Shopify for a Singapore service business

Information checked as of 12 October 2026

Shopify is built for selling products, but plenty of Singapore service businesses use it too: salons, tutors, fitness and yoga studios, photographers, repair shops and cleaners. You can sell a session, a package or a gift card, take a deposit, and charge clients at the counter. This guide explains what Shopify does on its own, where you need a booking app, and the Singapore rules on GST, prepayments, refunds and client data.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. It summarises Shopify, IRAS, CASE, PDPC and Google pages as of the date above. Check with IRAS or a professional for your own situation.

Selling a service as a Shopify product

Shopify's help page on selling services says to create a product for the service and uncheck This is a physical product in its shipping section. Checkout then skips the shipping address and shipping charge. If the product has variants, such as 30, 60 and 90-minute sessions, set this for each variant. App developers' help pages give the same instruction.

Good ways to set up services:

• One product per service, with variants for duration, level or staff member.
• Packages, such as 10 classes, as their own product. Say clearly how long they're valid, whether they can be shared, and what happens if you close or move.
• Inventory off for services that aren't limited, or let a booking app control availability instead.

Shopify on its own sells the service but doesn't pick a date and time. For that you need a booking app.

Booking and appointment apps

The Shopify App Store has many booking apps. They usually add a calendar to the product page, block out taken slots, send reminders and handle staff schedules. Examples whose listings we checked:

• Sesami: bookings for services, experiences and events, online and in POS. Its listing includes deposits and staff management.
• BTA Appointment Booking: scheduling for appointments, classes, rentals and events. Its listing includes deposits on some plans.
• Tipo Appointment Booking: a booking app for services and reservations.

These are examples, not recommendations, and features vary by plan. Check each listing's pricing section and reviews, and test the booking flow on your theme. Things to check for a Singapore business:

• Times shown in Singapore time, and calendar sync with the tools your staff use.
• Deposits, if you want them, and how the balance is collected.
• Whether bookings work in Shopify POS if clients also book at the counter.
• Reminders by email or SMS. If you send marketing SMS, the Do Not Call rules apply; see our PDPA guide.
• How the app handles reschedules, cancellations and no-shows.

Deposits and paying in parts

What Shopify does natively depends on your plan:

• Shopify Plus: Shopify's developer changelog says draft orders can carry a deposit, with part of the payment due at checkout and the balance due later, and that the feature is for Plus stores. Shopify's partial payments page explains how to collect or record the remaining balance on the order.
• Other plans: the usual route is a booking app with a deposit feature, like the examples above. Some merchants instead sell a separate "booking deposit" product and take the balance at the appointment, for example through Shopify POS.

Whatever you use, state on the product page and in your policy how much the deposit is, when the balance is due, and when the deposit is refunded or kept.

For payment methods, Singapore clients often expect PayNow, which Shopify Payments doesn't offer. Our PayNow and GrabPay guide covers the gateways that add it.

Gift cards

Shopify's gift card overview says you can sell gift cards on all Shopify plans, online and through Shopify POS. They suit service businesses well as gifts for treatments, classes or shoots. Treat unspent gift cards as money you owe clients, and see the prepayment section below.

GST on services and deposits

If your business is GST-registered (see our GST guide for when you must register), GST applies to your services, and the timing of deposits matters. IRAS's page on deposits separates two kinds:

• Part-payment deposits, which form part of the price: charge and account for GST when you receive the deposit, even if the service is later. If you refund it, you can adjust the GST with proper documentation, such as a credit note.
• Refundable security deposits, held against damage or loss: no GST when collected; GST is accounted for only when you use the deposit to offset an amount due.

This follows IRAS's general time of supply rules, under which GST is generally due at the earlier of issuing an invoice or receiving payment. IRAS's examples don't cover a service deposit kept after a no-show, so ask IRAS or your tax adviser how to treat forfeited deposits.

Cancellations, refunds and prepaid packages

Singapore's Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act prohibits unfair practices, such as misleading clients about what they're paying for or pressuring them into a package. Points that matter for service businesses:

• No general cooling-off period. The CPFTA's cancellation regulations give a cancellation period for specific contract types, such as direct sales and timeshares, not ordinary salon or gym packages bought from your shop or website.
• Prepayment rules may tighten. On 5 October 2026, after the closures of True Fitness and Yoga Inc, CASE called for mandatory cooling-off periods for high-value prepaid packages and mandatory CaseTrust accreditation in sectors such as beauty and fitness (CNA, CASE). These are proposals, not law, as of the date above.
• CaseTrust is voluntary today. CaseTrust's prepayment protection covers schemes including spa and wellness, tuition centres, fitness centres and wedding planners, so clients can claim back unused prepayments if an accredited business closes. The spa and wellness scheme also involves a cooling-off period.

Whether or not you're accredited, write a clear policy and show it before checkout: how far ahead clients can cancel or reschedule, what happens to deposits, package expiry, and how refunds are paid. Our returns guide covers the Shopify settings and CASE.

Client records and the PDPA

Service businesses hold more personal data than most shops: appointment history, contact details, sometimes health notes for treatments or fitness, or children's details for tuition. Under the PDPA:

• Collect only what you need for the booking, and say why.
• Don't collect NRIC numbers by default. PDPC's NRIC advisory guidelines say organisations generally may not collect full NRIC numbers or copies unless required by law or needed to verify identity to a high degree. CaseTrust notes one exception it relies on: accredited businesses collect NRIC numbers to register clients' prepayment protection.
• Restrict who on your team can see sensitive notes, and check where your booking app stores data.
• Get separate consent for marketing messages.

Our PDPA guide has the full checklist.

Getting found: Google Business Profile

Local search matters a lot for services. Google's help pages explain the two set-ups:

• Clients come to you (salon, studio, repair counter): show your address.
• You go to clients (home tutor, cleaner, mobile photographer): set up as a service-area business, list the areas you serve, and hide your address if clients don't visit it.

Our local SEO guide covers eligibility, reviews and local markup in more detail.

Taking payment in person

Many service clients pay after the appointment. Shopify POS lets you charge at the counter, sell packages and gift cards, and keep online and in-person sales in one place. Some booking apps, such as Sesami, say they work in POS too. Our Shopify POS guide covers card readers, PayNow workarounds and GST receipts in Singapore.

Setup checklist

1. Create each service as a product with This is a physical product unchecked.
2. Choose a booking app; test slots, reminders, rescheduling and POS.
3. Decide on deposits and how the balance is paid.
4. Write your cancellation, no-show, package expiry and refund policy, and show it before checkout.
5. If GST-registered, account for GST on part-payment deposits when received.
6. Add PayNow through a local gateway if clients expect it.
7. Review the client data you collect; drop NRIC unless you have a legal basis.
8. Set up your Google Business Profile as a storefront or service-area business.
9. Consider CaseTrust if you sell large prepaid packages.

Selling on social as well? See TikTok Shop and Shopify in Singapore.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell services instead of products on Shopify?

Yes. Shopify's help pages say you can sell services by creating a product and unchecking This is a physical product in its shipping settings, so checkout doesn't ask for a shipping address or charge shipping. If the service has variants, such as different session lengths, set this for each variant. For time slots, add a booking app.

Can Shopify take a deposit for an appointment?

Shopify's built-in deposits on draft orders are for Shopify Plus stores, according to Shopify's developer changelog and help pages. On other plans, merchants typically use a booking app that supports deposits; several App Store listings, such as Sesami and BTA, list deposits as a feature. Check each app's listing and pricing page.

Do I charge GST on a deposit for a service?

If you're GST-registered and the deposit is part payment for the service, IRAS says you charge and account for GST when you receive the deposit, not when you perform the service. A refundable security deposit is different: GST is accounted for only when you use it to offset what the customer owes. If you refund a part-payment deposit, you can adjust the GST with proper documentation such as a credit note.

Do customers have a legal cooling-off period for prepaid packages in Singapore?

Not generally, as of 12 October 2026. CASE called on 5 October 2026 for mandatory cooling-off periods for high-value prepaid packages after fitness closures, which shows they aren't required today. CaseTrust-accredited businesses in schemes such as spa and wellness offer cooling-off periods and prepayment protection under their accreditation.

Should I collect customers' NRIC numbers for bookings?

Usually no. PDPC's advisory guidelines say organisations generally shouldn't collect full NRIC numbers or copies unless required by law or needed to verify identity to a high degree of fidelity. A name, phone number and email are enough for most bookings. Collect only what you need and tell clients why.

Running a service business? A Shopify trial lets you set up your services, try a booking app and take a test payment before your first client books.

Start a Shopify trial →

References

Rules, features and fees change, so check the live page before you act on anything here.

1. Selling services or digital products, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 12 October 2026.
2. How to let customers skip the shipping step for non-physical products, Ongoing Subscriptions Help Center. Accessed 12 October 2026.
3. Sesami Booking Platform, Shopify App Store. Accessed 12 October 2026.
4. BTA Appointment Booking App, Shopify App Store. Accessed 12 October 2026.
5. Tipo Appointment Booking, Shopify App Store. Accessed 12 October 2026.
6. Draft order deposit fields now available in the GraphQL Admin API and Customer Account API, Shopify developer changelog (1 Jul 2026). Accessed 12 October 2026.
7. Collecting and recording partial payments, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 12 October 2026.
8. Gift cards considerations and overview, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 12 October 2026.
9. Selling gift cards on the Shopify POS app, Shopify Help Center. Accessed 12 October 2026.
10. Deposits and downpayment, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. Accessed 12 October 2026.
11. When to report supplies in GST returns, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. Accessed 12 October 2026.
12. Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, Ministry of Trade and Industry. Accessed 12 October 2026.
13. Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) (Cancellation of Contracts) Regulations 2009, Singapore Statutes Online. Accessed 12 October 2026.
14. CASE calls for mandatory prepayment safeguards after S$3.82 million in losses linked to fitness closures, CNA (5 Oct 2026). Accessed 12 October 2026.
15. Media release: CASE calls for mandatory safeguards as reported consumer prepayment losses surge, Consumers Association of Singapore (Oct 2026). Accessed 12 October 2026.
16. Prepayment protection, CaseTrust. Accessed 12 October 2026.
17. CaseTrust accreditation for spa and wellness businesses, CaseTrust. Accessed 12 October 2026.
18. Personal Data Protection Act overview, Personal Data Protection Commission. Accessed 12 October 2026.
19. Advisory guidelines on the PDPA for NRIC and other national identification numbers, Personal Data Protection Commission. Accessed 12 October 2026.
20. Manage your business address, Google Business Profile Help. Accessed 12 October 2026.
21. Manage your service areas for service-area and hybrid businesses, Google Business Profile Help. Accessed 12 October 2026.