PayNow is a way to receive money transfers. And depending on how you set it up, the money can go to your bank account, or your eWallet.
For example, you can link your mobile number to your UOB bank account. Or you can link your company UEN to your corporate DBS bank account.
But did you know that people can send money to eWallets like Grab, Wise, Aspire, Dash and more? These are called Virtual Payment Addresses, or VPA.
Types of PayNow Recipients
1. UEN (Unique Entity Number)
UEN is primarily used by businesses registered in Singapore. It’s the identifier assigned by ACRA (Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority) and is the most common format for business-to-business or customer-to-business payments.
Examples of PayNow to UEN:
201234567A– 9-character format (common for companies)12345678A– 9-character format (older businesses)T12AB3456X– 10-character format (with entity type prefix)201234567ABCD– Extended format with suffix. The “BCD” portion is used by the seller to determine which bank account to deposit the money.
Characteristics:
- Alphanumeric characters only
- Typically 9-13 characters
- Always associated with a registered business entity
- Requires a merchant name to be displayed on the QR code
2. Mobile Number
Mobile-linked PayNow allows individuals to receive payments using their Singapore mobile number. This is the most common format for peer-to-peer transfers.
Examples of PayNow to mobile number:
+6591234567– With country code prefix, but most apps are fine to accept the mobile number without country code e.g. 91234567.
Characteristics:
- Must be a valid Singapore mobile number
- Starts with 8 or 9
- Linked to the individual’s bank account
- No merchant name required
3. VPA/Wallet (Virtual Payment Address)
VPA (Virtual Payment Address) is where people can get confused. Instead of sending money to a mobile number or a company, you are sending money to an eWallet provider instead. Think GrabPay, Aspire, Fave, Wise, Dash and more.
So, if you use any of these eWallets, you can enable PayNow in their apps. You will get a PayNow VPA address for that eWallet.
It is then possible to generate a PayNow QR code where the money goes into that wallet, instead of to your bank account.
Examples of PayNow VPA addresses:
+6591234567#GRAB– Mobile-based VPA (GrabPay linked to mobile)UEN201234567A#GRAB– UEN-based VPA (Business GrabPay account)+6598765432#WISE– Wise walletUEN12345678X#XNAP– XNAP business wallet+6581234567#DASH– Singtel Dash wallet
Characteristics:
- Always contains a
#followed by a 4-letter provider code (NFI code) - Can be mobile-based (starts with
+) or UEN-based (starts withUEN) - The 4-letter code identifies the wallet provider. Examples:
GRAB– GrabPayWISE– Wise (TransferWise)XNAP– XNAP, also used by AspireDASH– Singtel Dash
Note: You can also link your NRIC to PayNow. But that is generally reserved for government transfers, so we won’t cover it here.
VPA/Wallet Support Across All SGPayNowQR Tools
[Update] We’re still working on bringing these functions to our WooCommerce plugin and Android app. Stay tuned!
We’re excited to announce that all SGPayNowQR tools now support VPA/Wallet addresses! This means you can generate PayNow QR codes for e-wallet recipients just as easily as traditional UEN or mobile numbers.
Updated Tools
1. PayNow QR Generator Generate standalone QR codes for any VPA/Wallet address. Perfect for:
- E-wallet merchants accepting PayNow
- Freelancers using GrabPay or Wise for payments
- Businesses with multiple payment wallet options
2. WhatsApp Pay Link Generator Create shareable payment links that work with VPA addresses. Your customers can click the link and pay directly to your e-wallet.
3. Invoice Generator Add VPA/Wallet as your payment recipient on professional invoices. Great for businesses that prefer receiving payments through fintech platforms.
4. Batch QR Generator Generate multiple QR codes in bulk, all pointing to your VPA/Wallet address. Ideal for:
- Event organizers collecting registrations via e-wallet
- Subscription services using wallet payments
- Bulk invoice generation for wallet-based payments
Smart Validation & Helpful Hints
Our tools now include intelligent validation to help you enter the correct format:
- If you enter a
#in the UEN or Mobile field, you’ll see a warning: “That looks like a VPA or eWallet address. Please check again” - For VPA fields, we validate that your address ends with a valid 4-character provider code
- Dynamic hints guide you to the correct format as you type
How to Use VPA/Wallet in SGPayNowQR
- Select “VPA/Wallet” as your payment type
- Enter your VPA address in the format:
- For personal wallets:
+65XXXXXXXX#CODE(e.g.,+6591234567#GRAB) - For business wallets:
UENXXXXXXXXX#CODE(e.g.,UEN201234567A#WISE)
- For personal wallets:
- Generate your QR code – it works exactly like UEN or mobile QR codes
Which Format Should You Use?
It depends where you want people to send money to. Here’s the breakdown
| Recipient Type | Money goes to | Example |
|---|---|---|
| UEN | Corporate bank account for any registered businesses, companies, organizations | 201234567A |
| Mobile | Personal bank accounts for individuals | 91234567 |
| VPA/Wallet | E-wallets | +6591234567#GRAB |
Summary
PayNow’s flexibility with these recipient formats makes it incredibly versatile:
- UEN for traditional business payments
- Mobile for personal transfers
- VPA/Wallet for modern e-wallet and fintech payments
With our new VPA/Wallet support, SGPayNowQR now covers all PayNow recipient types. Whether you’re a traditional business, an individual seller, or a modern fintech-forward merchant, our tools have you covered.
Ready to generate PayNow QR codes for your VPA/Wallet?
Have questions about PayNow formats or our VPA support? Drop us a message – we’re happy to help!
