How much ang pao to give

Pick the country and who you are giving to, and see what people usually give, with amounts that suit the custom: even, no 4, an 8 where it fits. Every range comes from a named guide, and they do not always agree. The figures are the guides’ own for Chinese New Year 2026; none had published 2027 rates yet.

Malaysia

Giving to	Usual amount	Guide
Parents, grandparents, in-laws	RM100+	RinggitPlus “Parents, in-laws”
Parents, grandparents, in-laws	RM188–RM888	Loanstreet (via Newswav) “Parents / Grandparents (RM888 and up)”
Unmarried brothers and sisters	RM50–RM150	Loanstreet (via Newswav) “Unmarried Siblings”
Nieces and nephews (close)	RM50+	RinggitPlus “Immediate family (nieces, nephews)”
Nieces and nephews (close)	RM20–RM100	Loanstreet (via Newswav) “Close Nieces / Nephews”
Close friends, extended family	RM20–RM50	RinggitPlus “Close friends, extended family”
Friends’ children, distant relatives	RM10–RM20	RinggitPlus “Friends’ children, distant relatives”
Friends’ children, distant relatives	RM5–RM20	Loanstreet (via Newswav) “Distant Relatives / Children”
Neighbours’ children, acquaintances	RM8–RM10	RinggitPlus “Acquaintances, neighbours’ children”
Neighbours’ children, acquaintances	RM5–RM10	Loanstreet (via Newswav) “neighbours’ children, security guards, e-hailing drivers”
Service staff, guards, drivers	RM6–RM8	RinggitPlus “Strangers or service staff”
Service staff, guards, drivers	RM5–RM10	Loanstreet (via Newswav) “neighbours’ children, security guards, e-hailing drivers”

Singapore

Giving to	Usual amount	Guide
Parents, partner, grandparents	S$88–S$1,888	Honeycombers “Parents, partners & grandparents”
Your own children	S$88–S$288	Honeycombers “Children”
Brothers, sisters and cousins	S$58–S$188	Honeycombers “Siblings & cousins”
Nieces and nephews	S$28–S$80	Honeycombers “Nieces & nephews”
Children of friends and colleagues	S$8–S$20	Honeycombers “Kids of friends and colleagues”
Domestic helper	S$18–S$80	Honeycombers “Domestic helpers”
Service workers	S$2–S$10	Honeycombers “Service workers”

The etiquette

Who gives: traditionally married couples give, and unmarried people of any age receive. RinggitPlus, Loanstreet (via Newswav), Honeycombers
Working singles often give to their parents too, once they earn. Some families let newlyweds off in their first year. Loanstreet (via Newswav), Honeycombers
Avoid the number 4, which sounds like the word for death. RinggitPlus says amounts ending in 4; Honeycombers says any amount with a 4. RinggitPlus, Loanstreet (via Newswav), Honeycombers
Give even amounts: good things come in pairs. RinggitPlus and Honeycombers both say so; Loanstreet suggests RM5 rather than RM4, so the guides do not quite agree on odd amounts. RinggitPlus, Honeycombers, Loanstreet (via Newswav)
Amounts with 8 sound like prosperity; 6 is smooth, 9 long life, 2 an easy start. RinggitPlus, Loanstreet (via Newswav), Honeycombers
New notes are customary, but clean, neatly folded notes are fine; some banks now give out “fit” recycled notes. Honeycombers, Loanstreet (via Newswav)
E-angpao (DuitNow, Touch ’n Go, PayNow) is fine for the younger crowd; for elders, a physical red packet is still preferred. RinggitPlus, Loanstreet (via Newswav), Honeycombers
Give and receive with both hands, and do not open or count it in front of the giver. RinggitPlus, Loanstreet (via Newswav), Honeycombers
You can give throughout the 15 days of New Year, until Chap Goh Meh. Loanstreet (via Newswav)
In Malaysia, avoid red packets with pigs on them for Muslim friends and neighbours. RinggitPlus

Not sure what to call the person you are giving to? What to call your relatives. And for the card to go with it, write a New Year greeting in your own hand.

Sources

RinggitPlus, “Ang Pows Are How Much Now?!”, 4 Feb 2026: ringgitplus.com/en/blog/money-management/ang-pows-are-how-much-now.html
Loanstreet (via Newswav), “CNY 2026 Angpao Guide: Market Rates & e-Wallet Trends”, 10 Feb 2026: newswav.com/article/cny-2026-angpao-guide-market-rates-e-wallet-trends-A2201_lGBbhk
Honeycombers, “Chinese New Year 2026 ang bao rates in Singapore”, 7 Jan 2026: thehoneycombers.com/singapore/ang-pao-etiquette-red-packet-rules-chinese-new-year/