SARA 2026: how to check your MyKad balance, which shops accept it and what you can buy
By DuitMap · Published · Updated · 8 min read
Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) is credit on your MyKad for buying basic necessities at selected shops and supermarkets. It is not cash: you show your MyKad at the counter and pay for items labelled SARA.
There are two kinds this year: monthly SARA for STR 2026 recipients, and SARA for All, a one-off RM100 for every citizen aged 18 and above. You can spend both until 31 December 2026: leftover monthly SARA then expires, while leftover SARA for All goes to other social protection programmes the following year. Neither is paid back to you, so now is the time to check your balance. Every fact below comes from the official sara.gov.my portal and the official FAQs.
Key facts
Types
Monthly SARA (STR recipients) and SARA for All (RM100)
Monthly rate
RM50 to RM200 a month by STR category
How you get it
Automatically on MyKad, no application
Spend by
31 December 2026 (monthly SARA expires; unused SARA for All goes to other social protection programmes)
According to the official portal, SARA is aid credited to an eligible recipient's MyKad to buy over 140,000 basic items in 15 categories at more than 13,000 selected shops and supermarkets nationwide. It extends the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) programme and is run by Yayasan MyKasih.
Monthly SARA: for approved STR 2026 recipients, credited every month from January to December 2026. It started on 9 January 2026 for Households and Senior Citizens, and on 16 January 2026 for Singles.
SARA for All (SARA Untuk Semua): a one-off RM100 for every citizen aged 18 and above, credited on 9 February 2026. Monthly SARA recipients get this RM100 too.
The Ministry of Finance FAQ gives an example: a married couple with three children aged 18 and above receive RM500 in total (RM100 each), not just RM100.
How much is monthly SARA in 2026?
The rate depends on your STR 2026 category and whether you are listed as poor or extreme poor in eKasih. Table from the SARA 2026 FAQ (question 5):
STR 2026 category
eKasih poor / extreme poor
Other STR recipients
Household (no age limit)
RM200 a month (RM2,400 a year)
RM100 a month (RM1,200 a year)
Senior citizen without a spouse
RM150 a month (RM1,800 a year)
RM50 a month (RM600 a year)
Single (21 to 59)
RM100 a month (RM1,200 a year)
RM50 a month (RM600 a year)
The amount depends on when your STR 2026 application was approved. If your STR was approved in a later review phase, SARA starts from the month of that approval, not from January.
Regular eKasih reviewsSTR recipients not yet in the eKasih records are reviewed regularly. For the 31 October 2026 eKasih data, the eligibility decision and payment are scheduled for November 2026 (SARA 2026 FAQ, question 2).
How to check your SARA balance on MyKad
The official FAQ lists three ways to check your SARA credit:
1.Official portal: open sara.gov.my and tap Semak Kelayakan (check eligibility), which opens the MyKasih status portal. Enter your MyKad number.
2.MyKasih app: sara.gov.my and the SARA for All FAQ name the MyKasih app for checking your balance, the item list and nearby shops (the SARA 2026 FAQ calls it the "SARA app"). Download it from the official MyKasih page.
3.Your receipt: every SARA receipt shows the balance before the purchase, the amount paid and the balance after. Keep your receipts.
To check whether you qualify for STR (needed for monthly SARA), use the HASiL STR portal. For eligibility questions the SARA 2026 FAQ gives the HASiL line 1-800-88-2747 and MOF 03-8882 4565 / 4566; for purchases, call MyKasih on 03-7720 1800.
What can you buy with SARA?
Only items from the 15 approved categories, labelled SARA on the shelf price tag:
Rice, eggs, bread, cooking oil, flour, biscuits and noodles
Drinks (for example milk, tea, coffee, infant formula)
Seasonings (for example sauces, soy sauce, sugar, salt) and canned food (for example sardines, tuna)
Personal care (for example toothpaste, sanitary pads, soap, diapers)
Over-the-counter medicines approved by the Ministry of Health
School needs (for example uniforms, shoes, school bags, stationery)
Household cleaning products and frozen food
If your purchase is more than your SARA balance, or you buy items outside the 15 categories, you pay the difference yourself (FAQ, question 15).
Which shops accept SARA?
According to the SARA 2026 FAQ and the SARA for All FAQ (question 10), SARA merchants include Mydin, Giant, Econsave, The Store, Pacific, Milimewa, 99 Speedmart and Lotus Stores (Tesco), plus independent supermarkets and minimarts. The list is not final and not every branch necessarily takes part. You can shop outside your home area.
Find a participating shop near you on the official SARA merchant list (linked from sara.gov.my) or in the MyKasih app. In the Budget 2027 speech, the government said SARA merchants now total 15,000 premises, including 6,800 small grocery shops and cooperatives.
How to pay with your MyKad
1. Choose items with the SARA label on the shelf price tag.
2. Show your MyKad at the counter. The cashier checks your MyKad status.
3. The cashier scans each item by approved category.
4. Pay with your MyKad to confirm the transaction.
5. Keep the receipt to check your balance and transactions.
Only the recipient's MyKadPayment at the counter uses the recipient's MyKad. Purchases made by someone else with your MyKad are your own responsibility. Never hand your MyKad or its number to anyone offering to 'turn SARA into cash'.
SARA spending deadline: 31 December 2026
Monthly SARA: unused credit carries over to the next month, but whatever is left on 31 December 2026 expires automatically (SARA 2026 FAQ, questions 16 and 17).
SARA for All: can be spent from 9 February to 31 December 2026. Unused credit at the end of the period does not simply vanish: the Ministry of Finance says it will be used for other social protection programmes the following year (SARA for All FAQ, questions 16 and 17). It is not paid back to you and cannot be spent after 31 December.
If you still have a balance, plan your groceries, baby needs or 2027 school shopping before the end of December.
Lost, damaged or newly replaced MyKad
Monthly SARA: call the MyKasih helpline. According to the SARA 2026 FAQ, a manual purchase exemption is given for one transaction only; later purchases must use your new MyKad.
Just replaced your MyKad at JPN? Tell MyKasih so your MyKad version is updated and the old one is frozen.
SARA for All: get a new MyKad from JPN first. You can still buy up to 31 December 2026 once your MyKad is ready.
For Household recipients who have died, are in hospital, are frail or are in an institution, SARA can be switched to the citizen spouse registered in the STR application, with the documents listed in the FAQ (questions 24 and 26). For Singles and Senior Citizens without a spouse who have died, payment stops.
SARA 2027: what Budget 2027 proposes
Proposals, not finalThe items below are proposals in the Budget 2027 speech (paragraph 26), subject to approval of the Supply Bill 2027. Dates and how they will work are not yet published on sara.gov.my.
Proposed: all STR recipients receive SARA of up to RM150 a month, or up to RM1,800 a year.
Proposed: citizens aged 18 and above who are not STR recipients receive SARA MADANI RM100 twice, before Aidilfitri and ahead of Merdeka.
Proposed: SARA can be used for fresh produce at 216 FAMA Pasar Tani or Tamu markets.
We will update this guide when official SARA 2027 details are published. Meanwhile, read the STR 2027 guide, because STR eligibility decides monthly SARA.
On the official sara.gov.my portal (the Semak Kelayakan button opens the MyKasih portal), in the MyKasih app, or on your SARA receipt, which shows the balance before and after each purchase.
When does SARA credit expire?
You can spend both kinds of SARA until 31 December 2026. Leftover monthly SARA then expires automatically. Unused SARA for All goes to other social protection programmes the following year; it is not paid back to you.
Do I need to apply for SARA?
No. Monthly SARA goes automatically to approved STR 2026 recipients, and SARA for All goes automatically to every citizen aged 18 and above based on JPN MyKad data.
How much SARA do I get each month?
RM50 to RM200 a month, depending on your STR 2026 category (Household, Senior Citizen without a spouse or Single) and whether you are poor or extreme poor in eKasih. See the table in this guide.
Can I shop outside my area?
Yes. You can buy at any SARA merchant in the country. Check the merchant list on the MyKasih portal or app.
Can someone else spend my SARA?
Payment must use the recipient's MyKad, and purchases made by others with your MyKad are your responsibility. For Households, switching the recipient to the spouse is only allowed in set cases such as illness, frailty or death, through MyKasih.
Is SARA 2027 approved yet?
No. Up to RM150 a month for STR recipients and SARA MADANI RM100 twice are Budget 2027 proposals, subject to Parliament's approval.
BAP 2027: RM200 per pupil proposed (now RM150). Who qualifies, whether you need to apply, when it's paid and other school aid. Checked against official sources.
STR 2027 applications are open all year from 15 Oct 2026. Eligibility, 2027 STR + SARA amounts by income and children, how to apply and how to avoid scams.
The government adds 20% to your voluntary EPF savings, up to RM500 a year. Who qualifies, how much to save and how to register in the KWSP i-Akaun app.
Summary of the official SARA portal (sara.gov.my), the SARA 2026 FAQ (LHDN/HASiL), the SARA for All FAQ (Ministry of Finance) and the Budget 2027 speech, checked 31 October 2026. Items for 2027 are Budget 2027 proposals and subject to approval. Check the official portal before acting. This guide is not financial advice. Disclaimer
