Chinese New Year’s (CNY) going to be really different this year.
With only eight people allowed at one household per visit, we can forget about gathering around and yelling ‘HUAT AH!’ while tossing our yu sheng.
Know what else’s different?
The way we can get our hands on those spanking new notes for our red packets.
No, we cannot just do walk-ins to exchange for new notes this year.
If you’re one who still prefers handing physical red packets to your relatives, here are some things you have to take note when withdrawing or exchanging for new notes this CNY.
TL;DR: Withdrawing or Exchanging for New Notes for CNY 2021
1) You have to pre-book an appointment at DBS, OCBC or UOB’s online reservation system before heading to the bank.
2) No walk-ins at banks allowed, other than for people aged 60 and above or those with disabilities.
3) For online reservations, each customer is only entitled to one reservation slot throughout the CNY period. You will also not be able to amend your booking after the reservation is made.
4) To get new notes without pre-booking, there will be pop-up ATMs which will be disbursing new or good-as-new notes at various locations across Singapore.
5) Customers are limited to a maximum of three withdrawals at these ATMs with a limited number of new notes.
6) Pop-up ATMs are available from 25 Jan 2021 to 10 Feb 2021 (10am to 10pm), and 11 Feb 2021 (10am to 1pm).
DBS/POSB Customers
Online Reservation
Online reservations will be available from 18 to 23 Jan 2021, 24 Jan 2021 to 5 Feb 2021, and reservations must be made at least two days before the collection date.
Do note that you MUST make a reservation before heading down to the bank for collection of new notes.
Here’s how to make a reservation:
Step 1: Visit DBS’s secured online notes reservation site.
Step 2: Key in your ATM/Debit/Credit Card Number and PIN for verification. (Login with last 4 digits of card number and your card pin)
Step 3: Indicate the number of DBS QR Gift Pack(s) and the desired quantity of notes for $2, $10, $50 (notes denomination).
Step 4: Confirm your details and selection. You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours upon submitting your request.
Step 5: Collect your notes at the selected branch during the specified date and time.
Reservation service will be available from 9am on:
- 18 Jan to 23 Jan 2021 for collection dates between 25 to 29 Jan 2021
- 24 Jan to 5 Feb 2021 for collection dates between 26 Jan to 10 Feb 2021
Important note: Please bring along your NRIC/Passport and ATM or debit card for the collection, and ensure that there are sufficient funds in your account at the point of collection.
For online reservations, each customer is only entitled to one reservation slot throughout the CNY period.
You will also not be able to amend your booking after the reservation is made.
Notes reservation will be cancelled if the reserved notes are not collected on the date and location that was selected.
Note: Due to COVID-19 measures, age declaration is required due to the allocation of time slots available.
| Age Group | Number of slots per branch |
| 59 and below | 60 |
| 60 and above | 40 |
Pop-Up ATM
There will be pop-up ATMs available at Community Clubs from 25 Jan 2021 to 10 Feb 2021 (10am to 10pm), and 11 Feb 2021 (10am to 1pm).
Do note that the last replenishment of new notes will be made on 11 Feb 2021.
These ATMs will not be in service outside operating hours due to COVID-19 measures.
Each customer can make up to 3 withdrawals during this period, and you can use any DBS/POSB card that is linked to your deposit accounts to withdraw these notes.
These ATMs are also customised to dispense note denominations of $2, $10 and $50.
There are 20 locations for ATMs at Community Clubs:
| Pop-up ATMs at Community Clubs | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yuhua Community Club | 90 Boon Lay Way 609958 |
| 2 | Keat Hong Community Club | 2 Choa Chu Kang Loop 689687 |
| 3 | Yew Tee Community Club | 20 Choa Chu Kang Street 52 689286 |
| 4 | Henderson Community Club | 500 Bukit Merah View 159682 |
| 5 | Macpherson Community Club | 400 Paya Lebar Way 379131 |
| 6 | Toa Payoh Central Community Club | 93 Toa Payoh Central 319194 |
| 7 | Chong Pang Community Club | 21 Yishun Ring Road 768667 |
| 8 | Bedok Community Club | 850 New Upper Changi Road 467352 |
| 9 | Teck Ghee Community Club | 861 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 569734 |
| 10 | Tampines West Community Club | 5 Tampines Avenue 3 529705 |
| 11 | Whampoa Community Club | 300 Whampoa Drive 327737 |
| 12 | Bukit Batok East Community Club | 23 Bukit Batok East Avenue 4 659841 |
| 13 | Taman Jurong Community Club | 1 Yung Sheng Road 618495 |
| 14 | Woodland Galaxy Community Club | 31 Woodlands Avenue 6 738991 |
| 15 | Ci Yuan Community Club | 51 Hougang Avenue 9 538776 |
| 16 | Sengkang Community Club | 2 Sengkang Square 545025 |
| 17 | Changi Simei Community Club | 10 Simei Street 2 529915 |
| 18 | Bukit Panjang Community Club | 8 Pending road 678295 |
| 19 | Clementi Community Club | 220 Clementi Avenue 4 129880 |
| 20 | Pasir Ris Elias Community Club | 93 Pasir Ris Drive 3 519498 |
And 21 digital lobbies:
| Digital Lobby | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | POSB Ang Mo Kio North Digital Lobby | Blk 629 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 #01-1018 560629 |
| 2 | POSB Canberra CC Digital Lobby | 2 Sembawang Crescent #01-02 Canberra CC 757632 |
| 3 | POSB Nee Soon South Digital Lobby | 30 Yishun Street 81 #01-04 Nee Soon South CC 768455 |
| 4 | POSB Toa Payoh North Digital Lobby | Blk 107 Toa Payoh Lor 1 #01-266 310107 |
| 5 | POSB Yishun North Digital Lobby | Blk 290 Yishun St 22 #01-401 760290 |
| 6 | SCAPE Digital Lobby | 2 Orchard Link #02-07/08 237978 |
| 7 | Aperia Digital Lobby | 12 Kallang Ave #01-53A Aperia Mall 339511 |
| 8 | POSB Bedok North Digital Lobby | Blk 539 Bedok North St 3 #01-647 Bedok North Digital Lobby 460539 |
| 9 | DBS Raffles Link | One Raffles Link #B1-28/30 Citylink Mall 039393 |
| 10 | POSB Potong Pasir CC Digital Lobby | 6 Potong Pasir Ave 2 #01-02 Potong Pasir CC 358361 |
| 11 | POSB SUTD | 20 Dover Drive Singapore University of Technology & Design Canteen 138682 |
| 12 | POSB Tampines Hub Digital Lobby | 51 Tampines Avenue 4, Unit #B1-20, Tampines Hub 529684 |
| 13 | POSB Boon Lay Digital Lobby | 10 Boon Lay Place #01-06 Boon Lay CC 649882 |
| 14 | POSB Bukit Batok West Digital Lobby | 153 Bukit Batok West Street 11 #01-290/292 650153 |
| 15 | POSB Great World City | 1 Kim Seng Promenade #01-126 Great World City 237994 |
| 16 | POSB Nanyang Estate Digital Lobby | Blk 960 Jurong West St 92 #01-174 640960 |
| 17 | POSB West Coast CC Digital Lobby | 2 Clementi West St 2 #01-06 West Coast CC 129605 |
| 18 | POSB Zhenghua CC Digital Lobby | 1 Segar Road #01-06 Zhenghua CC 677738 |
| 19 | POSB Rivervale Plaza Digital Lobby | 118 Rivervale Dr #01-21 540118 |
| 20 | Taman Jurong Community Club | 1 Yung Sheng Road 618495 |
| 21 | Macpherson Community Club | 400 Paya Lebar Way 379131 |
Withdrawal Denominations & Options
New notes exchange limit is set at $2,000.
| Denominations | Amount Options |
| $2 (New) | $0, $200, $400, $600 or $800 (Good as new notes will be given if you reserve above $400) |
| $10 | $0, $500, $1000 |
| $50 | $0, $500, $1000 |
For pop-up ATMs, there is a maximum of 3 withdrawals throughout the CNY period.
| Options | Amount & Denominations |
| Option 1 | $100 = $2 x 50 pcs |
| Option 2 | $300 = $10 x 30 pcs |
| Option 3 | $500 = $50 x 10 pcs |
| Option 4 | $600 = $10 x 20 pcs + $50 x 8 pcs |
Branch Walk-Ins (for Customers Above 60 Years Old or People With Disabilities)
For branch walk-ins, new notes exchange at the outlets will begin from 25 Jan 2021 to 11 Feb 2021.
This is for customers who are aged above 60 years old or people with disabilities.
DBS or POSB branches:
| Central | East | Southwest |
|---|---|---|
| DBS Ang Mo Kio Central Branch | DBS Kovan Branch | DBS Bukit Timah Branch |
| DBS MBFC Branch | DBS Parkway Parade Branch | DBS Choa Chu Kang Branch |
| DBS Plaza Singapura Branch | DBS Towner Road Branch | DBS Clementi Central Branch |
| DBS Thomson Branch | POSB Bedok Central Branch | DBS HarbourFront Branch |
| DBS Toa Payoh Branch | POSB Hougang Central Branch | POSB Bukit Batok Central Branch |
| DBS Woodlands Branch | POSB Paya Lebar Branch | POSB Buona Vista Branch |
| POSB Kampung Admiralty Branch | POSB Serangoon Central Branch | POSB Jurong East Central Branch |
| POSB Toa Payoh Central Branch | POSB Tampines Central Branch | POSB Tiong Bahru Branch |
| POSB Yishun Central Branch | POSB Waterway Point Branch | POSB Bukit Panjang Branch |
| DBS South Bridge Branch | POSB White Sands Branch | DBS Westgate Branch |
| DBS Bishan Branch | POSB Compass One Branch | POSB Jurong West Branch |
| DBS Suntec City Branch | DBS Tampines One Branch | POSB Yew Tee Branch |
| DBS Yishun West Branch | POSB East Point Branch | POSB Jurong Point Branch |
| POSB Tanjong Pagar Branch | ||
| POSB Square 2 Branch |
OCBC Customers
OCBC will also have its online reservation service from 18 Jan 2021 to 6 Feb 2021.
Online Reservation
Customers will be required to enter their ATM, Credit or Debit Card number and card PIN for verification, followed by 2-factor authentication using an SMS OTP (sent to the mobile number registered with an OCBC Online Banking account).
Available Reservation Dates
18 to 22 Jan 2021: For collection between 25 to 27 Jan 2021
23 Jan 2021 to 6 Feb 2021: For collection 3 to 5 days after booking, subject to the availability of slots
No changes to the reservation details may be made after making the online reservation.
Denominations & Options
The overall limit for the exchange of notes is $1,200.
| Denominations | Amount Options |
| $2
(Available in multiples of 100) |
$200 |
| $10
(Available in multiples of 10) |
$500 |
| $50 (Available in multiples of 2) | $1,200 |
| Maximum amount: Up to $1,200 only | |
Note: You may receive good-as-new $2 notes in place of new $2 notes, for the denominations reserved.
UOB Customers
UOB customers can also reserve new notes from 18 Jan 2021 onwards.
Customers can access the new notes reservation form via UOB Personal Internet Banking or UOB Mighty by following these 3 steps:
1) Key in name and contact details
2) Select notes denominations
3) Select preferred branch, date and time of appointment
Do note that you need a UOB Personal Internet Banking or UOB Mighty account before being able to do so.
The online reservation slots are available on a first-come-first-serve basis, which means that you gotta be quick if you would like to select your preferred branch, date or time slot.
Withdrawal Denominations & Options
| Denominations | Amount Options |
| $2 | $200 only |
| $10 | Up to $500 (in multiples of $100) |
| $50 | Up to $500 (in multiples of $100) |
| Maximum amount: Up to $1,200 only | |
Reservation service will be available on:
- 18 Jan to 23 Jan 2021 for collection dates between 25 to 29 Jan 2021
- 24 Jan to 5 Feb 2021 for collection dates between 26 Jan to 10 Feb 2021
Maybank Singapore Customers
Maybank is also allowing its customers to reserve their “LNY Fortune Bundle” (new notes) online.
How to place an order:
1. Login to Maybank Online Banking.
2. Go to the “Settings” tab and select “Lunar New Year Fortune Bundle”.
3. Key in the quantity of Fortune Bundles that you wish to reserve.
4. Select your preferred “Collection Branch”. Collect your Fortune Bundle(s) from your preferred Collection Branch with your identification documents (e.g. NRIC) and a copy of the email confirmation.
5. Collect your Fortune Bundle(s) from your preferred Collection Branch with your identification documents (e.g. NRIC) and a copy of the email confirmation.
Each individual can place up to 2 Lunar New Year Fortune Bundles during the entire CNY period.
Your account will be debited immediately upon the confirmation of the transaction. Therefore, no cancellation or amendment can be made.
Similarly, the LNY Fortune Bundle can be collected from the selected branch 2 business days from the order date, between 25 Jan 2021 to 10 Feb 2021.
If the order is not collected, it will be cancelled and the funds will be credited back to the debiting account on 11 Feb 2021.
Giving Red Packets this Chinese New Year 2021
We all know that CNY this year will be slightly different, and even our new notes collection is not spared.
If you’re too lazy to follow the steps above….
Why not check out e-hongbaos instead?
Given how 330 tonnes of carbon emissions are generated by the production of new notes for each Chinese New Year… 🤯
You can help to save the Earth by doing this little switch this New Year!
Happy Chinese New Year!
