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With a view to mitigate the emerging challenges in Singapore's e-commerce marketplace, Enterprise Singapore (ESG) through the Singapore Standards Council (SSC) has collaborated with the industry experts like, Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS), Consumers Association of Singapore, Singapore Retailers Association and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for rolling out the enhanced Technical Reference 76 (TR 76) Guidelines (Enhanced TR 76 Guidelines). The Enhanced TR 76 Guidelines aim to strengthen consumer trust and promote market competitiveness in the country.
Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce) has emerged as a fundamental pillar of modern economies which has led to a complete transformation in how people perceive shopping and how businesses reach their customers. In 2023, the services sector in Singapore saw e-commerce revenue reach S$393.9 billion, making up 7.9% of all operating revenue in that sector. This expansion has paved the way for businesses to venture further into online transactions to diversify services and broaden customer's reach and has reinforced the need for a robust framework to safeguard consumer interests.
Scope and Applicability of Enhanced TR 76 Guidelines
Reliance on online-shopping channels for daily essentials has amplified the need to strengthen consumer protection and establish more resilient safeguarding practices. The Enhanced TR 76 Guidelines addresses the underlying issues such as fake representation of product headline descriptions and search rankings to influence purchasing decisions of consumers, publishing fake reviews and misleading design features that dilute consumers' ability to make informed choices.
Enhanced TR 76 Guidelines apply to E-Marketplaces / E-Retailers, collectively referred to as 'platforms' as well as to merchants and sellers operating on such platforms.
Having identified the key challenges affecting consumer trust and fair competition in online marketplaces, the Enhanced TR 76 Guidelines provide a set of actionable measures to guide platforms and merchants in strengthening their internal processes. These measures span consumer protection, marketplace fairness, including responsible deployment of automated tools and enhanced anti-scam controls as set out below.
Consumer Protection
Platforms should display accurate product information, including discounts and terms, disclose how listings are ranked or sponsored and prevent misleading design practices (e.g. fake reviews, subscription traps, false urgency cues etc.).
Disclose information to allow customers to understand how products are recommended and displayed to them.
Provide accurate information about your product or service listings, such as prices, return and exchange policies and mandatory fees not included in the price.
Design user interfaces to allow listing information to be presented accurately before customers click on the listing, in case the listings consist of multiple products or services, or a range of applicable prices.
Have systems and processes in place to prevent misleading discounts and promotions listed.
Present applicable terms and conditions clearly, such as the period of the discount or any qualifying terms.
Fair Competition
E-marketplaces are expected to apply fair conditions for merchants, allow cross-platform selling, avoid preferential treatment of their own listings and maintain transparency in ranking algorithms and badging systems.
Set reasonable conditions for merchants using their service including policies for removal of listings and account termination.
Allow merchants to list and sell their products / services without being required to use other services provided, unless objectively justified.
Communicate reasons for removing a merchant's product listings or account in a timely manner.
Maintain appropriate dispute resolution mechanism to handle any complaints and appeals by merchants proactively.
Ensure transparency, fairness and compliance with cybersecurity and data protection while deploying automated tools and artificial intelligence systems on Platforms.
Use automated tools (like artificial intelligence and algorithms) in an explainable, transparent, and fair way.
Have systems and processes in place to manage legal risks from using automated tools.
Comply with competition, data protection, cybersecurity and other related laws.
Enhanced Anti-Scam Measures
E-marketplaces and e-retailers are encouraged under the Enhanced TR 76 Guidelines to conduct due diligence and identity verification against government records and/or with internal business tools and external verifications, where applicable.
Conduct due diligence and verify identity of merchants using government or internal solutions on merchants.
Have processes to receive and review scam-related information from authorities.
Implement fraud detection mechanisms, including proactive removal of suspicious accounts.
Respond to regulatory requests within 24 hours. (This excludes legal orders, for which platforms must comply within the legally stipulated deadline).
Retain records of transactions and account data to assist with investigations.
In light of these Enhanced TR 76 Guidelines, we have outlined key compliance measures that platforms and merchants should consider adopting. These are followed by a practical compliance roadmap to help organisations implement the Enhanced TR 76 Guidelines in a structured and sustainable manner.
Key Compliance guidelines for E-Marketplaces / E-Retailers (Collectively referred to as platforms)
Have mechanisms in place to confirm transparent usage of automated tools and artificial intelligence during deployment.
Comply with competition, data protection, cybersecurity and other related laws to manage any risks appropriately.
Promote fair listing conditions and allow businesses to use multiple e-market places to promote transparency.
Have processes in place to ensure no preferential treatment is given to the platform's own listings over similar merchant listings.
Conduct due diligence on merchants and verify their identity against government records or with internal business tools, where applicable.
Provide efficacious dispute resolution mechanisms.
Implement measures and enhanced identity verification protocols to protect customers upon detection of fraudulent activity.
Respond to regulatory requests expeditiously within 24 hours or the stipulated deadline (where provided).
Facilitate investigations, remediation and tracing of suspicious transactions by developing mechanisms to keep records of relevant account and transaction information.
Implement processes to identify suspicious content and account(s).
Key Compliance guidelines for Merchants / Sellers
Ensure that reviews are genuine. Abstain from copying positive customer reviews from other sellers of the same product or service to manipulate / alter customer reviews.
Establish processes in place to prevent fake representation of positive reviews.
Prohibition on claiming reviews from other sellers of the same product or service as your own offerings.
Compliance Roadmap for E-Marketplaces and Merchants
While the Enhanced TR 76 Guideline is available for purchase from the Singapore Standards eShop at (www.singaporestandardseshop.sg.) and will be necessary for platforms and merchants to create a structured approach towards implementing the Enhanced TR 76 Guidelines, organisations may consider adopting a compliance roadmap. The roadmap can provide a clear pathway for both platforms and merchants to align their operations and internal processes with the updated framework.
Conduct a gap analysis by reviewing existing platform operations, merchant onboarding processes and product listing practices.
Plug the gaps based on the assessment by enhancing governance measures to address the gaps identified. This may require platforms to implement clearer policies on merchant identity verification and product listing and review protocols.
Implement technology solutions in place to support fraud detection, content monitoring and transaction tracking.
Establish systems in place to respond promptly to regulatory requests an facilitate investigations regarding suspicious accounts or activities.
Conduct dedicated training sessions for internal teams on updated compliance processes.
Have systems in place to provide merchants with clear guidance on acceptable platform practices.
To enable platforms to meet the guidelines and address emerging risks promptly, conduct regular internal audits, process walkthroughs and technology evaluations.
Conclusion
First released in 2020 and revised in 2022, the Enhanced TR 76 Guidelines provides best practices for e-commerce businesses in Singapore. The latest revision announced on 26th September 2025 and updated on 2nd October 2025 addresses new challenges in the e-commerce market, improves consumer protection and ensures fair competition among e-marketplaces and e-retailers to keep Singapore's e-commerce market open and competitive. The Enhanced TR 76 Guidelines will help e-marketplaces and e-retailers on engaging merchants fairly, promote transparency in their dealings with merchants and provide effective dispute resolution mechanisms through fair listing conditions and allow businesses to use multiple e-marketplaces.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
