Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
POSB Smart Buddy Programme
For Smart Buddy enabled schools, is it compulsory for all students to apply for a Smart Buddy card/watch?
No, signing up for a Smart Buddy card/watch is optional but it is highly encouraged for students to do so to enjoy the full benefits of the POSB Smart Buddy programme and to access the POSB Smart Buddy mobile app.
My child's school is not a Smart Buddy enabled school. Can I still apply for a Smart Buddy card/watch for my child?
Yes, you can apply for a Smart Buddy card (without the watch) online here or via the POSB Smart Buddy Mobile App.
What do I need to sign up for the POSB Smart Buddy programme?
- You will need to be an existing DBS/POSB customer with a valid DBS/POSB bank account.
- Your child will need to have a valid DBS/POSB bank account if you wish to automatically transfer the child’s monthly smart buddy allowance savings from the parent’s linked deposit account to the child’s bank account. This feature, called “Auto-transfer Savings”, must be enabled on the POSB Smart Buddy mobile app.
Note: The POSB Child Development Account, POSB Current Account and Trust Accounts cannot be used as a debiting or crediting account under POSB Smart Buddy Programme. Both parent and child bank account cannot be the same account.
Can my child still use Smart Buddy without a POSB/DBS Kids account?
Yes. Your child can still use Smart Buddy but he/she will not be able to enjoy automatic transfer of Smart Buddy allowance savings and Stamp Savings to his/her account. These savings will remain in the parent’s linked Smart Buddy debiting account.
Apply for a My Account with your child now to use this feature. This account will be automatically linked to his/her POSB Smart Buddy.
Account-related
When will I receive the Free POPULAR membership?
Please note that the Free POPULAR membership is only for customers who successfully open a My Account for kids. Upon successful My Account Kids application, you will receive a notification via SMS or email with steps on how you may redeem your POPULAR membership e-Card.
I did not provide my child's DBS/POSB account number during registration. How can I update my child’s account for the auto transfer of allowance savings for my child?
You may submit an online request to link your child's bank account here. Once your application is successful, please enable the “Auto-transfer Savings” feature on the POSB Smart Buddy mobile app.
Below are the types of account which can be accepted as the child’s auto crediting bank account:
- Joint Account between parent* / 3rd party and child
- Solus/Personal Account belonging to the child
*refers to the parent who applied for the Smart Buddy card. Do also note that the child’s crediting bank account cannot be the same as the debiting account chosen for the Smart Buddy card.
How can I change the Smart Buddy debiting account (i.e., account used for allowance deductions) for my child's Smart Buddy card/watch?
You may update the debiting account via the following 2 methods:
- iBanking: Under “Cards”, select “Link Card to Deposit Account for ATM Use” → Select the desired Smart Buddy card and change the debiting account.
- digibank: Tap “More” → Under “Manage Cards & Loans” section, select “Link Card to Account” → Select the desired Smart Buddy card under “POSB ATM Card” → change the debiting account.
Note:
Smart Buddy card/ payment chip is shown as a POSB ATM card in digibank Mobile.
- Please identify your Smart Buddy Card/ payment chip based on the 9th to 15th digit of your Smart Buddy Card/ payment chip against the number reflected in digibank Mobile. (E.g. Smart Buddy card/chip number XXXXXXXX 00428675 would be displayed as POSB ATM CARD 00428670 on digibank Mobile.)
Payment
Is cash still accepted in Smart Buddy enabled schools?
Yes, cash is still accepted in these schools. Besides using the Smart Buddy card/watch for payments, your child can also use their School Smartcard or EZ-Link Card to pay at the canteen or at the bookshop.
Can my child use his/her Smart Buddy card/watch for payments outside of school?
Yes. Out-of-school, your child can also use their Smart Buddy card/watch to pay at more than 10,000 NETS retailers island-wide. When making payment, just remember to inform the retailer to "Pay via NETS". At self-service kiosks, simply select the option.
Here are some retailers which accept Smart Buddy card/watch payments:
- 7-Eleven
- Cheers
- Cold Storage
- Daiso
- HAO Mart
- Koufu
- National Library Board
- NTUC FairPrice
- POPULAR
- Sheng Siong & more
Can my child enjoy concession fare rates for their MRT and bus ride, if they use the Smart Buddy card/watch?
No. The Smart Buddy card/watch is not recommended for MRT or bus rides. All transit usage will be priced at full adult fare and users may experience intermittent performance.
If used, please note that the transit transactions will not be reflected in the Smart Buddy app. The transit fare charges will be accumulated for up to 5 days or after a total of $15 is spent on transit fares, whichever is earlier. The accumulated amount will then be posted to the parent debiting account as 'MRT/BUS' transactions after 3 days and postings will be reflected based on the processing time of the bank.
For further information or checks on trip details, kindly visit TransitLink website.
What payment methods are available for my child to pay at Smart Buddy enabled bookstores?
Your child may use the following payment methods to pay:
- Smart Buddy card/watch
- School Smartcard
- EZ-Link Card
- DBS PayLah! (for SGQR enabled payments)
Why are some transactions made by my child tagged as “[EMERGENCY $]”?
[EMERGENCY $] transactions are those made when the canteen terminals went offline. While the terminals are offline, the purchases will still go through, but the deduction from your parent’s debiting account will only be done when the terminals are back online. In rare cases, your child’s spending might exceed the allocated allowance limit for that day.
Why was money deducted from my bank account when my child didn’t make any transactions on this day?
It is likely that your child has made this purchase when the Smart Buddy terminal was offline. When the terminals are offline due to temporary weak network connection, purchases can still go through but the deduction from your parent’s debiting account will only be done when the terminals are back online. To check, please tally the Smart Buddy mobile app transaction history with your bank statement – there should have been a prior transaction reflected in-app that was not charged to your bank account on the same day.
Allowance and Stamp Savings
If I did not provide my child's deposit account during registration, where will the POSB Smiley Stamp Savings be credited to?
If there is no child's deposit account linked to your child’s Smart Buddy profile, the total Stamp Savings will be credited back to your (parent’s) Smart Buddy linked debiting account by the 15th of the following month.
If I increase my child's daily allowance on the mobile app, is it instantly updated?
Yes, your child's daily allowance will be instantly updated and your child may use the updated daily allowance immediately.
If I set a daily allowance limit of S$2.00, will it be deducted from my account immediately?
No. Your account will only be deducted when a transaction is made.
E.g. if your child buys chicken rice for S$1.50, only S$1.50 will be deducted from your linked debiting account. Assuming your child doesn't spend the remaining allowance of S$0.50, this amount will be reflected as Allowance Savings under the "Savings" section on the Smart Buddy Mobile App.
If my child exceeds the daily allowance for the day, can my child still do further transactions?
No. Your child will not be able to transact via his/her Smart Buddy card/watch if the daily allowance has been fully utilised. You will need to top-up your child’s daily allowance amount via the POSB Smart Buddy app.
In rare instances, the transaction history may show [EMERGENCY FUND] and “Daily allowance limit exceeded”. This is due to transactions being made when the canteen terminals go offline. When the terminals are back online, the settlements will then be completed.
How does the “Auto-transfer Savings” feature work on the POSB Smart Buddy app?
To automatically transfer your child's unspent allowance and stamp savings into his/ her own DBS/ POSB bank account, parents will need to first link your child's account with Smart Buddy and then turn on the 'Auto-transfer Savings' feature under your child's profile on the Smart Buddy mobile app.
You can check your child’s total monthly savings from the “Savings” screen on the POSB Smart Buddy app.
Once done, your child's monthly savings [unspent allowance and stamp savings (if any)] will be transferred from your linked debiting account and into the linked child's account by the 10th of the following month. Parents are to ensure that there is sufficient balance in the parent's debiting account during the first 10 days for a successful crediting/ transfer.
Smart Buddy App
Why am I not able to edit my child's profile/allowances nor see the set up watch button upon logging in?
You may have logged into your child access account instead of the parent account. Editing of your child's profile, allowances or to complete the set up of your Smart Buddy Watch can only be done if you are logged into your parent account. Below is how you can identify if you are in the child access account:
Is the Smart Buddy app a wallet?
No, it is not a wallet. The Smart Buddy app only provides transactional info (e.g. allowance balance, spending and saving trends etc.) and useful tips on personal finance and money matters for both parent and child.
Can my child download the Smart Buddy App for their use?
Follow the guides here to create an access for your child.
Note: Your child will not be able to make any adjustments to their allowance with this access.
Smart Buddy card/watch replace
What should I do if my child loses his/her Smart Buddy card/watch with chip?
You may temporarily disable the Smart Buddy watch by switching the "Disable Account" to "On" under your child's profile. In the event the watch is found, you may enable it again by switching the "Disable Account" to "Off".
Do note that disabling the account only disables its usage on Smart Buddy terminals and NETS retailers outside of school. Non-NETS related transaction (i.e MRT/Bus ride) will not be disabled.
Refer to the “More Information” section at the bottom of the “Lost or Damaged Smart Buddy Card/Watch” help and support page.
My child's Smart Buddy watch is faulty (i.e. damaged, unable to charge), what can I do?
Your child may perform a 1-to-1 exchange* at our Replacement Centre:
Smart Buddy Watch Service Centre (c/o STYL Solutions Pte Ltd)
3015A Ubi Road 1, #06-02, Singapore 408705
Operation Hours:
- Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm
- Saturday, 9am to 12.30pm
(Closed on Public Holidays)
*Only exchange of the same watch generation will be allowed. (E.g. A faulty Smart Buddy 3rd Gen watch will be exchanged with a new 3rd Gen watch and cannot be exchanged for a new Smart Buddy 5th Gen watch, till further advised)
Watch
How do I find the Smart Buddy card number?
If you are using the Smart Buddy Watch, you will have to check the payment chip in the watch. You will find it on the reverse of the payment chip indicated in red below:

What are the features of a Smart Buddy Watch?

The Smart Buddy watch comes with the following features:
- Date & Time
- Fitness Tracker (i.e. steps, calories, distance)
- Heart Rate Tracker
- Stopwatch*
- Brightness Control*
- 'Stay Active' Alerts**
- 'Reminders'**
- Display nickname**
Simply click the Function/Touch button to access the various features.
* Feature available for Smart Buddy 5th Gen only (displayed above). If you are looking to purchase a new watch or watch accessories, click here.
** Manage/update settings via the Smart Buddy Mobile App
How do you insert the payment chip into the watch?
- For Smart Buddy 3rd Gen watch, use the pin provided in the Smart Buddy pack, insert it into the hole at the side of the watch. Gently press it upwards and pull out the SIM tray.

- For Smart Buddy 5th Gen watch, pull out the SIM tray using a flat tool (eg fingernail or clip).
- Place the payment chip on the SIM tray and push it back carefully into the respective watches.
Click here to identify the generation of the watch you have.
How do I set up my child’s Smart Buddy watch?
Follow the guides here to set up your child’s Smart Buddy watch.
Note: Each Smart Buddy watch has a unique Bluetooth serial number. Please press the function button on the watch until you see the watch’s serial number on the watch display.
Is the Smart Buddy watch free?
Smart Buddy watch is free for all Smart Buddy applicants (provided the watch with chip option was chosen at the point of application).
It can be used for payments at all Smart Buddy enabled schools or out-of-school at any NETS contactless merchants (eg Popular, Koufu, Cold Storage). Click here for the list of Smart Buddy enabled schools.
Is the Smart Buddy watch waterproof?
No, the watch is only splash and water resistant. Do advise your child to avoid using the watch in the shower or in a swimming pool.
The watch goes on standby mode (i.e. watch screen turn dark) after 10 seconds. Will the date/time be updated?
Yes. The date/time will continue to be updated. Only when the watch is turned off, the date/time will stop updating and you will have to set the date/time again when the watch is turned back on.
If I see "GOODBYE" on the watch face, is it still on standby mode?
No, this means the watch has been turned off. When your watch is first turned on, you will see "HELLO" and it will go into standby mode after 10 seconds, i.e. the screen will turn dark.
I see a "sim card" icon on my child's watch. What does this mean?
The icon indicates that the data on the watch is full. Simply sync your child’s watch data via the “Watch” section on the Smart Buddy app to transfer the data from the watch into the app.
Note that the Smart buddy watch can hold up to 7 days of data (e.g. fitness data) For the full list of Smart buddy watch icons, click here.
Do I need to pair the Smart Buddy watch with my phone?
No. When you turn on your phone’s Bluetooth, click “Cancel” or “Dismiss” if you’re asked to pair with the Smart Buddy watch.
I am unable to sync my Smart Buddy watch. What can I do?
Please ensure you have installed the latest version of the Smart Buddy Mobile App on your phone. Once done, please try to sync again. You may follow the guides here to sync your Smart Buddy watch.
If it still fails, you may have a faulty Smart buddy watch.
The watch doesn't display the correct nickname, date & time because it ran out of battery. What should I do?
Please charge your Smart Buddy watch first before syncing it via the "Watch" section on the Smart Buddy app. You may follow the guides here to sync your Smart Buddy watch.
If it still fails, you may have a faulty Smart buddy watch.
Can my child continue to make payment when the Smart Buddy Watch runs out of battery?
For Smart Buddy 3rd Gen watch, it takes 4 hours for one full charge and can last up to 7 days under regular usage.
For Smart Buddy 5th Gen watch, it takes 1.5-2 hours for one full charge and can last up to 14 days under regular usage.
Click here to identify the generation of the watch you have.
How should I dispose of the Smart Buddy watch if my child no longer requires it?
You may head down to our Service Centre for them to help dispose of your Smart Buddy watch sustainably.
Smart Buddy Watch Service Centre (c/o STYL Solutions Pte Ltd)
3015A Ubi Road 1, #06-02, Singapore 408705 Operation Hours:
- Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm
- Saturday, 9am to 12.30pm
(Closed on Public Holidays)
Do remember to remove the payment chip from the faulty watch and insert it into the new watch. Thereafter, set up the new watch via the ‘Watch’ section on the Smart Buddy Mobile App.
Alternatively, you may drop it at any e-waste bins nearest to you.