POSB Smart Buddy Review: How the Card and Watch Work

POSB Smart Buddy¹ accounts let children make convenient and secure payments in eligible schools², as well as thousands of NETS-enabled merchants island-wide.

This guide covers how the POSB Smart Buddy account works for kids and parents, including how to use a POSB Smart Buddy watch.

Families looking for a card for travel or overseas spending may also want to compare it with Wise Young Explorer, which is available for children and teens aged 6 to 17 and can be useful for spending in foreign currencies. More on that later.

What is POSB Smart Buddy?

The POSB Smart Buddy service offers ways for children to make payments in their school and in stores, while learning about money management and budgeting.

Accounts offer a POSB Smart Buddy watch or card, which the child can use to tap and pay, with ways to save through in-school stamp purchases to support financial education for kids. Parents can retain access to their child’s spending via a parent app, to view transactions, and set limits on the amount their child can spend.

How does POSB Smart Buddy work?

POSB Smart Buddy helps children spend safely in and out of school, while learning about saving and budgeting.

Account holders can get a free POSB Smart Buddy watch or card. Both can be used for contactless payments at eligible schools and stores that accept NETS.

Here’s how it works:

• A parent links the Smart Buddy watch or card to a DBS or POSB account
• Spending is deducted from the linked account
• Parents can set a daily or weekly spending limit
• Unused allowance can be transferred automatically to the child’s savings account
• Children can also buy Smiley Stamps savings credits at school
• Parents can track spending in the app and block the watch or card if needed

POSB Smart Buddy Watch

The POSB Smart Buddy watch is a smartwatch your child can use to make contactless payments. It also includes features such as heart rate and step monitoring, alarms and a digital time display.

If you need a POSB Smart Buddy watch replacement, you may be able to make a warranty claim and get a free replacement. If the watch is no longer under warranty, you may need to buy a new one or use an alternative, such as the Smart Buddy card.

POSB Smart Buddy Card

When you sign up for Smart Buddy, you can choose to receive a POSB Smart Buddy card instead of the watch.

The card works like a contactless debit card. Your child can use it to tap and pay in the same way they would use the watch.

POSB Smart Buddy Tag

Smart Buddy payments work through a small contactless chip. This chip can also be used with alternatives such as a POSB Smart Buddy Tag or PayBuddy keychain.

The POSB Smart Buddy Tag is designed to be attached to a device like a myfirstFone. The PayBuddy keychain is a small plastic fob that can be attached to a bag or another item.

These products are not owned by POSB, so you’ll need to buy them separately. They are not automatically provided by the bank.

It’s also worth checking your child’s school policy before buying. Devices like myfirstFone may not always be allowed in Singapore schools.

POSB Smart Buddy features

POSB Smart Buddy includes features that support everyday spending, budgeting and saving.

Parents can set a daily or weekly allowance for their child. They can also choose to transfer any unspent allowance automatically into a linked savings account. This can help children build good money habits over time.

Here’s a summary of the key POSB Smart Buddy features which appeal to both parents and kids:

POSB Smart Buddy fees

There’s no fee to set up your Smart Buddy account. When you create a Smart Buddy account for your child you’ll be prompted to link it to your own DBS or POSB account, or to set up a new account if you don’t already bank with DBS/POSB. This may mean there are some fees to pay which are connected to the linked account rather than to Smart Buddy specifically.

Aside from this, there are not usually any fees to worry about with your Smart Buddy service - here’s a summary:

*Details correct at time of research - 19th May 2026

How to apply for POSB Smart Buddy

You can apply for a Smart Buddy account online as long as you have an existing DBS or POSB account yourself to fund payments from the Smart Buddy watch. If you’d like to also link your child's account for savings, you’ll need to have their ID or passport to hand when you apply.

Here’s how to submit your POSB Smart Buddy application step by step³:

1. Go to the POSB Smart Buddy webpage and tap to open DBS digibot
2. You’ll be asked if you want to apply for POSB Smart Buddy - tap Yes and complete authentication
3. Select the account to link for fund deductions
4. Enter your child's name to be printed on the Smart Buddy Card - no more than 24 characters including spaces and special characters
5. Select your child's age group following the prompts and confirm if you want a chip or card only
6. If you choose, you can link your child’s DBS/ POSB bank account with Smart Buddy for auto-transfer of savings
7. Check everything and submit your application

After your application has been verified you’ll be sent your watch or card - this usually takes about 7 days.

How to use the POSB Smart Buddy watch

When you first receive your smart watch you’ll need to sync and pair it to your phone⁴.

1. Turn off Bluetooth on your phone (parent phone only)
2. Open Smart Buddy App and Login with your username/email and password
3. Tap the Watch icon, then select Setup Watch
4. Turn on your phone's bluetooth and tap Retry
5. Select the watch model (iOS only) and serial number to complete the set up

You can then use the POSB Smart Buddy watch to tap and make contactless payments in schools which use the Smart Buddy system and in thousands of NETS-enabled merchants in Singapore.

POSB Smart Buddy replacement: card, watch and tag

If you need a POSB Smart Buddy card replacement you can contact POSB in their app to make your request - your card will be mailed to you in about 7 working days⁵.

Smart Buddy watches are under warranty for a year - if your child's watch fails during this time you can request a replacement in the Smart Buddy app. If the watch is over a year old or not covered by a warranty for any other reason you’ll need to buy a new watch⁵ yourself from eShoppeNow⁶ - at the time of writing they are around 40 SGD - 45 SGD depending on the offers available.

Is POSB Smart Buddy right for your child?

POSB Smart Buddy can be a good choice for children in a school which uses the Smart Buddy payment system anyway. The watch is easy to wear and use, and may be less likely to be lost compared to a bank card - plus the POSB Smart Buddy features can help children learn about responsible spending and saving in an engaging fashion.

The key downsides to the POSB Smart Buddy are that the card or watch can not be used for public transport payments, PayWave, or to spend abroad. If you and your family travel often, you may decide an alternative like the Wise Young Explorer is a better pick - more on that next.

Wise Young Explorer: Kids card with no monthly or annual fees

The Wise Young Explorer card is available for children and teens aged 6 to 17. It can be useful for families who want a parent-managed card for travel, overseas spending or international online shopping. Children can also get access to their own child-friendly view of the Wise app. This lets them see how much they have available to spend, helping them build confidence managing money independently while parents stay in control.

Parents stay in control through their own Wise account. You can:

• Set spending limits
• Get real-time transaction alerts
• Monitor where and how much your child spends
• Top up their balance when needed

Aside from a one-off card order charge, there are no monthly or annual fees. Your child can pay in-store and shop online in 150+ countries. They’ll get the mid-market exchange rate, low transparent conversion fees and no foreign transaction fee when spending in foreign currencies.

🚀 Get a Young Explorer card