By Lee, founder of leodesign
Short answer: as a freelance designer in Singapore, get a short signed contract and send invoices in SGD with your PayNow details on them: your mobile number or NRIC/FIN for personal PayNow, or your UEN if you receive through PayNow Corporate, plus a PayNow QR. As of Nov 2026, IRAS says you must register for GST if your taxable turnover is more than S$1 million (looking back over the calendar year, or expected over the next 12 months). Until you're GST-registered, don't charge GST on your invoices.
Checklist before you start a job
- A signed contract: scope, deliverables, revision rounds, timeline, deposit, payment terms, IP/usage rights, cancellation
- A deposit invoice and a separate balance invoice, in SGD
- PayNow details (mobile / NRIC/FIN / UEN) and a PayNow QR, plus bank account details as a fallback
- A due date and a written late-payment term
- GST status: not registered = no GST line; registered = follow IRAS rules
Getting paid in Singapore: PayNow, PayNow Corporate and bank transfer
PayNow (individuals). The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) describes PayNow as a way to send and receive SGD between bank or e-wallet accounts in Singapore using just a mobile number, Singapore NRIC/FIN, or Virtual Payment Address (VPA). The sender doesn't need your bank or account number. To receive, you link your mobile number and/or NRIC/FIN to your account. It's a one-time registration. ABS says PayNow is free to retail customers and available 24/7 (as of Nov 2026).
PayNow Corporate (UEN). If you work through a business entity, ABS says entities can receive SGD by linking their Unique Entity Number (UEN) to a Singapore bank or e-wallet account through PayNow Corporate. Entities register online with their bank. One point worth knowing: ABS states that entities are prohibited from imposing surcharges on consumers for PayNow transactions, so don't add a "PayNow fee" line.
PayNow QR. ABS notes that the PayNow QR code is integrated with SGQR, and payers scan it in their banking app. A PayNow QR on the invoice lets a client pay the deposit in a few taps. Remind clients to check the recipient name before confirming, which ABS also advises.
Bank transfer. Keep your account name, bank and account number on the invoice. Larger companies often pay through scheduled supplier runs.
Clients in Malaysia. ABS says PayNow and Malaysia's DuitNow are linked at participating banks and MPIs. A PayNow user sends to a Malaysian recipient's registered DuitNow mobile number. Availability depends on the bank, so check before you rely on it.
Contract basics for Singapore freelance designers
A short, plain-English agreement signed before work begins prevents most arguments. Cover at least:
Scope and deliverables. Exact outputs, formats and quantities. Anything else is a change request with its own quote.
Deposit and milestones. Ask for a deposit (often 30–50%) before starting. Release final files after the balance is paid. For longer jobs, split payments by milestone.
Revisions. State how many rounds are included and the price of extra rounds. Define what a "round" is: one consolidated set of feedback.
Intellectual property and usage. Say what the client gets (full assignment or a licence), for which uses, and when it takes effect. A common approach is that rights pass on full payment. Keep the right to show the work in your portfolio unless you agree otherwise.
Payment terms and late payment. Give a due date (7, 14 or 30 days) and the consequences if it's missed: work pauses, files are held back, and a late fee or interest applies if you've agreed one. Put the exact figure in writing.
Cancellation. If the client stops the project, the deposit is usually kept and work done to date is billed.
Who signed what, when. Keep the signed version and a record of the signature. If the scope changes, update the contract rather than relying on chat messages.
Draft the terms free with the design contract generator. It runs in your browser, no sign-up.
GST: when it matters for a freelancer (as of Nov 2026)
General information only, not tax advice. Check with IRAS or a tax professional.
IRAS's "Do I need to register for GST" page (last updated 15 September 2026) says you must register if your taxable turnover is:
- Retrospective view: more than S$1 million at the end of the calendar year (1 Jan–31 Dec). You then apply between 1 and 30 January of the following year and are registered from 1 March, or
- Prospective view: expected to be more than S$1 million in the next 12 months
IRAS also says that if you're not liable, you may register voluntarily after careful consideration. Its GST basics page states that only GST-registered businesses can charge and claim GST, and that non-registered businesses are not allowed to charge GST. That page lists the current GST rate as 9%.
In practice, most solo designers below the threshold send invoices without any GST line. If you are registered, follow IRAS's rules on what your invoices must show. Leostu doesn't calculate or file GST.
What to put on a Singapore freelance design invoice
- Your name or business name, contact details, and UEN if you have one
- Client name and billing entity
- Invoice number, issue date and due date
- Line items with amounts in SGD
- Deposit or balance, and what has already been paid
- PayNow mobile / NRIC/FIN / UEN, PayNow QR, bank account
- Your payment terms in one or two lines
The free designer invoice generator makes a tidy invoice you can print to PDF.
How Leostu fits this workflow
Leostu is an order desk for independent designers and small studios. One order generates the contract and the invoice. You send the client one link plus an access code. They read and sign by hand on their phone, with no account and no install, and you get an email.
- Invoices show your own payment details and QR codes: PayNow, bank, DuitNow, WeChat Pay, Alipay, PayPal and more. Clients pay you directly, never through Leostu.
- Deposit and balance are separate, with 30/40/50/60% or pay-in-full options and a list of who still owes you.
- Ready-made reminders for the deposit, the balance and a thank-you, polite or direct, showing days elapsed.
- Signing record: name, hand-drawn signature, time, IP and contract fingerprint, flagged if the contract changes after signing. Not a CA-certified e-signature, and legal weight depends on the jurisdiction.
- Per-order currency (14 supported), and stats never mix currencies. English and Chinese contracts for the same order.
Free for 3 active orders at a time. Pro is $3.75/month billed yearly, with a 14-day trial and no card. See pricing.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Check IRAS, ABS and your bank for current rules, and get professional advice where it matters.