# PayNow QR in Singapore: proxies, UEN codes and the SGQR sticker

> PayNow is Singapore's instant transfer service, run by the Association of Banks in Singapore with MAS oversight. A PayNow QR addresses a proxy (mobile number, NRIC/FIN or a company's UEN), while SGQR combines PayNow and other payment schemes into the single unified sticker seen at most counters.

Source: https://useqr.app/docs/payments/paynow-qr-singapore · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, no signup.

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## The system

PayNow is Singapore's instant account-to-account transfer service, operated by the
**Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS)** with Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
oversight, riding the FAST instant-transfer rail. Like its regional siblings
[PromptPay](/docs/payments/promptpay-qr-thailand) and
[DuitNow](/docs/payments/duitnow-qr-malaysia), it addresses accounts by registered proxy:

| Proxy | Who |
|---|---|
| Mobile number | Individuals |
| NRIC/FIN | Individuals |
| UEN (Unique Entity Number) | Businesses and organisations |
| Virtual payment address | Issued by some banks for sub-accounts |

A PayNow QR encodes that proxy in an [EMVCo merchant-presented
payload](/docs/payments/emvco-merchant-presented-qr) with optional amount and a reference
field, ending in the usual [CRC16](/glossary/crc16). The payer's app resolves the proxy,
displays the registered name, and asks for confirmation, the name check being, as on every
merchant-presented scheme, the payer's one real fraud defence.

## SGQR: the unified sticker

Singapore's distinctive contribution is **SGQR**, launched in 2018 and described by MAS as
the world's first unified payment QR label. Before it, Singaporean counters had the
sticker-per-scheme clutter every fragmented QR market develops. SGQR replaced them with
**one label containing multiple schemes' payloads in a single EMVCo code**: PayNow in one
merchant-account template, other participating schemes in theirs. The payer's app scans the
one code and picks out the template it understands.

That is a different unification strategy from Indonesia's
[QRIS](/docs/payments/qris-indonesia): QRIS mandated one *scheme format* for everyone;
SGQR kept the schemes separate but merged their *presentation* into one code. Both killed
the sticker clutter; QRIS went further by making every app pay every code, where SGQR still
requires your app to support at least one scheme on the label. The
[EMVCo template mechanism](/docs/payments/emvco-merchant-presented-qr) (ids 26–51 each
holding an independent scheme block) is what makes the SGQR approach possible at all.

## UEN codes on invoices

The corporate proxy deserves its own mention. Registering a company's **UEN** as a PayNow
proxy means any customer can pay the company knowing only its public registration number,
and a PayNow QR carrying the UEN plus an invoice reference makes a Singaporean
[invoice](/docs/payments/qr-code-for-invoices) payable in one scan, with the reference
flowing through for reconciliation. B2B use of PayNow-by-UEN is routine in Singapore in a
way corporate QR payment still is not in most markets.

## Cross-border links

PayNow pioneered instant-system linkage: **PayNow–PromptPay** with Thailand (2021) was the
world's first such bilateral connection, and a **UPI–PayNow** linkage with India followed in
2023, alongside connections with Malaysia's DuitNow. Participating users pay across borders
from their home apps with the operators handling conversion. As ever: participation varies
by bank and direction: check your own app, and test small.

## Practicalities

Individuals generate their PayNow QR inside their banking app; businesses get SGQR labels
through their acquirer. Deployment follows the universal
[payment-QR rules](/docs/payments/qr-payment-standards-compared): **≥ 4–5 cm** at counter
distance, intact [quiet zone](/glossary/quiet-zone), trading name printed large to match the
confirmation screen. Decoding your own label with [/validate](/validate) is a reasonable
audit. You will see exactly which schemes your SGQR sticker carries.

## FAQ

### What is the difference between PayNow and SGQR?
PayNow is a payment scheme, instant transfers addressed by proxy. SGQR is a label standard
that packs PayNow and other schemes' payloads into one printed code. The sticker on a
Singaporean counter is usually an SGQR label containing PayNow among others.

### What proxies does PayNow support?
A mobile number or NRIC/FIN for individuals, and the UEN for businesses. The payer's app
displays the registered name for confirmation before any money moves.

### Can foreigners use PayNow QR codes?
Through linkages, partially. Thailand's PromptPay users (since 2021), India's UPI users
(since 2023) and Malaysia's DuitNow users can pay via participating apps. Whether your
specific bank participates determines whether it works for you.

### Why put a PayNow UEN QR on an invoice?
It makes the invoice payable in one scan with the reference attached, no typed account
numbers, instant settlement, automatic reconciliation. Corporate PayNow via UEN is standard
practice on Singaporean invoices.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/validate
- https://useqr.app/scan