Singapore’s government has encouraged businesses to integrate Singpass in recent years, largely because it is one of eight strategic national projects that drive Singapore’s Smart Nation vision. However, even not many business owners know what Singpass is and why Singpass integration is vital for their businesses.
In this post, we will walk you through the definition, the benefits, Singpass APIs, and the Singpass integration guide in 3 steps.
1. What is Singpass?
Singapore Personal Access (or Singpass) is the national digital identity system launched in 2003. It is a gateway to over 2.000 e-services provided by more than 60 government agencies.
The following groups of users are eligible to apply for SingPass:
– Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents.
– Employment Pass and Personalised Employment Pass holders.
– EntrePass holders.
– S-Pass holders.
– Dependant Pass holders (EP, PEP, EntrePass, and S-Pass holders).
– Selected Work Permit holders.
– Long-Term Visit Pass Plus (LTVP+) holders.
After almost ten years, Singpass become the most trusted digital identity system in Singapore. This system now has more than 3.3 million registered users. One great thing about Singpass is that users only have to remember one password when connecting and transacting with the Government. Businesses can also integrate Singpass into the existing system without disrupting their infrastructure.
2. Why Singpass Integration is Vital to Business?
Singapore’s government has encouraged businesses to integrate Singpass in recent years, largely because it is one of eight strategic national projects that drive Singapore’s Smart Nation vision.
Being that, this strategy doesn’t only serve the Singapore government’s purpose. Businesses can also receive many great benefits from integrating ass:
– High usability from 80% of eligible customers to complete their transactions.
– 80% reduction in digital transaction time.
– 20% improved user experience (UX).
– 15% increase in transaction approvals from better data quality.
To date, Singpass facilitates about 300 million personal and corporate transactions every year (GovTech Singapore, 2021). And it serves approximately 97% of Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 15 and above (GovTech Singapore, 2021). That’s why having in-app Singpass can bring a better chance to satisfy customers’ needs and gain more revenue.
3. What Singpass APIs Should Businesses Consider Integrating?
The singpass system covers 5 main digital services. Businesses can choose which one to integrate based on the business demands.
3.1. Verify
Face-to-face customer acquisition just got easier, whether you are a charity seeking, a club recruiting new members, a bank acquiring customers for credit cards, or a telco shop getting new signups, you need to verify the identity of your customers.
During this process, customers often find it a hassle to provide documents for verification and this means lots of paperwork for you and your staff.
As a result, you may have long queues, and frustrated customers who may even worry about their personal data security.
All these could cost your precious business opportunities.
How Verify API can enhance your digital service
– Align with PDPC’s NRIC Advisory Guidelines: Businesses can verify users digitally without collecting or retaining physical NRICs, FIN cards, and NRIC/FIN numbers. Verify is a recommended alternative means to conduct identity verification.
– Less form filling: Users can share their relevant data quickly by scanning a QR code and providing consent via Singpass Mobile.
3.2. QR Login
Acquiring customers online can be difficult. They may give up halfway when spending too much time filling in personal details.
Verifying their details can also be a hassle for your business. Even after signing up, customers often forget their passwords, which means they cannot log in to digital services, and have to call your hotline or go to your counter to get help. Such customer service operations can be costly to your business, and maintaining a user login system is also not any cheaper, or easier.
In fact, you may lose customers who just want an easy and simple option.
How QR Login can enhance your digital service
– Tap on an established and secure authentication gateway for all your digital services.
– Agencies can easily launch an authentication gateway with the instructions provided.
– Get access to 4 million Singpass users.
– Ready pool of users familiar with authentication gateway and Singpass app.
– Faster digital signups to get more customers online.
3.3. Sign
Sign with Singpass empowers businesses and their customers when digitally signing agreements. Sign with Singpass uses signing certificates issued by the National Certification Authority. Upon the National Certification Authority’s accreditation, signatures made using the Sign with Singpass will be regarded as secure electronic signatures under Singapore’s Electronic Transactions Act.
How Sign enhance your digital service
– Use Sign with Singpass based on your needs: You can choose to integrate Sign with Singpass with your own document management systems or use it together with the solutions provided by our digital signing partners.
– Conveniently sign documents remotely: Users can easily sign documents without face-to-face meetings.
– Leverage cryptographic technology: The digital signature is cryptographically linked to the signer, providing businesses with higher assurance of the authenticity and integrity of the signed documents.
3.4. Identiface
Identiface is a secure authentication method by simply having your user scan their face.
This service is ideal for use cases that require step-up authentication or to ascertain the user’s presence.
How Identiface can enhance your digital service
–Tap on a secure biometric authentication platform: You do not have to build, secure, and maintain a biometric database and biometric system implementation. Integration is achieved easily through bundled SDKs and APIs.
–Your user’s data is protected: Your user’s captured facial data through Identiface is encrypted and stored in Government servers.
–Simplified user journey: With a valid NRIC/FIN number and upon obtaining consent, users can simply scan their faces to be authenticated.
–Fraud detection technology: Identiface incorporates Presentation Attack Detection technology into the authentication process as a means of prevention against impersonation attempts.
By choosing Identiface, a digital service from Singpass, your business can use it to securely authenticate customers. Integration is easy. You don’t have to build your own biometrics infrastructure.
3.5. MyInfo
MyInfo enables citizens and residents to manage the use of their personal data for simpler online transactions. All Singpass users are automatically provisioned with a MyInfo profile. Users are able to view their personal data and access records of past usage via the Singpass app.
How MyInfo can enhance your digital service
– Less form filling, higher data quality: Users can share their data by providing consent via Singpass and organizations no longer have to deal with manual data management.
– Data from government sources: With data from participating government sources, this allows the provisioning of products instantly, where applicable.
4. 3-Step Guide for Singpass Integration
“Singpass integration is easy”, quoted from the official website Singpass. They have three pieces of evidence to back up this point:
– Businesses don’t have to build a digital identity from the beginning
– Businesses don’t need to have code experience, all they need is a trustful tech partner to integrate for them
– Businesses receive support from the Government with detailed guidelines that make the integrating process much easier.
Developers can integrate these APIs into existing web pages using HTML and Javascript. To facilitate this process, there are tutorials available to guide you through the authentication process, including the use of JavaScript QR code lib.
However, these documents contain a lot of technical information, specifically for developers. Business owners without tech backgrounds might find it difficult to read.
That’s what this post is written for: Simplify the integration into 3 easy steps, which are easy to imagine and apply to any companies of all sizes and all industries.
Let’s dive in.
Step 1. Select your desired API from the Singpass API library
Browse through Singpass’ extensive API library to identiface the relevant API for your digital service and read through the principles and guidelines of the selected API. Tutorials are also available in the API library to guide you through the testing and deploying the API, without the need to log in.
Step 2. Submit your linkup request
Begin designing the user journey for your digital service with the principles and guidelines for the API in mind. You may also ride on the user journey templates provided or reference sample user journeys.
Then submit a linkup request once your user journey is completed.
Step 3. Deploy your application
Once your linkup request is approved, an App ID will be generated. This App configuration (i.e.X.509 public keys, JWKS endpoint, callbacks URLs, etc.) can then be used to deploy your application.
5. Future of Singpass Integration
Future developments for Singpass integration include features like Online “One Click” Registration, In-Person Identity Verification, Online Authentication, Remote Authorisation, and Digital Signing. By integrating Singpass, businesses can streamline their processes, enhance customer experience, and expand their digital service offerings.
6. Deploy Singpass from now on to Improve Customer Satisfaction
The use of Singpass has been growing rapidly, as it serves approximately 97% of Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 15 and above (GovTech Singapore, 2021)3. To satisfy customer demand, it’s a must for businesses seeking to integrate the system into their operations to streamline their processes and increase operational efficiency.
If you have any questions regarding Singpass integration, feel free to contact KVY TECH!
