Reservations now open for new banknotes for Year of the Horse 2026 red packets
HSBC, Standard Chartered and BOC are taking bookings for the new and ‘good as new’ banknote exchange at certain branches from February 3-16
As the city prepares to welcome the Year of the Horse, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has coordinated with the three local note-issuing banks to ensure residents have access to crisp banknotes for the traditional exchanging of red packets.
To streamline the process and minimise wait times, online reservation services opened on January 27, allowing customers to secure specific time slots via the banks’ respective apps and websites. Bookings for picking up one pack of banknotes are limited to one per customer per day using the same phone number.
As of publication, online reservations for HSBC and Bank of China are currently full. For those without an online reservation, walk-in tickets will be issued each morning for same-date note exchange.