NETS honoured at SBR National Business Awards 2025

The company was commended for its Tappy Cat Campaign that drives awareness and growth for contactless payments.

NETS, a leading digital payment solutions provider in Singapore, was hailed as the recipient of the Marketing - Payments accolade at the SBR National Business Awards 2025.

The recognition was given to the company for being at the forefront of the country’s digitalisation journey with its Tappy Cat Campaign.

Whilst the traditional “Insert to Pay” (PIN/ATM) method has long been associated with NETS, the company has been expanding its payment options to include easier ways to pay, such as tapping and scanning.

In recent years, NETS has seen tap payments increase significantly, with a strong double-digit growth year on year. However, there is still opportunity to educate consumers who are using PIN to pay. NETS launched the “NETS Tappy Cat” campaign in 2024 to drive awareness and encourage greater use of tap payments. This campaign focusses on driving “Tap to Pay” as a faster alternative to “Insert to Pay” (PIN/ATM) method, improving the user’s payment experience and helping merchants streamline transactions.

In conceptualising the campaign, NETS partnered with DDB and aimed to create an approach that would target both merchant partners and consumers. Since contactless payments were not new, the campaign had to stand out and be remarkable in the market.

To achieve this, the campaign utilised the iconic and beloved fortune cat as the key visual. The "NETS Tappy Cat" became the campaign's central character, symbolising the ease and speed of tap payments. The cat, in its playful adventures, taps to get what it wants faster and easier. Merchants were also encouraged to utilise POS materials featuring the NETS Tappy Cat at key touch points, which would continue to promote the campaign beyond its initial duration.

To make the fortune cat truly unique to NETS, CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) animation was used to create a distinctive version of the Tappy Cat. The team spent weeks fine-tuning the design to ensure consistency across all campaign materials and the point-of-sale figurines for merchants.

Running from July to December 2024, the campaign used a variety of channels to reach its audience, including above-the-line (ATL), below-the-line (BTL), out-of-home (OOH), digital, and social media. The campaign also worked with six merchant partners to drive the usage of NETS tap payments: Koufu, Don Don Donki, Japan Home, Sheng Siong, Daiso, and Decathlon.

In addition to the consumer-focussed efforts, an internal launch was held to generate awareness amongst NETS staff. A merchant walkabout was conducted as well to educate businesses on the ease of accepting tap payments with NETS.

The media campaign achieved over 80% reach, with a brand recall increased by 14%. Payment volume also grew by more than 80%, and transaction count increased by 40% year-on-year from July to December. Additionally, the number of cards used for tap payments rose by over 20%.

With its continued success, NETS is strengthening its position as a leader in digital payments in Singapore and beyond.

The SBR National Business Awards, which was established in 2016, applauds the achievements of homegrown companies in Singapore. It highlights the business initiatives, strategies, and impactful projects that have built a strong reputation in the competitive landscape of Singapore.

Serving as a platform for leaders, the awards programme honours those who are setting new benchmarks in Singapore's dynamic economy.

The SBR National Business Awards is presented by Singapore Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's exceptional contributions to the local business landscape in Singapore, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].