Last Updated: 17 Aug 2026
PayNow (NRIC) registration
What is PayNow (NRIC) registration
It is a one-time registration to link a student's Singapore NRIC or birth certificate number to their bank account.
Award monies will not be credited if PayNow registration is done using a mobile number or a parent's NRIC number. It will also not be credited into a parent's personal account or given in cash.
Before registering
Students must have one of these bank accounts with a participating bank:
- A personal account in the student's name.
- A joint account of the student and their parent.
- The student's Child Development Account (CDA).
If you are linking your child's PayNow to a Child Development Account (CDA)
You will not be able to withdraw the award monies in cash. You can only use it to offset your child's educational and healthcare expenses at approved institutions.
The CDA will be closed at the end of the year your child turns 12 years old. Thereafter, funds in the CDA will be automatically transferred to your child's Post-Secondary Education Account, subject to a cap.
How to register
- Log in to the bank's internet banking platform or mobile banking app.
- At the PayNow registration screen, link the student's Singapore NRIC or birth certificate number to their bank account number.
- Complete an SMS OTP verification process if needed.
- To verify that PayNow has been set up successfully, log in to your internet banking account or app and check that your child’s Singapore NRIC or birth certificate number is linked correctly under your PayNow profile.
Check with your bank if there are other ways of PayNow registration as services between banks may differ.
Find out more on registering for PayNow with the respective banks:
- Citibank Singapore Limited (Only for 16-year-olds and above.)
- DBS Bank or POSB
- HSBC (Only for children above 12 years old.)
- Maybank
- OCBC
- Standard Chartered Bank (Only for 15-year-olds and above.)
- Bank of China (BOC) (Only for 15-year-olds and above.)
- United Overseas Bank (UOB)
- Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) (Only for 15-year-olds and above.)
For more information on PayNow
- Association of Banks in Singapore website
- Infosheet on how to register for PayNow (93KB)
- How to check your POSB or OCBC PayNow Profile (802KB)