What is different about financial services in Singapore
Financial services firms need a Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) licence appropriate to their activity, whether that is a Capital Markets Services licence, insurance broking licence or payment services licence, and every prospect account should record which MAS licence class applies since it determines the onboarding and AML/CFT checks a deal must pass. Company-level details also route through ACRA registration, so confirming a prospect's UEN early avoids compliance delays later in the sales cycle.
Enquiries into institutional financial products move through broker networks, referrals and RFPs rather than cold WhatsApp outreach, while retail insurance leads come through comparison portals and agent referrals. Invoices carry a GST number at 9%, and AML-driven client due diligence adds a distinct verification stage before onboarding can close. PDPA governs client data throughout, and Do Not Call screening applies to any outbound calling for retail products. Year-end and Chinese New Year both slow institutional decision cycles for several weeks.
Set up your CRM for Singapore financial services teams
- Record each prospect's applicable MAS licence class and UEN before advancing the deal.
- Add an AML/CFT due-diligence stage that must clear before onboarding closes.
- Screen retail outbound call lists against the Do Not Call registry beforehand.
