What the latest CDC Vouchers can pay for, and where they stop working

At the chicken rice stall, the uncle behind the counter scans a QR code on a customer’s phone and nods. A minute later the same customer tries to use the same vouchers for a bag of groceries at a supermarket and is told the balance there is separate. Nothing has gone wrong. CDC Vouchers are deliberately split, and once you know how the split works, most of the frustration disappears.

This guide covers the two tranches Singaporean households hold in late 2026, what each can pay for, how long each lasts and how to claim without exposing yourself to the scams that follow every voucher round.

Two tranches, two expiry dates

Households received S$300 of CDC Vouchers in January 2026. A further S$500 had been scheduled for January 2027, but in April 2026 Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow announced that it would be brought forward to June 2026, to give earlier support amid rising costs and global uncertainty. Claims for that tranche opened on 11 June 2026.

Sources: CDC Vouchers Scheme pages of the Community Development Councils. Amounts are per household.

The practical point is the date in the last column. Whatever is left of the January tranche stops working at the end of this year, while the June tranche runs on through 2027. If you hold both, it makes sense to spend the older balance first.

What the hawker and heartland half covers

Half of each tranche can be spent only at participating hawker stalls and heartland merchants: the neighbourhood shops and stalls that have signed up to the scheme. They can be recognised by a teal “CDC Voucher” decal at the shopfront, and the official search tool at go.gov.sg/cdcvouchers lists the nearest ones. The vouchers work islandwide, not only in your own constituency.

The heartland half exists to support small businesses in residential estates, which is why it cannot be used at supermarkets. If a stall does not display the decal, it is not taking part.

What the supermarket half covers

The other half can be spent at participating supermarkets, which display a yellow “CDC Supermarket Voucher” decal. The same search tool shows which outlets take part. As always, check at the till before you queue with a full trolley.

Where the vouchers stop working

The residents’ FAQ on the official CDC Vouchers site sets out the limits:

• they cannot be used online or for e-commerce;
• they cannot be used for certain goods and services such as lottery, petrol, diesel, alcohol or cigarettes;
• merchants cannot give change: vouchers come in S$2, S$5 and S$10 denominations, so for a S$6.90 purchase you might use S$5 of vouchers and pay the S$1.90 difference in cash;
• up to 15 digital vouchers can be stacked on one QR code, although several QR codes can be scanned in a single transaction.

Good to know

If you will not use all of your January 2026 vouchers, the CDCs allow residents to donate unspent January 2026 vouchers to participating Institutions of a Public Character from 1 October to 31 December 2026, through the KampungSpirit website.

How claiming works

Only one member of the household needs to claim, using Singpass, at go.gov.sg/cdcv, choosing the January or June 2026 tranche. A link to the vouchers then arrives by SMS from the sender “gov.sg”. The official FAQ asks residents to check that the link starts with https://voucher.redeem.gov.sg and not to trust voucher links with any other prefix.

The SMS can be forwarded to other household members so they can spend from the same balance. To pay, you open the link, choose the voucher type and amount, and show the QR code to the merchant. No app is needed. If you delete the SMS, logging in again at go.gov.sg/cdcv resends the existing link.

Help for people who are not online

Residents without a smartphone or Singpass can visit their nearest Community Centre or Club, bringing their identity card, where staff can help claim and print the vouchers. Printed vouchers work like cash: if lost, they can be used by whoever finds them, and a reprint at the CC covers only the remaining vouchers. A non-household member can claim on a household’s behalf with the official authorisation form and the supporting documents it lists. The PA Contact Centre is on 6225 5322, 8am to 6pm daily, closed on public holidays.

For older parents living alone, a short visit to the CC together is often the simplest way to claim, print and understand the two balances in one go.

The scam rule that matters most

Every voucher round brings fake messages. The CDC pages are explicit: gov.sg will only send you an SMS with your voucher link after you claim at go.gov.sg/cdcv, and never sends SMSes asking for personal or banking details. Government officials will never ask you to transfer money or disclose bank log-in details over a phone call. Vouchers need no bank account at all, so any request for one is a warning sign in itself.

If something feels off, call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline on 1799, or report a suspicious message to the police through the online iWitness service at police.gov.sg. Our guide to the bank features that can slow a scammer down explains what else you can switch on before you need it.

Who this matters for, and what to check

• Households that still hold January 2026 vouchers: the balance expires on 31 December 2026.
• Households that have not claimed the June 2026 tranche: you have until 31 December 2027 to claim and spend it.
• Older relatives without a smartphone: CCs can help claim and print vouchers.
• Anyone receiving a voucher link: check that it comes from “gov.sg” and starts with https://voucher.redeem.gov.sg.
• Anyone adding up “support this year”: CDC Vouchers are separate from the GST Voucher and the Assurance Package Cash payment.

The takeaway

CDC Vouchers are simple once the two splits are clear: hawkers and heartland shops on one side, supermarkets on the other, and an older tranche that ends in December 2026 alongside a newer one that lasts through 2027. Claim only through go.gov.sg/cdcv with Singpass, spend the older balance first, and treat any message asking for bank details as a scam.