Money
What is Paywave? How Visa Contactless Works in Singapore
Paywave is Visa's contactless payment brand. How to tap and pay with a card or phone in Singapore, how it stays secure, and how it works on buses and trains.
- By the Lookup team
- Updated
- 2 min read
Paywave (written payWave by Visa) is Visa's name for contactless payment. Instead of inserting a card, you tap it on a reader. Mastercard's equivalent is called Mastercard Contactless, and NETS also has contactless cards, but they all work the same way from your side.
How to pay with payWave
- Look for the contactless symbol (four curved lines) on the terminal.
- Hold your contactless card or phone close to the reader. Keep it within a few centimetres.
- Wait for the beep or confirmation on the screen.
For small purchases you usually do not need a PIN. Above a limit, the terminal asks for a PIN or signature. The limit depends on your card issuer and the merchant's terminal, so check with your bank rather than assume a figure.
Phones and wearables
The same contactless payment works from a phone or watch once you add the card to a wallet such as Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Wallet. The wallet generates a token in place of your real card number, so the merchant never sees your actual card number. You usually unlock the phone to authorise the payment.
Using contactless cards on public transport
Many contactless bank cards can be used on buses and MRT/LRT in Singapore through the SimplyGo account-based system run by the Land Transport Authority. You tap in and tap out like any other transit card. See our SimplyGo guide for how fares are charged and how it fits with EZ-Link cards.
Security
- Contactless cards use short-range NFC, so a reader must be very close to work.
- Card issuers monitor transactions, and many banks let you turn contactless payment on or off, or set a spending limit, in their app.
- If your card is lost, report it to your bank immediately. Check your statement for transactions you do not recognise.
Where it is accepted
Contactless payment is accepted at most supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, cafes and retail shops in Singapore. Some small stalls take only cash, PayNow or a specific e-wallet, so look for the contactless logo before you order.