Opening in Singapore: taking payment as a China-headquartered brand

Can Uniweb Pay settle our Singapore takings into a mainland China account?

No. Settlement is Singapore dollars into a Singapore bank account in the registered entity’s name, in T+1 batches. Moving funds onward to a mainland account is a separate arrangement with a different provider.

In context: Opening in Singapore: taking payment as a China-headquartered brand

Is support available in Chinese?

Yes — +65 8385 3698 is answered in English or Chinese by phone or WhatsApp, and the whole site exists in Simplified Chinese. For a group whose decision-makers are in China that is a practical difference rather than a courtesy.

In context: Opening in Singapore: taking payment as a China-headquartered brand

Do bookings made through a travel platform come through my card terminal?

No. The platform collects from the guest and remits to you on its own cycle net of its commission, entirely outside your merchant account. Expect to reconcile platform revenue and direct revenue separately — that is the shape of the trade rather than a problem with any provider.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore hotel, hostel or serviced apartment

What payment methods should a Singapore hotel accept?

The card schemes plus the wallets your guests arrive with. For a property with international guests that means Alipay+, WeChat Pay and UnionPay alongside Visa, Mastercard, American Express and the phone wallets — ideally on one device, because check-out is a queue at a fixed time of day.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore hotel, hostel or serviced apartment

Can I hold a deposit on a guest’s card at check-in?

Uniweb Pay does not publish how or whether pre-authorisation and incidental holds work on its acceptance, so this site cannot answer it either way. It is the most consequential question for a property choosing an acquirer, and it is worth getting the answer in writing before signing with anyone.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore hotel, hostel or serviced apartment

How quickly do direct bookings settle?

With Uniweb Pay, in T+1 batches in Singapore dollars, with cards, wallets and Dynamic PayNow all landing in the same payout, each batch and its fees visible in the merchant portal and a daily statement available as PDF.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore hotel, hostel or serviced apartment

Do government scheme and insurance claims come through my payment terminal?

No. Those settle through their own channels on their own timetables and never touch your merchant account. Your terminal handles the patient’s own share, and your month closes against two separate sets of records — that is the shape of the trade rather than a limitation of any provider.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore clinic or medical practice

What should a clinic look for in a payment terminal?

One device that takes contactless, chip, magnetic stripe and QR wallets, prints an itemisable receipt on the spot, and lets front-desk staff issue a refund with an authorisation step. The printed receipt matters more here than in most trades because the patient uses it to claim.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore clinic or medical practice

Can acceptance work with my existing clinic management system?

Uniweb Pay does not publish which third-party practice-management or clinic systems acceptance can sit behind. For a practice with an established billing workflow it is the first question to ask any provider, and the answer should be in writing.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore clinic or medical practice

We treat overseas patients. Can we take their wallets?

Yes. Alipay+, WeChat Pay and UnionPay sit on the same merchant account and the same device as Visa, Mastercard, American Express and the phone wallets, and settle into the same SGD payout in T+1 batches.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore clinic or medical practice

Why do large card payments get declined at the counter?

Usually the issuer — the customer’s own bank — querying an unusual transaction, which is the system working as designed. Neither you nor your acquirer can overrule it; the resolution is the customer contacting their bank. Having a second rail available, such as a wallet, is what saves the sale.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore jewellery, watch or luxury shop

Do foreign cards cost more to accept?

Yes. Cross-border interchange is higher than domestic, so the same sale costs more to accept on a card issued abroad. On four-figure tickets that difference is material, which is why a rate quoted without reference to your card mix is not really a quote.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore jewellery, watch or luxury shop

Do I need UnionPay card and UnionPay QR?

For a shop serving visitors from China, yes — they are different enablements and a merchant can end up with one and not the other without anyone mentioning it. Ask explicitly whether both are enabled on the same merchant account.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore jewellery, watch or luxury shop

Can I sell over the phone and take the card details?

That is a card-not-present transaction with a different risk profile from a counter sale, and it is where losses on high-value goods usually land. Treat it as a deliberate decision with its own controls rather than as a convenience, and understand your dispute exposure first.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore jewellery, watch or luxury shop

Does the terminal handle GST tourist refunds?

This site does not publish how or whether the GST tourist refund scheme interacts with a payment terminal. It is a separate scheme with its own operator and it does not run on the card rails, so resolve it with the scheme operator rather than with an acquirer.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore jewellery, watch or luxury shop

Why do small transactions cost proportionally more to accept?

Because most fee structures carry a fixed per-transaction component alongside the percentage. At $180 that fixed part is a rounding error; at $2.30 it can be most of what you pay. It is the number to focus on if your average basket is small.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore supermarket, minimart or convenience store

How should a minimart compare two providers?

On effective rate at your real average basket: total fees divided by total gross takings for one month, with every non-percentage line item folded in. A headline percentage is not comparable unless you know how each provider treats the fixed per-transaction component.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore supermarket, minimart or convenience store

Is a static PayNow sticker fine at a till?

It carries no amount, so the customer types the figure and your cashier verifies by looking at the customer’s phone during a queue. A dynamic QR generates the code per sale with the exact amount and notifies your own system, which removes the judgement call entirely.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore supermarket, minimart or convenience store

Can I see which lane or which shop a transaction came from?

With Uniweb Pay, yes: the merchant portal shows every outlet in one view with the split by payment method, and transactions filter by outlet or by method and export to Excel.

In context: Taking payment in a Singapore supermarket, minimart or convenience store

Do I need a website to accept card payments for a professional services firm?

No. You need a merchant account. Payment can be taken through a link or hosted checkout page that your provider hosts, sent with the invoice — the client pays from the invoice and the payment arrives already matched to it.

In context: Professional services

Why does my firm keep being asked about American Express?

Because your payers are companies, and corporate cards and expense programmes skew heavily to Amex. A firm that has not enabled it is declining the method its clients' finance teams prefer — which for large single invoices is an expensive thing to do quietly.

In context: Professional services

Is it more expensive to take card payments by invoice than at a counter?

Yes, structurally. An invoice payment is card not present, which sits in a different cost band and carries a dispute position the counter does not. It is worth setting against what chasing transfers costs in unbilled admin time, which is the comparison firms usually skip.

In context: Professional services

What evidence do I need if a client disputes an invoice paid by card?

The engagement letter or signed scope, the deliverable and its date, the correspondence where the work or the invoice was accepted, and the invoice itself. Kept as a routine these take minutes; assembled after a chargeback arrives they take days, and the window does not wait.

In context: Professional services

Can my fee settlement account also hold client money?

Those are separate questions and the second is governed by your profession's rules, not by a payment provider. Keep them separate, and take the client-money answer from your professional body rather than from anyone selling you acceptance.

In context: Professional services

How should a workshop take payment when the final amount is not known?

The mechanism is usually a pre-authorisation — reserve an amount now, take the real one later — but how long a hold lasts, whether it can be increased and how it is released vary by scheme, issuer and provider setup. Get the behaviour confirmed in writing for your own configuration before designing a workflow around it. A general description is not a specification.

In context: Car workshops and automotive

Does Uniweb Pay support pre-authorisation holds?

This site does not publish how holds behave on its acceptance, and a page implying an answer would be worse than one that does not. If your business depends on holds, ask us for the behaviour on your configuration in writing — that is the answer worth having, and it is the same advice we would give about any provider.

In context: Car workshops and automotive

Is a deposit the same as a hold?

No. A hold reserves an amount without moving money. A deposit taken as an ordinary sale moves the money, settles it, and has to be refunded to return it — with everything a refund implies for timing and for your books. Both are legitimate; the mistake is not knowing which one you are doing.

In context: Car workshops and automotive

What stops a customer disputing a repair bill they say they never approved?

The signed job authorisation at drop-off, a written record of re-authorisation when the amount changed, an itemised invoice separating parts and labour, and the collection record. Kept routinely these take minutes. A verbal approval nobody wrote down is not evidence.

In context: Car workshops and automotive

Do I need a different setup for the parts counter?

Usually the same account handling a different shape of transaction: trade sales are invoiced, paid later and often on a company card, which makes them card not present. Worth setting up properly rather than defaulting to bank transfers and chasing them.

In context: Car workshops and automotive

Why are advance ticket sales treated as higher risk?

Because money is taken long before the thing it paid for is delivered, so the provider is exposed if the event does not happen. It is a recognised shape rather than a suspicion — and an organiser who explains their sales horizon during onboarding generally has a much easier time than one whose provider discovers it later.

In context: Events and ticketing

What happens if we have to cancel an event?

Speed decides the cost. A refund programme run quickly produces a spike of refunds; the same programme run slowly produces a spike of chargebacks, which is more expensive and counts against you. Have the plan and the terms written before you need them, and tell your provider early rather than letting the volume tell them.

In context: Events and ticketing

What is most likely to fail on event day?

Connectivity at the venue. A hall full of phones is the worst radio environment a terminal will meet, and it cannot be tested from your office. Test on site at the counter's actual position, and confirm any mobile fallback by disabling the primary connection and taking a real transaction.

In context: Events and ticketing

Which payment methods should we enable for an international event?

Amex, Diners Club and Discover for corporate and conference budgets; the QR half of UnionPay, Alipay+ and WeChat Pay wherever the audience includes visitors from China and the region. Ask for the full enabled list on your account by name, three weeks out rather than the week before.

In context: Events and ticketing

Does the name on the statement matter for ticket sales?

More than almost anywhere. A ticket bought months ahead is read on a statement by someone who has forgotten the purchase, and a line they cannot identify is a chargeback filed by an honest customer. Make the descriptor resemble the event, not the holding company.

In context: Events and ticketing

Why does the headline rate matter so little for a pharmacy?

Because the basket is small. On a $6 sale the fixed per-transaction component can exceed the percentage entirely, so a provider with an attractive rate and a high fixed fee can be the more expensive choice. Calculate your effective rate over a month of real transactions rather than comparing quoted rates.

In context: Pharmacies and TCM halls

Should I set a minimum spend for cards?

It is tempting at a small-basket counter and it usually costs more than it saves: the customer refused a card for a $4 item does not reliably add a fifth dollar, and some do not come back. Fix the arithmetic with your provider first — the fixed fee is the thing to negotiate, not the customer.

In context: Pharmacies and TCM halls

Do TCM halls really need UnionPay and the Chinese wallets?

More than the neighbourhood suggests. Visitors buy remedies and supplements while travelling, often urgently, and TCM halls in particular draw customers from across the region. The QR half of UnionPay is the one most often missing from an account that has the card half.

In context: Pharmacies and TCM halls

What is the fastest way to take payment at a busy counter?

Contactless for cards, and consumer-presented QR for wallets where you have the choice — the customer shows a code, your staff scan it, and the sale closes on your side rather than everyone waiting on the customer's screen. One device that handles both beats two devices that each handle one.

In context: Pharmacies and TCM halls

Does this page tell me what I can sell or dispense?

No, and it should not. What may be sold, dispensed, advertised or advised is a matter for the relevant Singapore authorities and for your own professional obligations. This page is about the counter and what it costs to take payment at it.

In context: Pharmacies and TCM halls

What is the biggest payments problem for a vehicle-based business?

Connectivity, followed by battery. The terminal passes through carparks, tunnels and terminal buildings, and it will fail in the worst of them rather than in your office. Test at the hotel carpark and the airport pickup bay you actually use, confirm any mobile fallback by disabling the primary connection, and have a rule drivers follow when it still fails.

In context: Transport, transfers and tours

Do foreign cards cost more for transfers and tours?

Yes — a card issued outside Singapore sits in a different cost band, set by the card schemes rather than by your provider. If most of your fares are visitors, ask how a quote treats foreign-issued cards before signing, because a rate quoted on a local card mix will not survive contact with your actual passengers.

In context: Transport, transfers and tours

Should I take bookings and rides on the same account?

Usually one account, but understand that they are two different transaction shapes. A booking taken by phone or message days earlier is card not present, priced differently and disputed differently from the ride itself. A payment link handles the booking half and does not require a website.

In context: Transport, transfers and tours

Which wallets and schemes should a transfer operator enable?

Alipay+, WeChat Pay and the QR half of UnionPay for regional visitors, and Amex and Diners for corporate travel — a business traveller on a company card often has no second card to offer, so a decline is a lost fare rather than a smaller one. Ask for the enabled list on your account by name.

In context: Transport, transfers and tours

Why does the statement descriptor matter so much for transfers?

Because the passenger reads it two weeks later, at home, on a card issued in another country, having taken the ride at 2am in an unfamiliar city. A line naming a company they have never heard of is one of the most likely chargebacks there is. Make it resemble the name they saw on the vehicle or the booking.

In context: Transport, transfers and tours

Do I sign up with Alipay directly?

No. A Singapore merchant enables Alipay+ through a licensed acquirer, which holds the merchant account and settles the money. There is no merchant sign-up page on Alipay for a Singapore business.

In context: Alipay and Alipay+ in Singapore

Is Alipay+ the same as Alipay?

No, and it is the most common confusion. Alipay is the wallet. Alipay+ is Alipay’s cross-border gateway, and enabling it reaches mainland Alipay users plus a set of partner wallets from other Asian markets.

In context: Alipay and Alipay+ in Singapore

Do I need a separate terminal for Alipay+?

Not on a smart terminal. With Uniweb Pay, Alipay+ runs on the same Sunmi P3 as cards and Dynamic PayNow, on the same merchant account, settling into the same SGD payment.

In context: Alipay and Alipay+ in Singapore

What currency am I paid in?

Singapore dollars, in the same T+1 batch as your card takings. Uniweb Pay settles in SGD only and does not offer multi-currency settlement.

In context: Alipay and Alipay+ in Singapore

Does enabling Alipay+ also enable WeChat Pay?

No. They are separate enablements, though they sit on the same merchant account and the same device. UnionPay is separate again, and worth enabling as both a card and a QR rail.

In context: Alipay and Alipay+ in Singapore

Can I sign up for WeChat Pay directly as a Singapore business?

No. You enable it through a licensed acquirer that holds your merchant account. WeChat does not onboard Singapore shops individually.

In context: WeChat Pay in Singapore

If I enable Alipay+, do I also get WeChat Pay?

No. They are separate enablements on the same merchant account. Enabling one and not the other is the most common and most expensive half-measure.

In context: WeChat Pay in Singapore

Do I need a Chinese business entity or a Chinese bank account?

No. A Singapore merchant is enabled as a Singapore merchant and settled in SGD into a Singapore bank account. Uniweb Pay does not settle to mainland accounts.

In context: WeChat Pay in Singapore

Does WeChat Pay work if the customer has no Chinese bank card?

That depends on the customer’s own wallet setup and funding source, which is between them and WeChat. From the merchant’s side the acceptance is the same either way.

In context: WeChat Pay in Singapore

Is it the same device as my card terminal?

On a smart terminal, yes. With Uniweb Pay, WeChat Pay runs on the same Sunmi P3 as cards, Alipay+ and Dynamic PayNow.

In context: WeChat Pay in Singapore

Is UnionPay a card or a QR code?

Both. It is a card scheme and a QR rail under one brand, and they are two separate enablements on a merchant account. Enabling only the card is the most common gap.

In context: UnionPay in Singapore

I already accept "all cards" — am I covered for UnionPay?

For the card side, probably. For the QR side, often not. Ask your provider explicitly whether UnionPay QR is enabled as a rail, because "all cards" does not include it.

In context: UnionPay in Singapore

Do I need UnionPay if I already take Alipay+ and WeChat Pay?

They do not overlap as much as they appear to. The customer paying by UnionPay card is frequently not the customer who would have opened a wallet app — an older visitor or a business traveller, for instance.

In context: UnionPay in Singapore

Is magnetic stripe still worth having?

Yes. Some cards a visitor is carrying still require it, and the Sunmi P3 supports it on the same unit as contactless and chip.

In context: UnionPay in Singapore

How does it settle?

Singapore dollars, T+1, in the same batch and on the same statement as the rest of the account. Both the card and the QR side.

In context: UnionPay in Singapore

What is the difference between PayNow and Dynamic PayNow?

PayNow is the underlying transfer rail. Dynamic PayNow is merchant acceptance on it: a QR generated per sale carrying the exact amount, with a success notification back to the merchant.

In context: Dynamic PayNow

Is Dynamic PayNow the same as SGQR?

No. SGQR is Singapore’s shared national QR label — a labelling standard that combines multiple schemes into one printed code. Uniweb Pay offers Dynamic PayNow and does not offer SGQR.

In context: Dynamic PayNow

Can the customer still enter the wrong amount?

No. The amount is generated with the sale and carried in the code, so there is nothing for the customer to type.

In context: Dynamic PayNow

Do I need a separate device for it?

No. On a Sunmi P3 it runs on the same terminal and the same merchant account as cards and wallets, and settles into the same SGD batch.

In context: Dynamic PayNow

Does it work for an online checkout as well as a counter?

Yes. The same rail is available on a hosted checkout page, so in-person and online sit on one merchant account.

In context: Dynamic PayNow

How many card schemes are there in Singapore?

Six that a merchant meets: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay, Diners Club and Discover. Uniweb Pay enables all six on one merchant account.

In context: Card acceptance in Singapore

Should I accept American Express?

Wherever you have business customers or high average tickets. The cardholder frequently has no second card with them, so a decline at the counter is the sale rather than an inconvenience.

In context: Card acceptance in Singapore

Why does my rate differ from someone else’s?

Mostly card present versus not present, then card type — debit, consumer credit, commercial — and whether the card was issued locally or abroad. Interchange, set by the scheme, is the floor under all of it.

In context: Card acceptance in Singapore

Do you publish your rates?

No. Uniweb Pay quotes per merchant. Several Singapore providers do publish theirs, and if comparing public rate cards before speaking to anyone is what you need, that is a genuine reason to look at them.

In context: Card acceptance in Singapore

Is magnetic stripe still needed?

Yes, often enough to matter. Some cards a visitor is carrying still require it, and the Sunmi P3 supports it alongside contactless and chip on the same unit.

In context: Card acceptance in Singapore

Do I need to enable Apple Pay separately?

No. Apple Pay and Google Pay present a card over contactless, so a terminal that accepts contactless cards accepts them. There is no separate enablement on the merchant account.

In context: Apple Pay and Google Pay in Singapore

Then why are Alipay+ and WeChat Pay different?

Because they are their own payment rails rather than a card in a different wrapper. Each is a separate enablement on the merchant account, and enabling one does not enable the other.

In context: Apple Pay and Google Pay in Singapore

How do they settle?

Exactly as the underlying card does — same batch, same statement, same cycle. From the settlement’s point of view it is a card transaction.

In context: Apple Pay and Google Pay in Singapore

What should I check instead?

That contactless is enabled and working on every terminal in the shop, including spares and second tills. A tap that does nothing is a customer who quietly reaches for a card, and nobody reports it.

In context: Apple Pay and Google Pay in Singapore

How many methods does Uniweb Pay accept in total?

Eleven on one merchant account: six card schemes, four wallets — Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay+ and WeChat Pay — and Dynamic PayNow, in store, online and in-app.

In context: Apple Pay and Google Pay in Singapore

Does Uniweb Pay accept American Express?

Yes. Amex is one of the six card schemes accepted alongside Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, Diners Club and Discover, on the same merchant account and the same terminal. Rates are quoted per merchant and not published.

In context: American Express in Singapore

Is Amex more expensive to accept than Visa or Mastercard?

Amex is priced as its own line rather than being folded into a card rate, which is a consequence of how the network is structured rather than a negotiating position. What it costs any particular merchant is quoted per merchant, so the useful question is what it does to your effective rate across your actual card mix — not what the headline number is.

In context: American Express in Singapore

Can I accept Visa and Mastercard but not Amex?

Yes — Amex is a separate enablement, and plenty of Singapore merchants make exactly that choice. It is worth making it on evidence rather than on the rate alone: if your customers are paying with corporate cards or your average sale is large, the transactions you decline are likely to be the ones you would least want to.

In context: American Express in Singapore

Do I need a separate terminal or a separate account for Amex?

No. It arrives on the same terminal, authorises the same way, appears in the same batch and settles into the same account as every other card.

In context: American Express in Singapore

What about an Amex card in Apple Pay or Google Pay?

That is an Amex card presented over contactless. If your terminal takes contactless and the account is enabled for Amex, it works with no additional setup — Apple Pay and Google Pay are not a separate method to switch on.

In context: American Express in Singapore

Does Uniweb Pay accept Diners Club and Discover?

Yes. Both are among the six card schemes accepted alongside Visa, Mastercard, American Express and UnionPay, on the same merchant account and the same terminal.

In context: Diners Club and Discover in Singapore

Can I enable Discover without Diners Club, or the other way round?

In practice no — the two networks are linked and a merchant enabled for one is normally enabled for the other. Treat it as a single yes-or-no on your account.

In context: Diners Club and Discover in Singapore

Is it worth enabling for a small shop?

It depends entirely on who walks in. If your customers are local and paying from a personal debit card or a wallet, you may go years without seeing one. If you serve corporate customers, international visitors, hotels or restaurant trade, the transactions you would decline are disproportionately large and the cardholder often has no alternative card to offer.

In context: Diners Club and Discover in Singapore

How do I find out whether my current account has them?

Ask your provider to list the schemes enabled on your merchant account by name. It is a one-line answer. A month of settlement reporting also shows it, but only if somebody happened to present one.

In context: Diners Club and Discover in Singapore

Is "QR payment" one thing I can enable?

No. In Singapore it covers a bank transfer rail (PayNow), several separate wallet rails (Alipay+, WeChat Pay, UnionPay QR) and a label standard that combines codes onto one sticker (SGQR). Each rail is its own enablement, so "we take QR" is not an answer to what a counter can actually accept.

In context: QR payments in Singapore

What is the difference between merchant-presented and consumer-presented QR?

Direction. Merchant-presented means you display a code and the customer scans it, which needs something facing the customer. Consumer-presented means the customer shows a code and your staff scan it, which needs a scanner and closes the sale on your side rather than waiting on their screen. Busy counters usually prefer the second, and most businesses taking several wallets end up needing both.

In context: QR payments in Singapore

If I have PayNow, do I have Alipay and WeChat Pay?

No. PayNow is a transfer rail between Singapore bank accounts and has nothing to do with the wallet rails. Alipay+, WeChat Pay and UnionPay QR are three further separate enablements, and having one of them says nothing about the other two.

In context: QR payments in Singapore

Does Uniweb Pay offer SGQR?

No. SGQR is a display standard for combining codes onto one label, and Uniweb Pay does not offer it. What it does offer is Dynamic PayNow — a code generated per sale carrying the exact amount, with a payment-success notification — alongside Alipay+, WeChat Pay and UnionPay QR on one account.

In context: QR payments in Singapore

Do QR payments settle separately from cards?

That depends on the provider and it is worth asking directly, because it is a daily cost rather than a one-off inconvenience. On Uniweb Pay the QR rails settle in SGD in the same T+1 batch as cards, on one merchant account.

In context: QR payments in Singapore