It's been a busy week on the home front: your favourite supermarket is making more daily essentials easier on the wallet, a major bank is dishing out millions to lighten everyday spending, and tens of thousands of HDB households are about to see their estates levelled up.
On the wallet-watch side, 2 popular savings accounts are getting trimmed, COE prices are turning heads again, the Aussie dollar is flexing its muscles, summer flight planning hits a sweet spot, smart trolleys are coming for your queue time, a dining perks app is bowing out, and a robo-advisor wants to reward your patience. Let's dive in.
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OCBC 360 and Standard Chartered Bonus$aver get nerfed on 1 May 2026
Two popular high-interest savings accounts are cutting their bonus rates from 1 May 2026, citing softer market expectations.
What's changing for Standard Chartered Bonus$aver:
Category | Before | From 1 May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
Salary Credit | 1.00% p.a. | 0.9% p.a. |
Card Spend | 1.00% p.a. | 0.9% p.a. |
Invest | 2.50% p.a. | 1.50% p.a. |
Insure | 2.50% p.a. | 2.50% p.a. (unchanged) |
Prevailing rate | 0.05% p.a. | 0.05% p.a. (unchanged) |
Max total | 7.05% p.a. | 5.85% p.a. |
What's changing for OCBC 360 (rates shown as first $75,000 / next $25,000):
Category | Before | From 1 May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
Salary | 1.20% / 2.40% | 1.00% / 2.00% |
Save | 0.40% / 0.80% | 0.40% / 0.40% |
Spend | 0.40% (flat) | 0.25% (flat) |
Insure | 1.20% / 2.40% | 1.00% / 2.00% |
Invest | 1.20% / 2.40% | 1.00% / 2.00% |
Grow (maintain $250,000 balance) | 2.00% on first $100,000 | 1.20% on first $100,000 |
Base rate | 0.05% | 0.05% (unchanged) |
Max total (excl. Grow) | 5.45% p.a. | 4.45% p.a. |
Qualifying criteria for both accounts are unchanged. Assuming you credit your salary, spend on a credit card, and grow your balance, here's what you'd earn from 1 May 2026 (the OCBC "Save" bonus applies; Standard Chartered has no equivalent):
Balance | OCBC 360 EIR | SC Bonus$aver EIR |
|---|---|---|
$25,000 | 1.70% | 1.85% |
$50,000 | 1.70% | 1.85% |
$75,000 | 1.70% | 1.85% |
$100,000 | 1.95% | 1.85% |
Standard Chartered edges ahead at lower balances, but OCBC pulls ahead at $100,000. If you're sitting near the cap, it's certainly worth comparing your options.
ALSO READ: 10 Best Savings Accounts in Singapore with the Highest Interest Rates
FairPrice Group triples its price freeze list to over 300 essentials
Feeling the squeeze at the supermarket? Some relief has landed. FairPrice Group (FPG) has teamed up with over 30 supplier partners to expand its price freeze initiative from 100 to more than 300 daily essentials. Locked-in prices will hold until 31 May 2026, with supply chain disruptions linked to the situation in the Middle East continuing to push costs up.
Newly added items include:
- Nestle cereal and coffee mix
- Kang Kang packaged noodles by TSK Foods
- Lee Kum Kee sauces and condiments
- Colgate toothpaste
- Head & Shoulders shampoo
There's extra help for lower-income households too. CHAS Blue and Orange cardholders now enjoy sweeter perks, funded by the FairPrice Foundation:
Benefit | CHAS Blue | CHAS Orange |
Store discount (till 29 May 2026) | 6% off (was 3%) | 6% off (was 3%) |
Online delivery service fee | $3.99 waived | $3.99 waived |
Discount day | Every Thursday | Every Friday |
Discounts apply automatically at checkout once your FPG App profile is verified via MyInfo—nearly 900,000 Link members have already signed up.
ALSO READ: Best Credit Cards for Groceries in Singapore
DBS rolls out $10m cashback to soften cost-of-living squeeze
If you bank with DBS or POSB, your weekly grocery and hawker runs are about to get cheaper. On 25 Apr 2026, DBS announced a $10 million cashback package—running from August to December 2026—for DBS/POSB cardholders and PayLah! users. Over 3 million redemptions are up for grabs.
Here's what's confirmed so far:
Month | Who qualifies | What you get | Where |
August | DBS/POSB cardholders | $3 off | Selected supermarkets (household essentials) |
September | PayLah! users (Saturdays only) | $3 cashback | Hawker centres and heartland shops |
More retailer details land in July. The move follows the Government's $1 billion support package announced on 7 Apr 2026 to cushion households from price rises tied to the Middle East conflict.
DBS isn't new to this. In 2025:
- It subsidised over $6 million in everyday purchases and hawker meals
- 36% of redemptions went to seniors or those earning under $2,500 a month
- Participating hawkers saw a 50% jump in Saturday PayLah! earnings
Nearly 29,000 HDB households set for neighbourhood upgrades
Living in an HDB flat? Your estate might be due for a glow-up. On 18 Apr 2026, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat announced upgrades for around 29,000 households across 2 schemes—many designed with seniors in mind, as Singapore officially became a super-aged society this year.
Here's how the 2 schemes shape up:
Scheme | Areas covered | Households | Investment |
Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) | Canberra, Hougang, Toa Payoh (17 projects) | ~20,000 | Over $130 million |
Silver Upgrading Programme (SUP) | Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Merah, Queenstown (10 precincts) | ~9,000 | Government-funded |
Expect senior-friendly touches such as:
- Fitness trails linking senior-centric amenities
- Sheltered ramps and seating areas
- Dementia-friendly wayfinding features
- Community gardens and barrier-free pathways
SUP works begin in the second half of 2026 and wrap up progressively from the second half of 2028. Since the NRP launched in 2007, more than $1.6 billion has gone into 246 projects covering 315,500 households. Town councils will gather resident feedback through exhibitions and surveys.
ALSO READ: HDB Renovation Cost & Loan Guide Singapore (2026)
Cat A COE jumps to $123,010, overtakes Cat B again
Eyeing a new car? Brace yourself. At the 22 Apr 2026 tender, the Category A COE—usually the cheaper option for mass-market cars and EVs—jumped 4.2% to $123,010, leapfrogging Category B at $121,001. It's the second time in 2 months that the "everyday" car COE has outpaced the premium one, and the highest Cat A premium since the $128,105 record in Oct 2025.
Here's the full tender breakdown:
Category | Used for | Latest premium | Change |
A | Smaller cars, mass-market EVs | $123,010 | +4.2% |
B | Larger, more powerful cars and EVs | $121,001 | Unchanged |
C | Commercial vehicles | $83,501 | +4.4% |
D | Motorcycles | $9,290 | -7.1% |
E | Open (any vehicle except motorcycles) | $125,002 | +3.3% |
Why the Cat A squeeze?
- Modern EVs blur the line between "small" and "premium" cars
- Fuel-price hikes are pushing buyers towards EVs (mostly Cat A)
- Dealers are stocking up ahead of The Car Expo on 9-10 May 2026
LTA's review of the COE categorisation is ongoing, and with many cars hitting their 10-year COE expiry, demand looks set to stay strong.
ALSO READ: COE Guide in Singapore (2026): What It Means, Bidding Process & Price Trends
HSBC pulls the plug on the ENTERTAINER app from 1 Jul 2026
If you've been racking up 1-for-1 deals through the ENTERTAINER with HSBC app, jot down the key dates. HSBC is winding down the programme as it refreshes its dining privileges, with the ENTERTAINER with HSBC app shutting down for good after 30 Jun 2026.
Here's the timeline at a glance:
Date | What happens |
|---|---|
30 Apr 2026 | New HSBC credit card accounts no longer issued an ENTERTAINER VIP membership key |
30 Jun 2026 | Last day for existing cardholders to use offers in the ENTERTAINER with HSBC app |
1 Jul 2026 | ENTERTAINER with HSBC programme officially discontinued; app no longer available |
The good news? HSBC has lined up a refreshed dining suite with 1-for-1 deals, priority reservations and other perks at some of Singapore's top-rated restaurants. Existing cardholders can keep redeeming ENTERTAINER offers until the app goes dark on 30 Jun 2026, so you've still got a couple of months to make the most of your favourite spots before the switch.
- on Contactless & Online Spending for cardholders who maintain at least S$50,000 average daily balance in your HSBC EGA SGD Account
- S$1 = 20X Points (8 miles)
- on Contactless & Online Spending for all other cardholders
- S$1 = 10X Points (4 miles)
- on All Other Spend
- S$1 = 1X Point
Get S$420 UPSIZED Cash or 6,140 SmartPoints (worth up to S$499 of Gifts) when you spend S$500 from Card Account Opening Date to end of the following calendar month!
PLUS, win a S$15,000 Dream Holiday to your preferred destination! T&Cs apply.
- on Dining, Shopping and Entertainment
- 8% Cashback*
- on fuel at Caltex and Shell gas stations in Singapore
- 5% Cashback*
- on All Other Spends
- 0.3% Cashback*
Get S$420 UPSIZED Cash or 6,140 SmartPoints (worth up to S$499 of Gifts) when you spend S$500 from Card Account Opening Date to end of the following calendar month!
PLUS, win a S$15,000 Dream Holiday to your preferred destination! T&Cs apply.
ALSO READ: Best Food Discount and Rewards Apps in Singapore—Chope, Burpple, Entertainer & More
Aussie dollar nears 1-year high—pricier travel and imports for Singaporeans
Planning a trip Down Under, sending kids to school there, or fond of Aussie wine? Brace your wallet. The Australian dollar (AUD) traded at about S$0.9112 on 24 Apr 2026, just shy of its 1-year high of S$0.9152 on 17 Apr 2026, according to Bloomberg.
Here's how the Aussie has moved against the Singdollar:
Period | Change in AUD vs SGD |
2025 | +1.54% |
2026 (year to date) | +6.1% |
OCBC year-end forecast | S$0.95 per A$1 |
Why is the Aussie flying high?
- It's a "commodity currency"—prices of natural gas, iron ore, lithium and gold have risen
- The Reserve Bank of Australia is holding rates around 4%, well above Singapore's ~1% overnight rate
- Resilient Chinese demand for Australian exports
For Singaporeans, that means costlier holidays, school fees and Australian imports like meat, dairy and wine—if retailers pass the higher costs on. MAS tightened policy on 14 Apr 2026 to cushion local inflation, but analysts say the Singdollar may stay soft against the Aussie.
ALSO READ: Comparing Digital Multi-Currency Accounts: Wise, YouTrip, Revolut, and More
Skyscanner study: 91% of Singapore travellers plan to travel this summer
Got the summer travel itch? You're not alone. Skyscanner's 2026 Smarter Summer report found that 91% of Singapore travellers plan to travel this European summer (Jul-Aug), and 60% feel confident about heading abroad in the next 3 months. Still, affordability tops the worry list—59% have already reconsidered plans because of flight prices.
Top travel hurdles flagged by Singaporeans:
- 32% struggle to find affordable options that fit their schedule
- 24% find research and coordinating dates time-consuming
- 22% face decision paralysis from too many options
Where to score the best value? Skyscanner's data points to:
Best value for | When to go |
Cheapest week to fly | Week of 10 Aug 2026 |
Cheapest week to Bangkok | Week of 31 Aug 2026 (avg $164 return) |
Cheaper alternatives | Langkawi from $127, Krabi from $173, Cebu from $224 |
Under-the-radar picks | Johannesburg, Venice, Urumqi |
76% of Singaporeans (rising to 83% among Gen Z) say they'd love to visit somewhere new this summer. Skyscanner's survey polled 1,000 Singapore respondents in Mar-Apr 2026.
FairPrice rolling out 1,300+ smart trolleys to 48 stores by end-2026
Skip the snaking checkout queue. On 23 Apr 2026, FairPrice announced at Google Cloud Next 2026 in Las Vegas that more than 1,300 smart trolleys will be deployed across 48 of its larger Finest and Xtra outlets by year-end—about a quarter of its 169 supermarkets in Singapore. Locations include VivoCity, Jewel Changi Airport, Nex, Junction 8 and Bedok Mall.
Here's what each smart trolley does:
Feature | What it does |
Handle-bar scanner | Scan items as you shop; built-in weight sensor tallies the goods |
Built-in touchscreen | Aisle navigation, real-time promos, and personalised recommendations based on past purchases |
Tap-to-pay | Check out and pay anywhere in the store—no queueing at the counter |
App integration | Unlock the cart and view receipts via the Pay/Earn QR code on the FairPrice app |
Since the Punggol Coast Mall trial in Aug 2025, average checkout time has dropped to 36 seconds. The trolleys are part of over 60 digital solutions FairPrice is testing through 2027, including digital labels projected to save 15,000 man-hours and $138,000 yearly.
StashAway rewards regular investors with lifetime perks
Got a habit of investing every month? StashAway wants to make it more rewarding. On 16 Apr 2026, the digital investment platform launched Regular Investing Advantage, a lifetime benefits programme for consistent investors—no minimum investment required.
The case StashAway makes for staying invested:
- Reacting to headlines has cost investors over 5% per annum vs the S&P 500
- 7 of the 10 best market days fell within 2 weeks of the worst (2005-2024)
Here's what you get for staying the course:
Reward | What it does |
0.15% boost on cash | Extra returns on cash held in a diversified StashAway portfolio |
Free ETF buy orders | No order fees on monthly top-ups to any of 90+ ETFs |
Both perks are permanent, not a limited-time promo. Co-founder and CEO Michele Ferrario said the goal is to help clients "stay the course" through volatility, when emotion-driven decisions tend to hurt long-term returns. The platform operates in 5 markets, including Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. View the full terms at stashaway.sg/regular-investing-advantage.
ALSO READ: What Should a Beginner Invest In? Singapore Guide to Investing Basics
Trust Bank turns profitable just over 3 years after launch
Singapore's homegrown digital bank has crossed a major milestone. On 30 Apr 2026, Trust Bank announced it reached profitability in Mar 2026—just over 3 years after launch—putting it among the fastest digital banks globally to break even.
Here's Trust's growth story by the numbers:
- Over 170,000 customers now use Trust as their primary bank
- $900 million in loans disbursed in 2025
- 50,000 TrustInvest accounts and 75,000 insurance policies sold to date
- 240,000 Savings Pots opened
- 22% market share of total Visa foreign exchange spend in Singapore
- Around 70% of new customers join via referrals from existing users
Behind the scenes, Trust says AI is doing heavy lifting—nearly 50% of customer chats are handled end-to-end by its Gen AI chatbot. In 2025, revenues grew 39% year-on-year while costs fell 7%, and the customer base has expanded 1.5x since 2023. CEO Dwaipayan Sadhu says Trust is "just getting started" on its product roadmap.
ALSO READ: Best Trust Bank Credit Cards in Singapore 2026
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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