Issue #39: What’s Happening This Week? $1,000 LifeSG Credits For Families, HSBC Revolution Buff Extension, and More

This week’s money news is all about upgrades, perks and shifting habits. A trusty commuter card just got a buff, a food delivery app is running mega promos, and two bank cards are tweaking their bonus modes—one extended, the other reshuffled.

We’re also seeing a playful new way kids are learning finance, fresh government support for parents with bigger families, and a survey revealing how young adults here really save, spend and invest. Seven quick stories, plenty of insights—let’s jump in.

TLDR; Citi and SMRT renewed their 20-year partnership, buffing the Citi SMRT Card with cross-border savings, 20-cent F&B deals, and a mobile game while digital-savvy commuters drive strong growth. foodpanda is “buffing” September with pandapro week and panda fest 2025, offering up to 40% off meals and 25%+ grocery flash sales to help Singaporeans stretch their dollar. HSBC extended the Revolution Card’s temporary buff till Feb 2026, letting users earn 4 mpd on travel and contactless spend with a higher $1,500 monthly cap. Great Eastern launched the Great FinChamp Challenge, a nationwide online game teaching kids aged 7–12 money skills through play with prizes like $3,000 CapitaLand vouchers. Large families in Singapore will get $1,000 yearly LifeSG credits per third and subsequent child aged 1–6, usable for groceries, transport and more, plus CDA and MediSave boosts. UOB PRVI Miles Card’s Expedia promo is changing from 15 Sep 2025, with hotel stays boosted to 8 mpd but flights cut to 3 mpd. A survey of 1,000 young Singaporeans shows they prefer high-interest savings accounts earning $100–$400 monthly over risky bets like crypto, while focusing on insurance, prudent spending, and CPF SA top-ups for retirement.

Psst, missed last week’s issue? View all past editions of What’s Happening This Week? to catch up.

 

Citi SMRT Card gets a buff after 20-year partnership renewal

The Citi SMRT Card has just levelled up. Citi and SMRT have renewed their 20-year partnership, and with it come fresh perks to make commuting and daily spending even more rewarding.

Here’s what’s new on the card “upgrade list”:

• Cross-border bonus: 5% savings when you spend in Malaysian Ringgit, valid until 28 February 2026.
• 20-cent deals: Starting 19 September, enjoy snacks and drinks from popular F&B brands for just $0.20.
• Game on: A new “Rush Hour Run” mobile game lets you snag vouchers from Lazada, ZALORA, and more.

Some fun facts:

• Payments via digital wallets linked to the Citi SMRT Card grew 7x between 2019 and 2024.
• Young adults are catching on—sign-ups from under-30s jumped 70% in the last three years.

So whether you’re commuting, shopping, or just looking for extra savings, this card keeps making daily life a little smoother.

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ALSO READ: Is the Citi SMRT Card Singapore’s Most Underrated Cashback Card? (MoneySmart Review 2025)

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foodpanda buffs September with massive food and grocery savings

September’s looking tasty—literally. foodpanda is rolling out two mega promos this month that’ll help stretch your dollar whether you’re ordering dinner or stocking the pantry.

Here’s the lowdown:

pandapro week (1–7 Sep 2025)

• 40% off at big-name eateries like McDonald’s, Jollibee, Burger King, Pastamania and The Soup Spoon.
• 30% off or more at pandamart, Giant, Cold Storage and Guardian.
• Extra perk: $3 off delivery on all food orders for pandapro subscribers.

panda fest 2025 (8–28 Sep 2025)

• Weekly 20% off groceries for all users.
• Daily flash sales: 25%+ off treats, pantry staples and must-haves from brands like Oreo, Coca-Cola, Kleenex and Pokka.

In short: whether it’s a kopi run, family dinner, or snack stock-up, foodpanda’s September “buff” means fewer dollars leaving your wallet and more food landing at your doorstep.

 

HSBC Revolution Card buff extended till Feb 2026

Good news for miles chasers—the HSBC Revolution Card’s “temporary buff” just got a long extension. What was meant to expire on 31 Oct 2025 will now run all the way till 28 Feb 2026.

So, what’s in this buff?

Before 1 Jul 2025:

• 4 mpd only on online spend
• $1,000 monthly cap (9,000 bonus points)
• Excludes travel and contactless payments

Now (until 28 Feb 2026):

• 4 mpd on travel and contactless spend (airlines, hotels, car rentals, cruises, tap payments)
• Higher cap: $1,500 monthly spend (13,500 bonus points)

If you’ve got big travel bookings or prefer to tap and go for daily spending, this is one of the most rewarding no-fee cards in town.

 

LifeSG credits: $1,000 boost for large families, every year till age 6

Parents with 3 or more young kids, here’s some relief for your household budget. From 10 Sep 2025, the government disbursed $1,000 in LifeSG credits for each third and subsequent Singaporean child aged one to 6—and will continue to do so each year.

Here’s how it works:

Child birth year	1st disbursement	Subsequent disbursements	Amount per year
2019–2024	10 Sep 2025	Every April (from 2026)	$1,000 credits
2025 onwards	Apr 2026	Every April	$1,000 credits

Quick facts:

• Credits are auto-disbursed to the CDA trustee via the LifeSG app.
• Parents will get an SMS from gov.sg once the payout is made.
• Can be used for groceries, pharmacy items, utilities, and transport at merchants that accept PayNow UEN QR or NETS QR.

This is part of the Large Families Scheme, which also includes a $10,000 CDA First Step Grant (doubled from before) and a $5,000 MediSave grant for mums to offset pregnancy or family healthcare costs.

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ALSO READ: Government-Supported Childcare vs Private Childcare: Which Should You Choose? (2025)

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UOB PRVI Miles Expedia promo gets a reshuffle from 15 Sep 2025

If you’ve been using your UOB PRVI Miles Card for Expedia bookings, take note—things are changing from 15 Sep 2025. The card’s special Expedia earn rates are getting a buff for hotels but a nerf for flights, so strategy matters if you want to squeeze the most miles out of your spend.

Before vs after:

Period	Flights	Hotels / Packages / Other services
Till 14 Sep 2025	UNI$15 per $5 (≈ 6 mpd)	UNI$15 per $5 (≈ 6 mpd)
15 Sep 2025 – 31 Mar 2026	UNI$7.5 per $5 (≈ 3 mpd)	UNI$20 per $5 (≈ 8 mpd)

What this means: hotels and packages are now the sweet spot (8 mpd is rare for a general card), while flights take a big downgrade. But there’s a catch—Expedia prices on the dedicated PRVI Miles site may be higher than booking direct, which could eat into (or even cancel out) the extra miles. Always compare before hitting “book”.

 

Survey: Young workers pick safe savings over risky bets

A new survey of about 1,000 Singaporeans aged 18 to 30 shows that young employees here are far more practical savers than YOLO investors. While crypto and other high-risk products barely register, many prefer high-interest savings accounts that earn them an extra $100–$400 a month just by crediting their salaries or spending on linked cards.

How young workers are managing money:

• 73% have bank savings accounts (most with high-interest bonus features).
• Only 12% use robo-advisors or micro-investment apps.
• Popular low-risk options: fixed deposits, ETFs, bonds, gold and real estate.
• Nearly 50% say they prefer slow, steady growth over chasing high returns.

Insurance matters too:

• 63% hold life insurance.
• 40% have private hospitalisation cover.
• 37% bought critical illness policies.

Lifestyle choices also lean prudent: debit cards > credit cards, saving for holidays over luxury goods, and impulse buys kept in check.

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ALSO READ: Fixed Deposit Alternatives in Singapore—5 Easy, Low-Risk Investments

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That’s it for this week! Stay tuned for next week’s What’s Happening This Week to keep up with the latest in finance, business, and beyond. 

This article was first drafted with the help of AI and later reviewed and refined by the author.

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About the author

Vanessa Nah likes her finance articles the way she likes her sitcoms—light-hearted, entertaining, and leaving people knowing a little more about life. She believes money—like life—should be made simple. Outside of work, you’ll find Vanessa attending dance classes, fingerpicking a guitar, and fulfilling her life mission to make her one-eyed cat the most spoiled kitty in the world.

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