Marketing Services Agreement in Singapore: Template and Key Clauses (2026)

A marketing services agreement in Singapore is a contract between a client and an agency or freelancer for advertising, digital marketing, social media, content, SEO or campaign work. Singapore follows common law contract principles, so the contract itself carries most of the weight, with GST, data protection and advertising rules sitting on top. This guide sets out the law, the key clauses and a working skeleton. It is general information, not legal advice; confirm a live deal with a Singapore lawyer. ## What law governs a marketing services agreement in Singapore? Singapore contract law is based on English common law, developed by the Singapore courts. There is no single marketing statute, so the written agreement defines the scope, fees, ownership and liability. Around it sit tax, data protection and advertising rules. ## GST on fees Marketing and advertising services supplied in Singapore are generally subject to Goods and Services Tax (GST) at the prevailing standard rate, which is 9 percent following the increase that took effect in 2024. State whether fees are inclusive or exclusive of GST, and confirm each party's GST-registration status and invoicing requirements. Cross-border supplies have their own GST treatment, so confirm the position for overseas clients. ## Data protection and direct marketing (PDPA and Do Not Call) The Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA) governs the collection, use and disclosure of personal data, and it matters a great deal in marketing: - Consent and purpose rules apply to using customer data for campaigns.

• The Do Not Call (DNC) registry provisions restrict sending marketing messages by call, text or fax to Singapore numbers listed on the registry without clearance or an ongoing relationship exemption, and require clear sender identification.
• Where the agency processes personal data on the client's behalf, the agreement should set data-protection obligations, security measures and breach handling, and clarify roles. The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) enforces the PDPA, and penalties for breaches can be significant, so build compliance into the contract. ## Advertising standards and claims Advertising in Singapore is expected to be legal, decent, honest and truthful, in line with the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice administered by the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS). Misleading claims can also raise consumer-protection exposure. The agreement should allocate responsibility for claim substantiation, approvals and disclosure of paid or sponsored content, and indemnify according to who created or supplied the content. ## Intellectual property in creatives Decide ownership of the creative work. Without an express assignment, the creator may hold copyright, so if the client is to own logos, campaigns, designs and content, the agreement must assign the intellectual property expressly. Address third-party assets (stock images, music, fonts) and their licences, and separate the agency's own tools and know-how (which it keeps) from client deliverables (which transfer). ## Media spend and cross-border work Singapore agencies often run regional campaigns, so decide how media spend is handled: pass-through at actual cost with separate line items, or bundled into a retainer, with any markup disclosed. Keep original media invoices so the client can verify spend and reclaim GST where it applies. Because campaigns frequently reach audiences outside Singapore, confirm which country's advertising and data rules apply to each market, since disclosure and consent requirements differ across the region. State who owns the advertising accounts, pixels and audience lists, because that ownership decides whether the client can switch agencies without losing its campaign history, and record which party is responsible for compliance in each target market. ## Key clauses in a Singapore marketing services agreement - Scope of services: channels, deliverables, campaigns and exclusions.
• Fees and payment: retainer or project fees, media spend handling, GST, invoicing and payment timing.
• Approvals: the client sign-off process before publication.
• Intellectual property: assignment of deliverables and treatment of third-party and agency assets.
• Advertising compliance: the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice, claim substantiation and disclosure of paid promotion.
• Data protection: PDPA obligations, DNC compliance, security and breach handling.
• Performance and reporting: metrics, reports and review cadence.
• Confidentiality: strategy, budgets and customer data.
• Exclusivity and non-solicitation: competitor work and staff protections.
• Liability and indemnity: split by who created or supplied the content.
• Term, termination and governing law: notice, handover of assets, Singapore law and dispute resolution. ## A simple drafting skeleton 1. Parties and date

2. Definitions (services, deliverables, media spend)
3. Scope of services and exclusions
4. Client approvals and cooperation
5. Fees, media spend and GST
6. Invoicing and payment
7. Intellectual property and assignment
8. Advertising compliance
9. Data protection (PDPA and Do Not Call)
10. Reporting and performance
11. Confidentiality
12. Exclusivity and non-solicitation
13. Liability and indemnity
14. Term and termination
15. Governing law and dispute resolution
16. Signatures Give the most attention to the fees and GST, intellectual property assignment, and PDPA and DNC compliance, because these decide the money, who owns the work and whether the marketing is lawful. ## Keeping a portfolio of these contracts under control The hard part is rarely one agreement. It is tracking many of them at once: which service level or scope applies, when each renewal or notice period falls, which liability position you accepted, and whether a clause was quietly changed in the last draft. That work (drafting from a tuned template, flagging risky clauses per clause, tracking renewals and keeping versions straight) is what an AI contract workspace can hold in one place. Adira is built for this: one AI workspace tuned to your company and built on Claude, with per-clause risk review, plain-English clause editing and a live activity timeline. It is India-first today with other jurisdictions on its roadmap, so verify local depth before relying on it for Singapore law. More at Adira. The law above stands on its own. ## Bottom line A Singapore marketing services agreement runs on common law contract principles, with GST at 9 percent, PDPA and Do Not Call obligations for customer data and direct marketing, and advertising standards under the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice. Assign the creative IP to the client, set the fee and tax position clearly, build in PDPA and DNC compliance, and take Singapore advice before signing a real deal.