How to Sell Online in Singapore Without a Physical Store

Register your business first

Before taking money online, register with ACRA. This gives you a UEN — needed to open a business bank account, accept PayNow, and apply for grants. Registration as a sole proprietorship costs SGD 115. See our ACRA guide for the full process.

Choose where to sell

Three main options: your own website, marketplaces like Shopee and Carousell, or both. Marketplaces give instant access to buyers but charge commission and you do not own the customer relationship. Your own website builds a brand and costs less per sale long-term. Ideal approach: use marketplaces for early sales while building your own site in parallel.

Set up your own online store

Your store needs a clean product catalogue with good photos, clear pricing and delivery information, and PayNow and GrabPay as payment options. Singapore customers expect these. Card-only checkouts lose a meaningful share of local buyers. Make sure checkout is mobile-optimised — most Singapore shoppers buy on phones.

Sort out delivery

Popular options: Ninja Van and J&T Express for next-day, Lalamove and Grab Express for same-day. SingPost is reliable and affordable for smaller items. Many home-based sellers offer self-collection initially to keep costs down while building early relationships with customers.

Get your first customers

Instagram and TikTok are the most effective channels for Singapore product businesses starting out. Post 3 to 5 times per week. Use local hashtags: #sgbusiness, #sgsmallbusiness, #shoplocal, and neighbourhood tags like #tampinesfinds. Authentic content showing your process consistently outperforms polished ads at this stage.

Handle taxes correctly

Online sales are taxable income and must be declared to IRAS. Keep records of every sale and expense from day one. Below SGD 1 million turnover, you do not need to charge GST. Above that threshold, registration becomes mandatory.