The ultimate guide to paying with your smartphone in Singapore
Note: This article was first published on July 16, 2016, updated on 17th April 2017 (DBS PayLah adds QR code payments), 12th June 2017 (OCBC Pay Anyone adds QR code payments), 10th July 2017 (PayNow), and 20th July 2017 (Singtel Dash adds virtual Visa account).
From Apple Pay to Samsung Pay, from Dash to MasterPass, there are more ways than ever before to pay using your smartphone in Singapore today.
There are, in fact, so many options that it can get downright confusing. I know I was confused many times over while writing this article — and that’s why we decided to compile this one stop, easy to understand guide to mobile payments.
Before we continue, let’s define what I mean by ‘mobile payments,’ because there are a lot of terms floating around. What we’re going to cover is how to use a mobile device (smartphone or tablet) to pay for things, either through a physical payment terminal or through the internet.
The 4 kinds of mobile payments
There are many ways you can classify the different ways you can pay via mobile (hardware versus apps? telcos versus banks?), but one easy way to group them is simply by where the cash is being deducted from.
When you do that, you can classify mobile payments into four kinds:
- Paying via credit/debit card
- Paying via a mobile wallet
- Paying via a linked bank account
- Paying via an NFC SIM card
Grouping them into four kinds is an easy way to understand mobile payments, but you should also know that there are also overlaps. In this guide, we split the various mobile payments in Singapore this way:
- Paying via credit/debit card
Android Pay
Apple Pay
Samsung Pay - Paying via a mobile wallet
Singtel Dash
DBS PayLah - Paying via a connected bank account
OCBC Pay Anyone - Paying via an NFC SIM card
M1 Mobile Wallet
Singtel Dash
StarHub SmartWallet
1. Mobile payments via credit/debit cards
The first kind of mobile payment is where your smartphone basically acts as your credit or debit card. Any purchases made will be charged to your card. If you want to do this, you can use the three big Pays in Singapore:
Android Pay | Apple Pay | Samsung Pay | |
Compatible devices | NFC-enabled smartphones running Android 4.4 or above |
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Technology | NFC | NFC |
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Supporting banks |
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Transaction limits | Up to S$100 per transaction (except for UOB) | Up to S$100 per transaction (except for UOB) |
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Maximum number of stored credit cards | Unlimited | 8 | 10 |
What you need
To run Android Pay, you need an Android smartphone with NFC running Android 4.4 KitKat and above. Apple Pay only works on compatible Apple devices (as listed above), Samsung Pay only works on compatible Samsung devices (as listed above). You’ll also need a participating bank's credit or debit card.
What can you use the Pays for?
Android, Apple and Samsung Pay are mainly used to buy things over the counter in brick and mortar stores, via a contactless payment terminal. Android Pay and Apple Pay can also be used to pay in participating apps. More apps, and online payment on websites, is expected to arrive.
Here’s a deeper comparison between Apple and Samsung Pay.
Why use them?
If you have a compatible device, Android, Apple and Samsung Pay are an easy way to try using your smartphone to pay for things. There are three reasons:
- They’re widely accepted
- They’re easy to use
- Apple and Samsung Pay are secure
1. They’re widely accepted
If a store already has a contactless payment terminal set up for NFC credit/debit cards, it should work with Android, Apple and Samsung Pay, even if it doesn’t have the service’s respective logo.
If you see this logo on a contactless payment terminal, you should be able to use Android, Apple and Samsung Pay on it.
Whereas Android and Apple Pay only support NFC payments, Samsung Pay supports both NFC and MST payments. MST replicates a physical card swipe by transmitting magnetic waves from the Samsung smartphone, so if you can swipe a card to pay, it’s likely you can also use Samsung Pay.
NFC payments for Android and Apple Pay are limited up to S$100 per purchase (except for UOB), but MST payments using Samsung Pay go up to the card’s credit limit, so you can pay for more expensive items with it.
2. They’re easy to use
The three services are also easy to use; for example, all you need to do to activate Apple Pay is to hold it over the payment terminal when asked to pay. Once the graphic of your registered card appears, you confirm the purchase by holding your fingerprint over the Home button, just like how you unlock the iPhone using Touch ID. See it in action in the video below.

3. Apple and Samsung Pay are secure
Apple and Samsung Pay are also secure. Neither Apple nor Samsung store your credit card number on the phone, or transmits it during transactions. Check out how Samsung Pay works and why it's secure:-

The one reservation we have with Android Pay is that it doesn’t require you to unlock your phone for up to three purchases. You can pay up to S$100 per purchase, so in theory, a thief can make off with your Android Pay smartphone and spend up to S$300 of your money before being locked out.
2. Mobile payments via mobile wallets
A second way you can pay using your smartphone is via ‘cash’ stored on a mobile wallet inside an app. It’s like having a digital cashcard inside your smartphone, which you have to top up in order to spend.
There are two mobile wallet services in Singapore:
- Singtel Dash
- DBS PayLah
Singtel Dash
You can say that today’s Dash is Singtel’s third version of a mobile payment app. The first, mWallet, was launched in 2012, and has since been retired. Singtel and Standard Chartered Bank released the first version of Dash in 2014, and the app received a major update in May this year.
Confusingly, there are still two versions of Dash you can download, one from Singtel and one from Standard Chartered. Singtel recommends you get theirs. The app is available on iOS (Singtel, Standard Chartered) and Android (Singtel, Standard Chartered).
What you need
While Dash is from Singtel, customers from other telcos can also use it. You don’t need a credit or debit card, but you do need a bank account with the participating banks. Dash is a mobile wallet, which means you have to top it up with cash in order to pay for things. You should know that once your cash is in Dash, you can’t transfer it back to your bank account.
What can you use Dash for?
You can use the Dash app to make purchases over the counter if the store has a Dash terminal.
Dash terminals aren’t the same as the NFC contactless payment terminals being used by Android, Apple and Samsung Pay, or NFC cards like Visa PayWave. Dash terminals are Singtel’s proprietary terminals, so you have to find them in order to pay with Dash. The NFC chip on Apple devices can only be used by Apple Pay, so you need to key in the Dash terminal’s counter code to use Dash to pay on an iOS device.

You can also pay for online purchases on Lazada using Dash. You can send money to friends. You can also remit money overseas to people using Dash (you’ll need to sign up at the Singtel stores in Lucky Plaza and City Plaza first).
Dash can also be used to manage an EZ-Link NFC SIM card and pay for public transportation, which we cover in a later section.
Starting 20 July 2017, Dash users will automatically receive a virtual Visa account, which works somewhat like a Visa debit card. The virtual Visa can be used to pay at Visa payWave terminals with NFC-enabled Android smartphones, as well as on local e-commerce sites like Qoo10, Zalora, and HungryGoWhere.
Why use Dash?
Dash is one way you can use mobile payments if you don’t have a credit or debit card. With the addition of a virtual Visa account, you can also use Dash to pay at payWave terminals with NFC-enabled Android smartphones, even if you don’t have an actual Visa card.
Dash also has another interesting feature if you’re a Singtel customer. Instead of topping up your Dash mobile wallet via your bank account, you can also choose to top it up using your Singtel bill. In other words, you can top up the mobile wallet first (up to S$999), spend the money, and pay for the top-up later at the end of the month, when your consolidated Singtel bill comes in the mail.
DBS PayLah
PayLah is a mobile wallet app from DBS that:
- Lets you send money to your friends.
- Lets you pay on some online sites.
The app is available on iOS and Android.
What you need
PayLah works for both DBS/POSB and non-DBS/POSB account holders. Non-DBS/POSB account holders can use PayLah if they have a savings/current account with a bank which offers FAST (Fast and Secure Transfers) services in Singapore.
Once you’ve registered, you can top up funds into the PayLah mobile wallet, with which you send money to friends, and pay for things online. You can also receive funds into the mobile wallet, and transfer it into your linked bank account. You can also use the PayNow service to transfer funds to your contacts, using just their mobile phone number or IC number.
What you can use PayLah for
Once you’ve linked your bank account, you can transfer funds into PayLah’s mobile wallet, where you do all your transactions. This also means that you don’t need a credit/debit card to use PayLah.

You can send money to contacts via SMS without having to know their bank account numbers, you only need their mobile number. Unlike OCBC’s Pay Anyone service, the recipients of PayLah fund transfers will need to download and register with the PayLah app within 14 business days after the transfer is sent. If they don’t, the sender will be refunded the full amount.
PayLah can also be used to pay on some online sites, like Qoo10.sg, comGateway and AXS.
Starting April 2017, DBS PayLah can also generate QR codes to receive and pay for things. To receive payments, you can generate a QR code to send to others, and to pay, you simply use the app to scan the QR code and make a payment from the digital wallet.
Starting June 10, 2017, PayLah users can use the PayNow service to transfer funds to someone using just the recipient’s mobile number or identity card number. Recipients must register their mobile phone or IC numbers with their bank’s PayNow service to receive money, and senders can use the PayLah app to transfer money from their DBS/POSB account or the app’s mobile wallet.
Why use PayLah?
PayLah is one way for people to send money to friends and family, even if they don’t have a DBS or POSB account. You don’t even need to know their bank account number, you only need their mobile number or IC number.
3. Mobile payments via a linked bank account
Here’s another way to pay — straight from your bank account. Technically, you could also say that mobile payments via debit cards are a way to pay straight from your bank account, but this method doesn’t require you to have a debit card to do so.
Pay Anyone
Whereas previously it was a feature inside the OCBC Mobile Banking app, OCBC Pay Anyone is now its own standalone app. Pay Anyone lets you pay at participating stores via QR code, as well as transfer money to your contacts, even if you don’t have their bank account details. The app is available on iOS and Android.
What you need
You need to have an OCBC bank account to send money out. If you’re the receiver, you don’t need to have an OCBC bank account or the OCBC Pay Anyone app.
What you can use Pay Anyone for
You can use Pay Anyone to send money to your contacts, without needing to know their bank account numbers. A URL to collect the money can be sent to the recipient via SMS, email or Facebook.

To keep the transfer secure, a passcode is generated on the sender’s end, which he needs to share with the recipient in order for her to authenticate the transfer. The receiver doesn’t need to have an OCBC account, they just need an account from any of the 14 FAST (Fast And Secure Transfer) participating banks.
You can send money using the Pay Anyone e-payment service through voice commands on Apple’s Siri, or through text messaging in iMessage. You’ll need an iPhone running iOS 10 and the latest version of the OCBC Pay Anyone app to do it. Here’re detailed steps on how.

You can also pay by scanning QR code at more than 1,000 merchants in Singapore. Scan the QR code on the NETS terminal or printed receipt using the app, authenticate the transaction via fingerprint, and the payment is deducted from your OCBC account.

Starting June 10, 2017, Pay Anyone users can use the PayNow service to transfer funds to someone using just the recipient’s mobile number or identity card number. Recipients must register their mobile phone or IC numbers with their bank’s PayNow service to receive money, and senders can use the Pay Anyone app or OCBC website to transfer money from their account.
For an even faster option, you can use Pay Anyone’s QR code transfer feature to pay anyone, even without their mobile or IC number. It uses the PayNow system, so users still have to register for PayNow, and both payer and payee have to be using the PayNow app in person. The payee generates a QR code on their app for a cash amount, which the payer can scan using her Pay Anyone app and then pay from her OCBC account.

Why use Pay Anyone?
It’s an easy way for OCBC customers to transfer funds to someone, and there are a lot of ways to do it without needing their bank account number. You can send a URL via SMS, email or Facebook, send money through iMessage if you’re using an iPhone, transfer funds via PayNow (which is a separate service that payees need to register for) using the recipient's mobile or IC number, or via QR codes through PayNow with another Pay Anyone user, without needing their mobile or IC numbers.
4. Mobile payments via NFC SIM cards from telcos
The fourth way you can pay with your smartphone in Singapore is by using an NFC SIM card from your telco and its companion app.
Singapore’s three big telcos first launched their mobile payment solutions in 2012; some things have changed since then, and each telco offers different features. We have:
There are three main things you should know first about getting an NFC SIM card:
- Unlike Android Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, which cost you nothing to set up, you need to pay extra for an NFC SIM card from your telco, and there might be additional registration fees
- The NFC SIM card introduced in 2012 has been replaced with a new EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM card in 2016
- The new NFC Transit SIM has the same mobile payment features as the previous SIM card, and introduces the ability to pay for public transportation in Singapore via EZ-Link
M1 Mobile Wallet
Together with an EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM card from M1, the M1 Mobile Wallet is two mobile wallets in one app. Like the mobile wallets previously mentioned, you need to top up cash value into these mobile wallets in order to pay for things.
The EZ-Link mobile wallet lets you pay for public transportation as well as pay at EZ-Link terminals. The M1 NFC Prepaid MasterCard mobile wallet lets you pay at NFC contactless payment terminals. The M1 Mobile Wallet app is available on Android.
What you need
First, you need to be an M1 customer. You’ll also need a compatible NFC smartphone to use the M1 Mobile Wallet services.
Then, you’ll need to get the EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM card from M1 to use either the EZ-Link and/or the M1 NFC Prepaid MasterCard mobile wallet. If you want to use the M1 NFC Prepaid MasterCard mobile wallet, you can register for it in the app.
What you can use M1 Mobile Wallet for
With the EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM card, you can use the EZ-Link mobile wallet to pay for public transportation, as well as at payment terminals that accept EZ-Link.
With the M1 NFC Prepaid MasterCard mobile wallet, you can make payment from the mobile wallet at contactless NFC payment terminals that accept ‘MasterCard Contactless’ or ‘MasterCard PayPass.’
Why use M1 Mobile Wallet?
If you’re an M1 subscriber with a compatible NFC smartphone, this is one way for you to pay for public transportation and over the counter using your smartphone.
Singtel Dash
Singtel first launched its mWallet app in 2012, and it’s since been succeeded by the Dash app. You don’t actually need the EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM card from Singtel to use Dash’s other payment services, which were detailed earlier in this article.
The one thing you’ll need the EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM card from Singtel for is if you want to use Dash’s EZ-Link mobile wallet to pay for public transportation in Singapore.
Like we previously mentioned, there are two versions of Dash you can download, one from Singtel and one from Standard Chartered. Singtel recommends you get theirs. The app is available on iOS (Singtel, Standard Chartered) and Android (Singtel, Standard Chartered).
What you need
First, you need to be a Singtel customer. You’ll also need a compatible NFC smartphone to use Singtel Dash. Then, you’ll need to get the EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM card from Singtel to use the EZ-Link wallet in the Dash app.
Once you’ve set that up, your Dash app will have two separate mobile wallets, one for Dash’s other payment services like paying at Dash terminals, one for the EZ-Link function.
What you can use Singtel Dash for
Together with a compatible NFC smartphone and the EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM card from Singtel, you can top up value into the EZ-Link mobile wallet inside Dash, and use that to pay for public transportation in Singapore, as well as at payment terminals that accept EZ-Link.
Again, this is only if you want to use Dash’s EZ-Link wallet to pay for public transportation. If you only want to use Dash’s mobile wallet for its other payment features, you don’t need to be a Singtel customer or to have the EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM card from Singtel.
Why use Singtel Dash?
If you’re a Singtel customer who wants to pay for public transportation using your smartphone.
StarHub SmartWallet
StarHub SmartWallet first launched in 2012 with DBS One.Tap, but that has since been removed. Now the app only supports paying with the EZ-Link mobile wallet. StarHub SmartWallet is available on Android.
What you need
First, you need to be a StarHub customer. You’ll also need a compatible NFC smartphone to use StarHub SmartWallet. Then, you’ll need to get the EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM card from StarHub to use the EZ-Link wallet in the SmartWallet app.
What you can use StarHub SmartWallet for
Together with a compatible NFC smartphone and the EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM card from StarHub, you can top up value into the EZ-Link mobile wallet inside SmartWallet, and use that to pay for public transportation in Singapore, as well as at payment terminals that accept EZ-Link.
FAQ for paying with your smartphone
Still with me? I told you it would get confusing. In case your head is still swimming with info, here’s a quick summary of how you can pay for what with your smartphone.
1. I want to buy things in the store using my smartphone as if it’s my credit/debit card
To pay for things over the counter, using your smartphone as if it’s your credit/debit card, you can use:
These services are linked directly to your credit/debit card, and charge the purchase accordingly to the card. Of course, you can only pay using these services using contactless NFC payment terminals that support them (which should be most of them).
Samsung Pay has one advantage, in that it can also work with MST credit card terminals. If you can swipe your credit card to pay at the terminal, you can also use Samsung Pay to pay. Just hold your Samsung smartphone close to the device and it will broadcast magnetic waves which replicate a physical card swipe.
Android and Apple Pay are limited to a maximum of S$100 per purchase (except when using UOB cards), whereas MST payments are limited to the card’s credit limit, so you can pay for more expensive items using Samsung Pay at MST terminals.
2. I want to pay for things in the store using my smartwatch
You can only use an Apple Watch (using Apple Pay) and Samsung Gear S3 (using Samsung Pay) to pay for things in a store. Android Pay does not let you pay with smartwatches for now.
3. I want to buy things in the store, using my smartphone, but I don’t have a credit/debit card
If you want to pay for things over the counter, but you only have a smartphone and no credit/debit card, you can use:
- M1 Mobile Wallet
- Singtel Dash
- DBS PayLah
- Pay Anyone
With M1 Mobile Wallet, you need to be on M1, and you need the EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM card, on a compatible NFC smartphone. Once you have these two, you can set up two different mobile wallets with two different ways to pay.
One is the EZ-Link mobile wallet, which you can use to pay for public transportation, as well as in stores which accept EZ-Link payment. The other is the M1 NFC Prepaid MasterCard mobile wallet, which lets you pay at contactless NFC payment terminals. Neither wallet requires a credit or debit card, but they need you to top up funds into them. Here’s how you can top up the mobile wallet inside M1 Mobile Wallet.
You don’t have to be a Singtel customer to use Dash to pay over the counter. You can download the Dash app on iOS and Android, whether you’re on Singtel or not. Once you top up funds into the Dash mobile wallet, you can use the app to pay at Dash terminals across Singapore. Dash terminals are not the same as the contactless NFC payment terminals that everyone else is using for mobile payment.
If you get the EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM card from Singtel, you can use it in tandem with Dash to pay for public transportation, as well as at stores which accept EZ-Link payment.
The DBS PayLah and OCBC Pay Anyone apps now let you pay at select stores via QR codes. PayLah deducts the amount from the app’s digital wallet, so you’ll still need to top up funds into it. Pay Anyone treats like a NETS transaction, and the amount is deducted from your bank account.
4. I want to pay for things online using my smartphone
To pay for things inside your smartphone’s app or through online shopping, you can use:
- Android Pay
- Apple Pay
- DBS PayLah
These three apps support paying within apps or on online sites to some degree. No single service covers everything yet, though.
You can also sign up for MasterPass and PayPal. These are not, strictly speaking, mobile payment solutions, but you can use them to pay on participating websites, which means you can use them inside your mobile browser. MasterPass, for example, lets you pay on Shaw Theatres’ online booking website, Lazada and AXS.
5. I want to send money to my friends from my smartphone
You can use:
- DBS PayLah
- OCBC Pay Anyone
- PayNow
With DBS PayLah, you don’t need to have a DBS/POSB account to use the service, but your recipients will need to download and register for PayLah to receive payment.
With OCBC Pay Anyone, you need to have an OCBC account, as the service is a feature within the main OCBC SG Mobile Banking app. However, your recipient doesn’t need to have an OCBC account, nor does she need to download the app to receive payment. Both recipients will, however, need an account with a bank which offers FAST (Fast and Secure Transfers) services in Singapore.

Starting July 10, 2017, PayNow is a service supported by seven banks that let you transfer funds from one to another using just the recipient’s mobile phone number or IC number. The seven banks at launch are DBS Bank/POSB, OCBC Bank, UOB, Citibank, HSBC, Maybank, and Standard Chartered Bank. Receivers must link their mobile numbers or IC numbers to their bank accounts, but senders don’t. To send money, use the PayNow feature within the bank’s app or website.
6. I want to pay for public transportation using my smartphone
You’ll need to get the EZ-Link NFC Transit SIM from your respective telco, whether M1, Singtel or StarHub. Then you’ll need to download your telco’s mobile wallet app, and top up funds into the EZ-Link mobile wallet.
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