Your UEN on invoices: a short guide for Singapore service businesses

If you have registered a business or company in Singapore, you have a Unique Entity Number, or UEN. It is the standard identification number for entities in Singapore, issued when you register with ACRA or another registering agency. You will see it on company documents, and many businesses show it on their invoices, receipts and website.

Why show your UEN on invoices

A UEN on an invoice tells your client who they are dealing with. It makes the invoice look professional and easy to verify. Corporate clients, clients who claim a service through their employer and clients who keep careful records all find it useful. For a small service business, it is also a quiet signal that you are an established, registered business.

Where to find yours

Your UEN appears in your registration documents. You can also look it up on the government's UEN search, which shows the registered name and status of any entity. Check that the name on your invoices matches your registered name exactly.

What else belongs on a clear invoice

• Your registered business name and UEN.
• Your business address and contact details.
• An invoice number, in sequence.
• The date of the invoice and of the service.
• The client's name.
• Each service, with its amount, and the total.
• How the client can pay you, and by when.

Invoices in BookAndGo

BookAndGo produces invoices that carry your UEN, numbered in sequence, and sends them to clients by email. You can mark an invoice as paid when the client pays you, and keep a full list of invoices you can search and filter. Because each invoice comes from a real appointment, the client name, service and date are already filled in.

Keep it consistent

Use the same business name, UEN and numbering on every invoice. If you change your business structure, for example from a sole proprietorship to a company, your UEN will change too. Update your details before issuing the next invoice, and keep your old invoices as they were.

A tidy invoice with your UEN takes seconds to produce once it is set up, and it makes your business look as professional on paper as it is in person.

Invoices for corporate clients

Some clients book on behalf of their company, for example a team-building session or wellness day. They may ask for the invoice to be addressed to their company. Note the company name and contact on the client record, so the invoice goes out correctly the first time and nobody has to chase a reissue.

Receipts and paid invoices

When a client pays you in person or by bank transfer, mark the invoice as paid. The client then has a clear record, and your list of invoices shows at a glance what is outstanding. A short monthly review of unpaid invoices is usually enough for a small business.

Keeping records tidy

Use one numbering sequence for the whole business and never reuse a number. If you make a mistake, issue a new invoice rather than editing an old one after it has been sent. Tidy records make year-end work much easier for you and for anyone helping you with your accounts.

Starting out

If you have just registered your business, set up your invoice details before your first client books. It takes a few minutes, and every invoice from day one will look consistent and professional.

Check one invoice yourself as if you were the client: is the business name right, is the UEN correct, is the service clearly described, and is it obvious how to pay? If a client would have a question, fix the template once and every future invoice benefits. A few minutes spent here saves many small follow-up emails later in the year.