A UEN fixes that. PayNow to a UEN shows customers your registered business name<\/a>, and the money goes into a business account instead of mixing with your personal spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a sole proprietor, it takes four steps. The government fees are small. Most of the cost is in the bank account, so here is what each step costs before you start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ACRA says you must register a business<\/a> if you carry out any activity for profit on a regular basis, or if you use any name other than your own full name. The main exemption is a business that trades under your full NRIC name only. The full list is in section 4 of the Business Names Registration Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So if you sell regularly under a brand like Glowy Candles, you should be registered anyway. Registering is also how you get a UEN, the number your PayNow will use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You need to be at least 18 and have Singpass. This guide covers sole proprietorships only. A company (Pte Ltd) is a different registration with different rules, which ACRA explains in choosing a business structure<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything happens on Bizfile<\/a>, ACRA’s online portal, in two parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You’ll need a business address and a business email, plus your NRIC, residential address and mobile number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you run the business from home, ACRA lets you use your home address, but you need approval first<\/a>: from HDB under the Home Office Scheme<\/a> (a one-off S$20, applied for on GoBusiness), or from URA<\/a> for private property. A P.O. Box is not allowed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you’re approved, you get your UEN and a free copy of your Business Profile. Download the Business Profile now, because the bank will ask for it in the next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PayNow for a UEN has to point to an account in the business’s name. UOB, for example, says you need an SGD current account registered to that UEN<\/a> to receive payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not every bank is clear about whether sole proprietors qualify. These two are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n DBS’s SME pricing guide<\/a> lists its standard business accounts under “Singapore Incorporated” businesses, so ask DBS before you apply as a sole proprietor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where most of the cost sits:<\/p>\n\n\n\nDo You Need to Register?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Register Your Business With ACRA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Seller](\"https:\/\/sgpaynowqr.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/item-10-home-office-candles.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nStep 2: Open a Business Bank Account<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Customer](\"https:\/\/sgpaynowqr.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/item-10-market-stall-qr.jpg\")
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