Singapore Businesses Go Global: One in Four Sell Internationally with PayPal

• Top 3 industry verticals fueling Singapore's cross-border growth are gaming, beauty, and fashion, which generated over US$1.6B¹ in transaction value.
  
  
• Beyond the U.S., Singapore businesses are capturing new consumer demand in Mexico, where shoppers are turning to Singapore for beauty and fashion products.

SINGAPORE, Nov. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 90,000 Singapore-based businesses are selling internationally with PayPal. This represents one in four of Singapore's 356,100² registered businesses, underscoring how digital commerce is powering global reach for local businesses. Collectively, over 14 million global customers shopped from businesses in Singapore using PayPal.

The latest insights, based on a year of PayPal global cross-border transaction data ³, spotlights Singapore as a rising force in global digital commerce. With more than 60 million cross-border transactions processed during the period, the findings highlight the resilience and international relevance of Singapore businesses, particularly in high-growth verticals such as gaming, fashion, beauty, digital goods, and software.

"PayPal continues to be a trusted partner for Singapore businesses expanding globally. Our brand gives international shoppers the confidence to buy across borders, and today, one in four local businesses sell internationally with PayPal. With our secure digital payment solutions and infrastructure, even the smallest business can reach customers around the world. For example, Singapore brands are gaining traction in high-growth markets such as Mexico, particularly in the beauty and fashion sectors. With product offerings like PayPal Ads and PayPal Rewards now available in selected international markets, we're helping local businesses grow their global customer base and build resilience in today's dynamic trade environment. We look forward to introducing even more solutions in 2026 to further simplify international expansion for businesses," said Matthew Lucas, Vice President and Head of Cross Border Trade at PayPal.

Top 3 Verticals with the Highest Annual Transaction Value: Gaming, Beauty, and Fashion
Singapore's cross-border growth is being driven by three key sectors – gaming, beauty, and fashion – which together generated more than US $1.6 billion in transaction value. Gaming emerged as Singapore's most shopped cross-border category, generating more than US$593 million in transaction value and averaging 1.7 million transactions each month. The United States (U.S.) led as the top country buying from Singapore businesses with more than 500,000 monthly purchases, followed by Germany (230,000+), Japan (175,000+), the United Kingdom (100,000+), and France (84,000+), pointing to strong demand across developed economies.

Beauty, Singapore's second strongest lifestyle export, generated over US$411 million in transaction value and averaged 898,000 monthly transactions. Demand was concentrated in emerging trade corridors such as Mexico with over 297,000 monthly purchases, followed by the United States (25,000+), Australia (21,000+), and China (16,000+). This mix shows the global appeal of Singapore's beauty and wellness brands, resonating well outside Asia in both niche and competitive markets.

Fashion exports reached more than US$636 million in transaction value, averaging 737,000 monthly transactions. Demand was led by the United States (230,000+ monthly purchases), Mexico (194,000+), Japan (118,000+), and Germany (18,000+). From independent labels to established names, Singapore's fashion sector is finding loyal followings abroad across both developed economies and fast-growing corridors.

In addition to these leading lifestyle exports, Singapore businesses are also building scale in digital goods, and in computers & software. Digital goods, spanning in-app purchases, subscriptions, and digital content, generated over US$276 million in transaction value with 665,000 monthly transactions on average, led by demand from the United States (254,000+ monthly purchases), Germany (92,000+) and Canada (34,000+). Together, these figures highlight the scalability of Singapore businesses and the critical role of trusted payment infrastructure in enabling their international growth.

Diversification Beyond Traditional Corridors
While the United States remains Singapore's largest corridor, accounting for more than US$830 million in purchases, the latest insights show that Singapore businesses are increasingly tapping into new growth beyond traditional markets. Mexico has emerged as a fast-growing destination, with more than 7 million purchases worth over US$370 million, primarily in fashion and beauty.

Methodology
The insights in PayPal Global Beat 2025 are based on internal PayPal cross-border transaction data from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. It examines trade flows from Singapore to international markets, analyzing transaction volumes and values across top verticals and buyer corridors. Discover more insights from PayPal Global Beat 2025 here.

About PayPal
PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. For more information, visit https://www.paypal.com, https://about.pypl.com, and https://investor.pypl.com.

Media contacts:
Prisita Menon
[email protected]

Edelman for PayPal
[email protected]

SOURCE PayPal