The verdict in three sentences
An online store in Singapore succeeds or fails on three topics you settle before signing: payments (PayNow, cards, wallets), channels and shipping (marketplaces and cross border delivery) and ownership of your site and data. The questions below let you compare agencies on precise answers rather than attractive mockups. An agency that stays vague on any one of these points should be ruled out, whatever its price.
The context of an established Singapore retailer
Illustrative profile: the managing director of an established skincare and wellness retailer with three outlets (Orchard, Tampines and Jurong East), 400 SKUs, strong Instagram traffic and existing stores on Shopee and Lazada that each charge commissions. The goal is a direct online store that takes PayNow, cards and digital wallets, syncs stock with the marketplaces, ships island wide in 1 to 2 days and reaches Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. The budget under discussion is 15,000 to 60,000 SGD.
Questions on payments and technology
| Question to ask | Good answer | Bad answer |
|---|---|---|
| How do you integrate PayNow? | Through a licensed payment provider with automatic order confirmation via dynamic QR | Customers transfer and send a screenshot |
| What happens when a payment fails? | Automatic retry, visible status, order kept | The customer has to call you |
| What transaction fees should we expect? | Fees itemised by payment method, typically around 1 to 3.5 % as a 2026 estimate | There are no fees |
| How fast is the site on mobile? | Product pages under 2.5 seconds, tested and shown | It looks great on desktop |
| How do you sync stock with Shopee and Lazada? | Connector or middleware with near real time stock, tested on overselling | We will update manually |
| How is GST handled? | 9 % GST correctly shown and invoiced, overseas rules for exports | GST is your accountant's problem |
Questions on shipping, ownership, compliance and maintenance
| Question to ask | Good answer | Bad answer |
|---|---|---|
| How are shipping rates calculated? | Rules by zone and weight, island wide 1 to 2 days, regional rates shown at checkout | Case by case |
| Can you handle cross border duties? | Duties and taxes shown upfront for key markets, carrier integration | No plan offered |
| Who owns the domain and the store account? | Your company, registered in your name | The agency, rented to you |
| Will we get code and data if we leave? | Full export of products, customers and orders | Not included |
| How do you handle PDPA? | Consent capture, data protection notice, access controls, breach procedure | Not mentioned |
| What does maintenance cover? | Updates, backups, fixes and response times, priced monthly | A price with no scope |
Realistic 2026 budgets
| Store level | Indicative budget | Timeline | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter store on a hosted platform | 15,000 to 25,000 SGD | 6 to 8 weeks | 100 to 300 SKUs, PayNow, cards, local shipping |
| Full store with marketplace sync | 25,000 to 45,000 SGD | 2 to 4 months | 300 to 800 SKUs, Shopee and Lazada sync, promotions, regional shipping |
| Advanced store | 45,000 to 60,000 SGD | 4 to 6 months | Loyalty, ERP link, multi currency |
| Maintenance | 500 to 2,500 SGD a month | Ongoing | Backups, updates, support |
All figures are 2026 estimates for Singapore agencies. Kolonell is one offshore option, with web applications priced at 1,500,000 to 2,500,000 FCFA (simple, 1 to 2 months), 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (medium, 2 to 3 months) or from 4,000,000 FCFA (complex, 3 to 6 months), and maintenance at 38, 76 or 115 EUR a month.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Mei Ling, managing director of a Singapore skincare retailer, sells 1,200 orders a month on marketplaces where commissions and fees take about 15 % of revenue. A direct store at 35,000 SGD, with a 70 SGD average order, aims to move 400 orders a month to the direct channel within 9 months. On 28,000 SGD of monthly direct revenue, saving roughly 12 percentage points of marketplace fees after payment costs means about 3,360 SGD a month, plus the value of owning customer data. Payback lands in under a year, maintenance included.
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FAQ
How much does an online store cost in Singapore in 2026?
Roughly 15,000 to 60,000 SGD depending on SKUs, integrations and markets. Maintenance adds 500 to 2,500 SGD a month.
Can we take PayNow directly on the site?
Yes, through a licensed payment provider that generates a dynamic QR and confirms orders automatically. Fees are usually lower than cards, as a 2026 estimate around 1 %.
Should we leave Shopee and Lazada?
Rarely at first: keep them for reach and use the direct store for repeat buyers and margin. Syncing stock across channels avoids overselling, often the biggest pain at 300+ SKUs.
How long to launch 400 SKUs?
Plan 2 to 4 months, including 3 to 4 weeks to prepare photos and descriptions. Bulk import avoids weeks of manual entry.
What should the contract cover?
Ownership of domain, code and data, PDPA responsibilities, maintenance scope and fix times. These points prevent most disputes.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your SKU count, payment methods and target markets, and we will price an online store with PayNow, marketplace sync and cross border shipping, deliverable in 2 to 6 months. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
