Legislative Provisions for Funds Collected by Payment Service Providers and E-commerce Platforms
Ministry of FinanceSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns whether legislation restricts settlement periods for e-commerce vendors and requires the separate management of customer funds. Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis inquired about regulatory requirements for licensed payment service providers and platforms with stored values. Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong clarified that the Payment Services Act requires domestic transfers within three business days and cross-border transfers within seven. He noted that merchants can agree to alternative settlement periods, while major payment institutions must safeguard funds via trust accounts or bank guarantees. Such safeguarding must occur by the next business day or upon the issuance of e-money to ensure customer protection.
Transcript
50 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) with regard to funds collected by payment service providers and e-commerce platforms, whether current legislation restricts the settlement period to vendors and customers; and (b) whether current legislation requires customer funds to be separately managed for platforms with stored values.
Mr Gan Kim Yong (for the Prime Minister): The operation of an e-commerce platform is not regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). However, an e-commerce platform that provides payment services covered under the Payment Services Act 2019 (PS Act) must be licensed by MAS. There are requirements under the PS Act on the transmission and safeguarding of monies, which would then apply to licensed payment services activities.
On transmission, licensed payment service providers must send monies from its customers to its intended beneficiaries within: (a) three business days for domestic money transfers; (b) seven business days for cross-border money transfers; or (c) in the case of customers who are merchants, any other period as may be agreed in writing between the payment service provider and its customers. For customers who are merchants, MAS took into account industry feedback and practices and allowed parties the flexibility to mutually agree in writing to a different settlement period.
Payment service providers that are licensed as major payment institutions1 are also required to safeguard monies received. They must do so by depositing the relevant money in a trust account with a safeguarding institution or bank, or obtaining an undertaking or guarantee from the safeguarding institution or bank. The payment service provider must safeguard the monies by the end of the next business day after it receives the monies from a customer or, in the case of e-money, from the time the e-money is received or issued to the customer.