Shopify design and development for brands in Singapore

What do Singaporean shoppers expect from an online store?

Singaporean shoppers expect a fast mobile checkout, the wallets and bank transfers they already use, prices shown in Singapore dollars with GST included, and quick, trackable delivery. A store built only for cards and US-style shipping will feel imported.

Singapore is also a launchpad. Many brands start here and then sell into Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, so the store should be built for more than one market from day one.

Which payment methods can a Singapore Shopify store offer?

Shopify Payments is available to businesses in Singapore and covers cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Shop Pay. PayNow and most buy now, pay later options are not part of Shopify Payments, so they come from third-party payment providers.

With Shopify Payments, Singapore stores accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and UnionPay, plus accelerated checkouts. GrabPay is listed as a Shopify Payments local method for customers in Singapore paying in SGD, but it is in early access, so it may not appear in your admin yet.

For PayNow, the QR bank transfer most Singaporeans use daily, you need a separate provider. Local gateways such as HitPay list PayNow, GrabPay, ShopeePay and BNPL options on a single Shopify connection. BNPL brands such as Atome also offer their own Shopify apps. Our take: run Shopify Payments for cards and wallets, and add one well-supported local gateway for PayNow rather than stacking several. Check whether Shopify's third-party transaction fee applies on your plan.

How do GST and the Overseas Vendor Registration regime work?

Singapore GST is 9%. Local businesses must register once taxable turnover exceeds S$1 million in 12 months, and GST-registered businesses must show GST-inclusive prices, including on their website.

If you sell into Singapore from abroad, the Overseas Vendor Registration (OVR) regime has applied to imported low-value goods since January 1, 2023. Low-value goods are non-dutiable items valued at S$400 or less and shipped into Singapore by air or post. An overseas seller must register and charge GST at checkout if its global turnover exceeds S$1 million and its B2C sales of low-value goods and remote services to Singapore exceed S$100,000.

On Shopify, we set GST in your tax settings and show GST-inclusive prices if you are registered. Your accountant confirms registration status; we make the store reflect it.

How does shipping work for a Singapore Shopify store?

Shopify's discounted Shopify Shipping labels are not offered in Singapore, so delivery runs through carrier apps or a third-party logistics provider.

Singapore Post, Ninja Van and courier services are common choices, and Ninja Van publishes its own Shopify app for creating delivery orders and printing airway bills from the admin. Because the island is small, shoppers are used to quick local delivery, so clear cut-off times, delivery estimates on the product page and tracking emails matter.

How do you sell across Southeast Asia with Shopify Markets?

Shopify Markets lets one store serve several countries, each with its own currency, language, domain or subfolder, and price list. That suits a Singapore brand expanding into the region without running separate stores.

• Currencies. Show MYR, IDR, THB, PHP or VND with automatic conversion and rounding, or set fixed local prices per market.
• Languages. Add translations such as Simplified Chinese, Malay, Thai, Vietnamese or Indonesian, assigned to the markets that need them.
• Domains. Use subfolders like /en-my/ or separate country domains so search engines index each market.
• Catalogs. Hide products you can't ship or sell in a given country.

Payment methods and import tax rules differ by country, so we plan each market's checkout separately. Our guide to Shopify Markets covers the setup.

What does the PDPA mean for your store?

The Personal Data Protection Act requires consent and a clear purpose before you collect personal data, a designated Data Protection Officer with public contact details, and notification to the PDPC within 3 calendar days of assessing a breach as notifiable.

In practice: newsletter and SMS opt-ins that are clearly worded, a privacy policy naming your DPO contact, and care with SMS or call marketing to Singapore numbers registered on the Do Not Call Registry. Your legal advisor owns the wording; we build the forms and consent flows so they match it.

How do we work with brands in Singapore?

We're a remote-first studio with a presence in Barcelona and no office in Singapore; we work with Singaporean brands remotely. We work asynchronously by email and Basecamp and schedule calls within your working hours.

1. Discovery call. Book a slot at silverarc.youcanbook.me.
2. Written proposal with scope and timeline.
3. Design questionnaire, then a first Figma design in under a week, with up to 3 revision rounds.
4. Development in your own Shopify account: payments, GST settings, shipping apps and markets.
5. Launch and handover. You own the store, theme, domain and data.

Shopify services for Singapore brands

• Shopify store design: a custom Figma design built mobile-first.
• Shopify development: theme builds, payment and shipping integrations, multi-market setup.
• Shopify migration from WooCommerce, Magento or other platforms.
• Shopify B2B for distributors and wholesale buyers across the region.
• Shopify SEO and CRO for regional search and checkout conversion.

Ready to talk about your store? Get in touch.