How to Start an E-commerce Website in Singapore

Short answer: register the business with ACRA, pick a platform that fits your catalogue size, set up cards and PayNow, write the delivery and returns pages before launch, and budget S$2,500 to S$6,000 for the first year of a small store. GST registration is only required once taxable turnover passes S$1 million. A store can be live in 30 days if the products and photos are ready.

Online sales were 13.1% of Singapore retail sales in August 2025, on total retail sales of S$4.3 billion, according to SingStat's monthly retail release. Figures below were checked 18 October 2026.

What do ACRA and IRAS require before you sell?

Two registrations matter at the start, and one tax threshold matters later.

• Business registration. Trading under any name other than your own full name requires registration with ACRA. For a sole proprietorship or partnership, ACRA's fee page, updated 6 February 2026, lists S$15 for the business name and S$100 for registration, with S$30 a year to renew. Incorporating a private limited company costs S$15 for the name and S$300 for incorporation, per ACRA.
• Which structure. A sole proprietorship is cheaper and faster. A company separates personal assets from the store's debts.
• GST. IRAS's registration page/gst-registration-deregistration/do-i-need-to-register-for-gst) sets compulsory registration at taxable turnover above S$1 million in the past calendar year, or an expected S$1 million in the next 12 months. Below the threshold, registration is voluntary.
• Licences by product. Food, health supplements, cosmetics, alcohol and tobacco each have their own agency rules. Check GoBusiness for the product category before listing it.

Which platform should the store run on?

The choice is between a hosted platform with a monthly fee, open-source software you host, and a custom store with no platform fee. Published prices on 18 October 2026:

Three questions decide it:

• How many products, and how often do they change? Hundreds with daily stock changes points to Shopify. Dozens points to custom.
• Who manages the store? A team that lives in an admin panel wants Shopify. An owner who adds a product a month does not need one.
• What is the 3-year cost? Shopify Basic is S$1,404 over 3 years on monthly billing before apps. A custom store has no platform line. cense's e-commerce cost guide runs the full comparison.

The Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison covers the two hosted and self-hosted options in more depth.

Which payment methods do Singapore buyers expect?

Cards, PayNow and one wallet cover most checkouts. Published rates on 18 October 2026:

What to take from the table:

• PayNow is the cheapest method and the one local buyers reach for on a phone. Put it first on the payment page.
• Cards are required for international buyers and for anyone paying on a desktop.
• Wallets and BNPL cost more per order. Add them when the average order carries the fee.
• Monthly fees are zero on Stripe and HitPay; fees are per transaction.

cense's guide to payment gateways for Singapore websites compares providers in detail.

What should the delivery and returns pages say?

Buyers read these pages before the first order. Write them before launch.

• Delivery page. Courier used, delivery days per zone, cut-off time for same-day dispatch, fee per order and the threshold for free delivery, self-collection address and hours. State what happens to a failed delivery.
• Returns page. Return window, condition required, who pays return shipping, how refunds are issued and how long they take.
• The Lemon Law. Under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, a defect that appears within 6 months of delivery is presumed to have existed at delivery unless the retailer proves otherwise. The retailer must repair or replace within a reasonable time; if that fails, the buyer may ask for a price reduction or a refund. A notice saying "no refunds under any circumstances" does not remove these rights, per the MTI advisory. Write the returns page to match.
• Shipping tools. The Easyship Shopify app is free for 50 shipments a month and US$29 a month for 500. Ninja Van and J&T connect through their own apps.
• Privacy notice. Required once the store collects a name, address and phone number. Order data stays in your own database.

What does a launch budget look like?

First-year figures for a small store, from the published prices above:

A first year of S$2,500 to S$6,000 covers most stores under 100 products. cense's comparison of an own store against Shopee and Lazada sets out marketplace fees.

30-day launch plan

• Days 1 to 3. Register with ACRA, buy the domain, open the Stripe or HitPay account in the business name, create the Google Business Profile.
• Days 4 to 7. Write the product list in a spreadsheet: name, price, variants, stock, weight, description, category. Shoot photos.
• Days 8 to 10. Write the delivery, returns, privacy and terms pages. Decide delivery fees and the free-delivery threshold.
• Days 11 to 21. Build. cense delivers a first draft 14 days after one call; on Shopify, pick a theme, load products and set shipping zones.
• Days 22 to 25. Test orders: PayNow, card, failed payment, refund, order email, courier label.
• Days 26 to 28. GA4 and Search Console, Product schema on every product page, sitemap submitted.
• Days 29 to 30. Soft launch to a WhatsApp list of 20 people. Fix what they report. Open.

What cense does

cense builds e-commerce websites in Singapore with product pages written for search, Stripe with PayNow and cards or Shopify when the catalogue needs it, and orders landing in the client's own database. Website from S$2,000, quoted in full after one call, with the domain, code and data in the client's name. See e-commerce website design.