Lai See Calculator (Hong Kong)
Work out how much lai see (lucky money) to give each person on your list at Hong Kong's customary amounts, the total for the whole list, and how many new notes to get from the bank.
2026 norms
Who's on your list
HK$
HK$
HK$
HK$
HK$
HK$
HK$
HK$
HK$
HK$
HK$
HK$2,380
Typical amounts
19
HK$2,380
The next customary amount up
23
HK$2,380
Exactly on budget
Hong Kong custom: even amounts and no 4s; married people give, singles receive; a married couple gives two packets; use new notes.
Lai see plan — Lunar New Year 2027 Parents / grandparents: HK$500 × 2 = HK$1,000 Relatives' children: HK$200 × 4 = HK$800 Friends' children: HK$100 × 4 = HK$400 Other colleagues: HK$20 × 6 = HK$120 Building security / management: HK$20 × 3 = HK$60 Total HK$2,380 · packets: 19 · new notes: 23 New notes: 2 × HK$500, 12 × HK$100, 9 × HK$20 https://smart-calculators.net/en-US/tools/lucky-money-calculator
Your plan
| Who | Each × how many | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|
| Parents / grandparents | HK$500 × 2 | HK$1,000 |
| Relatives' children | HK$200 × 4 | HK$800 |
| Friends' children | HK$100 × 4 | HK$400 |
| Other colleagues | HK$20 × 6 | HK$120 |
| Building security / management | HK$20 × 3 | HK$60 |
Counts include the second packet from your spouse.
New notes to withdraw
| Note | Notes | Value |
|---|---|---|
| HK$500 | 2 | HK$1,000 |
| HK$100 | 12 | HK$1,200 |
| HK$20 | 9 | HK$180 |
Hong Kong lai see norms, 2026
Showing: Alone. Each figure is the starting amount the source gives.
| Who | Modest | Typical | Generous | Published range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parents / grandparents | HK$500 | HK$500 | HK$1,000 | HK$500 or more |
| Own children | HK$100 | HK$100 | HK$500 | HK$100–HK$500 or more |
| Unmarried siblings | HK$500 | HK$500 | HK$1,000 | HK$500 or more |
| Relatives' children | HK$50 | HK$200 | HK$500 | HK$50–HK$500 |
| Friends' children | HK$50 | HK$100 | HK$200 | HK$50–HK$200 |
| Close colleagues | HK$50 | HK$50 | HK$100 | HK$50–HK$100 |
| Other colleagues | HK$20 | HK$20 | HK$50 | HK$20–HK$50 |
| Married colleagues' children | HK$20 | HK$20 | HK$50 | HK$20–HK$50 |
| Your direct reports | HK$50 | HK$50 | HK$100 | HK$50–HK$100 |
| Domestic helper | HK$100 | HK$200 | HK$500 | HK$100–HK$500 |
| Building security / management | HK$20 | HK$20 | HK$50 | HK$20–HK$50 |
| Neighbors | HK$20 | HK$20 | HK$50 | HK$20–HK$50 |
| Restaurant staff | HK$20 | HK$20 | HK$50 | HK$20–HK$50 |
Amounts compiled from Hong Kong surveys and media, mostly 2026 editions, for Lunar New Year 2027. Updated every December.
Lai see calculator. Hong Kong red packet amounts by recipient, your total and the new notes you need.
This lai see calculator suggests a Hong Kong amount for everyone you give to, adds up the total, and counts the red packets and new notes you need. Pick Modest, Typical or Generous amounts drawn from 2026 Hong Kong guides and a 2025 survey, switch on two packets per person if you give as a married couple, and copy the finished plan to paste into WhatsApp.
How much lai see to give in Hong Kong, and who gives it
Lai see (利是) is the red packet of new banknotes that married people in Hong Kong give to children, unmarried relatives and the people who serve them during the year, from Lunar New Year's Day to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day. The amount inside follows the relationship: parents and unmarried siblings get HK$500 or more (HKTVmall, Mami Daily), nieces, nephews and other young relatives HK$50 to HK$500 (Sunday Kiss, YOHO), and colleagues you are not close to, building security, neighbors and restaurant staff HK$20 to HK$50 (Sunday Kiss), all in 2026 editions. Lai see is the Cantonese name, red packet the English term Hong Kongers type into Google, and hongbao (紅包) the Mandarin word for the same thing.
The Hong Kong Research Association surveyed 1,017 people aged 15 and over from 2 to 16 January 2025. More than half said their average packet held HK$20, 16% said HK$50, 15% HK$100 or more and 10% HK$10, as reported by Eastweek; YOHO gives the HK$20 share as 53%. Packets for their own children ran higher: 39.7% of respondents named HK$100, 27.2% HK$500 and 11.9% HK$1,000 or more. Dimsum Daily's February 2026 guide quotes the same survey, calls HK$20 the benchmark and adds that it is far from universal.
The rules about the number itself are few. Sassy Hong Kong and HKTVmall both rule out amounts with a 4, because 四 (sei, four) sounds like 死 (death) in Cantonese, so HK$40 and HK$400 are out. HKTVmall also lists HK$101, HK$300 and HK$700 as odd amounts to avoid, while giving HK$50 a blessing of its own, 五福臨門 (five blessings at the door). The notes should be new or close to it. Married people give and the unmarried receive, and a married couple gives relatives and friends two packets, one from each spouse. YOHO adds two refinements: a colleague who does not know your partner can get a single packet, and newlyweds giving lai see for the first time hand over two packets each, four in all.
The calculator turns these norms into a plan. Each of the 13 relationships in its recipient menu carries three amounts, all taken from the customary steps HK$10, HK$20, HK$50, HK$100, HK$200, HK$500 and HK$1,000. Modest is the low end of the published range. Typical is the most common amount where a survey names one, which is why your own children get HK$100, and otherwise the step nearest the middle of the range, taking the lower one on a tie: HK$50–HK$500 gives HK$200 and HK$20–HK$50 gives HK$20. A range with no ceiling keeps Typical at its floor, so parents and unmarried siblings stay at HK$500. Generous is the top of the range, or the next step up when the range has no ceiling, so the parents' HK$500-or-more becomes HK$1,000. The total adds each row's amount times its head count, doubled when two packets per person is switched on. The note count splits every packet into the fewest notes, HK$1,000 first, then HK$500, HK$100, HK$50, HK$20 and HK$10, and adds them up across the list.
The "2026 norms" badge at the top of the calculator marks the data year. The amounts are meant for Lunar New Year 2027, which falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, and they are refreshed every December. The page plans New Year lai see in Hong Kong; wedding money and the customs of Taiwan, Vietnam or mainland China are outside it.
How to use the lai see calculator
The calculator opens with a sample Hong Kong list: Parents / grandparents ×2, Relatives' children ×4, Friends' children ×4, Other colleagues ×6 and Building security / management ×3. Turn it into your own list in six steps.
1. Under "How generous", choose Modest, Typical (the default) or Generous. The choice applies to every row.
2. If you are married and you and your spouse each give a packet, switch on "Two packets per person (one from each spouse)". It doubles every row on the list, colleagues and building staff included.
3. In each row ("Recipient 1", "Recipient 2" and so on), pick one of the 13 relationships and type the number of "People", from 1 to 99.
4. To give one row a specific amount, type it in "Your amount (optional)". The field takes HK$10 to HK$50,000.
5. Press "+ Add someone" for another row, up to 10, or "− Remove last" to drop the bottom one.
6. Type a "Budget (optional)" if you want to see whether the list fits.
The result cards show "Total to prepare", "Red packets" and "New notes to get", plus "Against your budget" once a budget is typed, marked "Under budget", "Over budget" or "Exactly on budget". Under the cards sits the rules line: "Hong Kong custom: even amounts and no 4s; married people give, singles receive; a married couple gives two packets; use new notes." Then come three tables. "Your plan" lists each row as amount × packets with its subtotal and has a copy button. "New notes to withdraw" gives the count and value of each note. "Hong Kong lai see norms, 2026", open by default, shows all 13 relationships at the three levels with their published range and highlights the rows on your list. The data year and the December refresh are noted at the very bottom.
A typed amount is handled in four ways, and the explanation appears under the recipient's name in "Your plan". An amount that is not a multiple of HK$10 is ignored and the row keeps its suggestion, with a note such as "Not a multiple of HK$10 — using HK$500". An amount containing a 4 is kept and marked "Has a 4, which many avoid as unlucky". An amount of HK$1,000 or less that is not one of the customary steps is kept with a pointer to the steps on either side, for example "Less common amount — HK$200 or HK$500 is usual" for HK$300; amounts above HK$1,000, such as HK$2,000, get no such note. A figure above HK$50,000 or below HK$10 is set to that limit when you leave the field.
Worked examples in HK$: from the sample list to a full household
The sample list at three levels: HK$1,580, HK$2,380 or HK$5,250
The list the calculator opens with has 19 people. Changing "How generous" gives three totals:
| Level | Parents / grandparents (2) | Relatives' children (4) | Friends' children (4) | Other colleagues (6) | Building security / management (3) | Total | New notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modest | HK$500 | HK$50 | HK$50 | HK$20 | HK$20 | HK$1,580 | 19 |
| Typical | HK$500 | HK$200 | HK$100 | HK$20 | HK$20 | HK$2,380 | 23 |
| Generous | HK$1,000 | HK$500 | HK$200 | HK$50 | HK$50 | HK$5,250 | 23 |
Going from Modest to Typical adds HK$800, and all of it comes from the two children's rows: the four nieces and nephews go from HK$50 to HK$200 each and the four friends' children from HK$50 to HK$100. The parents stay at HK$500 because that is the floor of their published range. Generous adds HK$2,870 more: HK$1,000 for the parents, HK$1,200 for the relatives' children, HK$400 for the friends' children and HK$270 for the colleagues and the guards together.
Typical needs 23 new notes: 2 × HK$500, 12 × HK$100 (two in each HK$200 packet, one in each HK$100 packet) and 9 × HK$20. Generous also needs 23, in a different mix: 2 × HK$1,000, 4 × HK$500, 8 × HK$100 and 9 × HK$50. Modest needs 19: 2 × HK$500, 8 × HK$50 and 9 × HK$20.
Giving as a married couple: two packets per person
Switch on "Two packets per person (one from each spouse)" at Typical and every count doubles. The "Red packets" card shows 38, with "19 on the list × 2 packets" under it; the total becomes HK$4,760; and the notes table asks for 46 notes: 4 × HK$500, 24 × HK$100 and 18 × HK$20. Each row in "Your plan" reads like Parents / grandparents HK$500 × 4 = HK$2,000, and a caption says the counts include the second packet from your spouse. At Generous the same list comes to HK$10,500 in 38 packets, with 4 × HK$1,000, 8 × HK$500, 16 × HK$100 and 18 × HK$50.
The switch also doubles the office and the building: 12 packets for six colleagues and 6 for three guards. YOHO's guide says a colleague who does not know your partner can get one. To give two packets only where both of you give, leave the switch off and double "People" on the rows for relatives and friends instead:
- Parents / grandparents: HK$500 × 4 = HK$2,000
- Relatives' children: HK$200 × 8 = HK$1,600
- Friends' children: HK$100 × 8 = HK$800
- Other colleagues: HK$20 × 6 = HK$120
- Building security / management: HK$20 × 3 = HK$60
That plan totals HK$4,580 in 29 packets and 37 notes (4 × HK$500, 24 × HK$100, 9 × HK$20), HK$180 and nine packets fewer than the all-doubled version. With this method the "Red packets" card reads 29, a count of packets rather than people.
A bigger household list: own children, a helper, direct reports and restaurant staff
Press "+ Add someone" four times on the sample list and add Own children ×2, Domestic helper ×1, Your direct reports ×4 and Restaurant staff ×2, keeping Typical:
- Parents / grandparents: HK$500 × 2 = HK$1,000
- Relatives' children: HK$200 × 4 = HK$800
- Friends' children: HK$100 × 4 = HK$400
- Other colleagues: HK$20 × 6 = HK$120
- Building security / management: HK$20 × 3 = HK$60
- Own children: HK$100 × 2 = HK$200
- Domestic helper: HK$200 × 1 = HK$200
- Your direct reports: HK$50 × 4 = HK$200
- Restaurant staff: HK$20 × 2 = HK$40
The total is HK$3,020 for 28 packets and 33 new notes: 2 × HK$500, 16 × HK$100, 4 × HK$50 and 11 × HK$20. The four new rows add HK$640. Your own children sit at HK$100, below the nieces' and nephews' HK$200, because HK$100 was the most common answer for own children in the Hong Kong Research Association's 2025 survey (39.7%), while the relatives' row takes the middle of its HK$50–HK$500 range. If you give your own children more, type the amount in that row; 27.2% of the same survey's respondents said they would give HK$500. The helper's HK$200 sits inside Mami Daily's 2026 range of HK$100 to HK$500, which the magazine ties to years of service and performance.
Typed amounts the calculator flags or refuses: 168, 40, 300, 88 and 80
Type 168 in the first row of the sample list, 40 in the second and 300 in the third:
- Parents / grandparents: 168 is not a multiple of HK$10, so the row keeps HK$500 × 2 = HK$1,000 with the note "Not a multiple of HK$10 — using HK$500".
- Relatives' children: HK$40 × 4 = HK$160, kept, with two notes: "Has a 4, which many avoid as unlucky" and "Less common amount — HK$20 or HK$50 is usual".
- Friends' children: HK$300 × 4 = HK$1,200, kept, with "Less common amount — HK$200 or HK$500 is usual".
The total becomes HK$2,540 with 31 new notes (2 × HK$500, 12 × HK$100, 17 × HK$20), because each HK$40 packet takes two HK$20 notes and each HK$300 packet three HK$100 notes. HKTVmall lists HK$168 as a lucky amount (一路發, prosperity all the way), but the calculator counts notes from HK$10 up and Sassy Hong Kong rules out coins in a packet, so the HK$8 has nowhere to go and the amount is refused. HK$300 goes through, though the same HKTVmall guide counts it among the odd amounts to avoid.
Starting again from the sample list, the same rule refuses 88 on the Friends' children row, which shows "Not a multiple of HK$10 — using HK$100". Typing 80 for Other colleagues is kept with "Less common amount — HK$50 or HK$100 is usual", and each of those six packets takes a HK$50, a HK$20 and a HK$10 note. With both changes the list totals HK$2,740 and needs 35 notes, six of them HK$10.
Checking the list against a budget of HK$2,000 or HK$3,000
Type 2000 in "Budget (optional)" with the sample list at Typical: the "Against your budget" card shows -HK$380 and "Over budget". Type 3000 and it shows +HK$620 and "Under budget". The calculator compares and never trims a packet; the cuts are yours to choose.
There are two ways to fit HK$2,000. Switching to Modest brings the list to HK$1,580, HK$420 under, but drops the nieces' and nephews' packets from HK$200 to HK$50 and the friends' children's from HK$100 to HK$50. Staying at Typical and typing 100 in the Relatives' children row gives HK$1,980, HK$20 under, with every other row unchanged. In both versions the parents' two packets account for HK$1,000.
Hong Kong lai see amounts by recipient at the three levels (HK$), with the source of each range
| Recipient | Modest | Typical | Generous | Published range | Range source (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parents / grandparents | HK$500 | HK$500 | HK$1,000 | HK$500 or more | HKTVmall |
| Own children | HK$100 | HK$100 | HK$500 | HK$100–HK$500 or more | Sunday Kiss, YOHO |
| Unmarried siblings | HK$500 | HK$500 | HK$1,000 | HK$500 or more | Mami Daily |
| Relatives' children | HK$50 | HK$200 | HK$500 | HK$50–HK$500 | Sunday Kiss, YOHO |
| Friends' children | HK$50 | HK$100 | HK$200 | HK$50–HK$200 | Sunday Kiss |
| Close colleagues | HK$50 | HK$50 | HK$100 | HK$50–HK$100 | Sunday Kiss, YOHO |
| Other colleagues | HK$20 | HK$20 | HK$50 | HK$20–HK$50 | Sunday Kiss, YOHO |
| Married colleagues' children | HK$20 | HK$20 | HK$50 | HK$20–HK$50 | Sing Tao Daily |
| Your direct reports | HK$50 | HK$50 | HK$100 | HK$50–HK$100 | Mami Daily |
| Domestic helper | HK$100 | HK$200 | HK$500 | HK$100–HK$500 | Mami Daily |
| Building security / management | HK$20 | HK$20 | HK$50 | HK$20–HK$50 | Sunday Kiss, Mami Daily |
| Neighbors | HK$20 | HK$20 | HK$50 | HK$20–HK$50 | Sunday Kiss, Mami Daily |
| Restaurant staff | HK$20 | HK$20 | HK$50 | HK$20–HK$50 | Sunday Kiss, YOHO |
When to get new notes and give lai see for Lunar New Year 2027
Lunar New Year 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February, and lai see is handed out from that day until the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day, Saturday 20 February 2027; HKTVmall gives the window as the first to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Run the calculator before you go to the bank, since its note table is your withdrawal list.
New notes. For Lunar New Year 2026 the HKMA and the three note-issuing banks, HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China (Hong Kong), announced on 13 January that the banks' branches would exchange new and "like-new" notes from 3 to 16 February, with online booking from 27 January, as DotDotNews reported the next day. The HKMA also asked people to check for unused new notes at home first and suggested FPS or e-wallets for red packets. In 2025 the exchange ran from 14 to 28 January, so the window moves with the holiday. The 2027 arrangement had not been announced when this page was written.
Order of giving. Casa Duniya's 2026 guide places building staff on Lunar New Year's Eve, family on the first day and office lai see on the first working day back.
Saving toward it. To put the total aside month by month, the savings calculator works out the monthly amount, and the Hong Kong salaries tax calculator shows what your pay leaves after tax.
Once you have the total: the bank and the packets
- Take the "New notes to withdraw" table to the bank — It lists how many of each note you need. The sample list at Typical needs 2 × HK$500, 12 × HK$100 and 9 × HK$20, 23 notes in all; with two packets per person the count is 46.
- Fill the packets one row at a time — "Your plan" keeps each recipient group on its own line, so you can fill and sort one pile per row: HK$500 packets for parents, HK$200 for nieces and nephews, HK$20 for the office and the building. Keeping the HK$20 pile apart from the HK$200 pile avoids handing a security guard a nephew's packet.
- Send the plan to your spouse before either of you goes to the bank — The copy button on "Your plan" gives plain text: the heading "Lai see plan — Lunar New Year 2027", one line per row such as "Parents / grandparents: HK$500 × 2 = HK$1,000", the total with packets and new notes, the note list, and a link that reopens the same list. Pasted into WhatsApp, it lets your spouse check every row's head count and amount before either of you withdraws the notes.
- Keep a few spare HK$20 packets — Sassy Mama Hong Kong suggests carrying spare HK$20 packets for waiters and other service staff over the holiday. Add a Restaurant staff row with the number you expect, so the spares are in the note count.
- Over budget? Start with the biggest rows — The calculator never trims a packet for you. On the sample list at Typical, the parents' two packets are HK$1,000 of HK$2,380 and the four nieces and nephews are the next biggest row at HK$800. Typing 100 for Relatives' children brings the list to HK$1,980; dropping the whole list to Modest gives HK$1,580.
- Sending some lai see by FPS or e-wallet — Keep those people on the list so the total stays right, then take their packets off the envelope count and their notes off the bank list by hand, because the "Red packets" card and the notes table both count every packet on the list.
- Look up the dates — Lunar New Year 2027 is Saturday 6 February; the Chinese lunar calendar converter finds the Lantern Festival or any other lunar date you plan around.
Mistakes that throw off the total
- Putting nieces and nephews on the Friends' children row — At Typical, Relatives' children get HK$200 and Friends' children HK$100, so four nieces and nephews on the wrong row come to HK$400 instead of HK$800. The two rows follow Sunday Kiss's 2026 ranges: HK$50–HK$500 for relatives' children, HK$50–HK$200 for friends' children.
- Switching on two packets and forgetting the office — The switch doubles every row, so six colleagues become 12 packets and three guards become 6. If your colleagues have never met your spouse, leave the switch off and double "People" on the rows for relatives and friends.
- Choosing Generous to give your parents more — The level applies to the whole list, so Generous also lifts the nieces' and nephews' packets to HK$500 and the colleagues' to HK$50, for a total of HK$5,250 on the sample list. Typing 1000 in the Parents / grandparents row at Typical gives your parents HK$1,000 each and a total of HK$3,380.
- Treating HK$300 as a safe middle amount — The calculator marks it "Less common amount — HK$200 or HK$500 is usual", and HKTVmall's 2026 guide lists HK$300 among the odd amounts to avoid. HK$200 and HK$500 are the customary amounts on either side.
- Typing 168, 88 or another amount that is not a multiple of HK$10 — The calculator ignores it and keeps the suggested amount, so the total does not include what you typed. Read the note under the recipient's name in "Your plan" before you trust the total.
- Asking the bank for the total instead of the notes — A lump sum of HK$2,380 can come back as two HK$1,000 notes and a few small ones, which fill neither the four HK$200 packets nor the nine HK$20 ones. The sample list needs 2 × HK$500, 12 × HK$100 and 9 × HK$20, and each HK$200 packet takes two HK$100 notes.
Lai see questions: amounts, rules and new notes
How much lai see should I give in Hong Kong?
It depends on who receives it. At the calculator's Typical level: HK$500 each for parents, grandparents and unmarried siblings; HK$200 for nieces and nephews and for a domestic helper; HK$100 for your own children and for friends' children; HK$50 for close colleagues and direct reports; and HK$20 for other colleagues, their children, building security, neighbors and restaurant staff. In the Hong Kong Research Association's January 2025 survey, more than half of givers said their average packet held HK$20.
How much lai see do you give a domestic helper in Hong Kong?
HK$200 at Typical, inside a published range of HK$100 to HK$500 that Mami Daily's 2026 table ties to years of service and performance. Modest is HK$100 and Generous HK$500. Time Out Hong Kong's 2026 guide says to give helpers at least HK$100.
How much lai see for building security guards and management staff?
HK$20 each at Typical and HK$50 at Generous, from Sunday Kiss's 2026 range of HK$20 to HK$50. Time Out Hong Kong's 2026 guide also gives HK$20 for doormen, security guards and cleaners. Put the number of guards and staff in one Building security / management row.
How much lai see do you give colleagues?
At Typical, HK$20 for other colleagues and for married colleagues' children, and HK$50 for close colleagues and your direct reports. Sunday Kiss's 2026 table gives HK$20–HK$50 for colleagues you are not close to and HK$50–HK$100 for your own team, and Mami Daily puts direct reports at no less than HK$50 to HK$100.
Do married couples give one lai see or two?
Two, one from each spouse, to relatives and friends. YOHO's 2026 guide says a colleague who does not know your partner can get a single packet, and that newlyweds giving for the first time hand over two each, four in all. The calculator's two-packet switch doubles every row, so if your colleagues should get one, double "People" on the rows for relatives and friends instead.
Do single people give lai see in Hong Kong?
Not by the custom: married people give and singles receive. Sassy Mama Hong Kong describes the order as big to small, old to young and senior to junior, so an unmarried boss can still give to staff. Casa Duniya's 2026 guide describes adult children giving their parents lai see as a gesture of filial piety; if you do, use the Parents / grandparents row.
Can I put HK$40 or HK$400 in a red packet?
Sassy Hong Kong and HKTVmall both say no, because 四 (sei, four) sounds like 死 (death) in Cantonese. The calculator still accepts such an amount but marks the row "Has a 4, which many avoid as unlucky".
Is HK$300 an acceptable lai see amount?
HKTVmall's 2026 guide lists HK$300, along with HK$101 and HK$700, among the odd amounts to avoid. The calculator accepts it but marks the row "Less common amount — HK$200 or HK$500 is usual".
Why did the calculator change the amount I typed?
An amount that is not a multiple of HK$10, such as 168 or 88, is ignored: the calculator counts notes from HK$10 to HK$1,000 and no coins, so the row keeps its suggested amount and says so under the name, for example "Not a multiple of HK$10 — using HK$100". A figure above HK$50,000 or below HK$10 is set to that limit when you leave the field. Amounts with a 4, or between the customary steps, are kept with a note.
How many new notes do I need for lai see?
The "New notes to withdraw" table works it out by splitting each packet into the fewest notes. The sample list at Typical, HK$2,380 in 19 packets, needs 23: 2 × HK$500, 12 × HK$100 and 9 × HK$20. Each HK$200 packet takes two HK$100 notes, and switching on two packets per person doubles the count to 46.
Where can I get new notes for lai see in Hong Kong?
At the note-issuing banks before the holiday. For 2026, HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China (Hong Kong) exchanged new and like-new notes from 3 to 16 February, with online booking from 27 January, as DotDotNews reported from the HKMA's January announcement. The 2027 dates were not out when this page was written; the 2025 and 2026 arrangements were both announced in January.
Can I give lai see electronically instead of in cash?
Yes. In its January 2026 announcement the HKMA suggested FPS or e-wallets for red packets, as DotDotNews reported. Keep those people on your list so the total is right, and take their notes off your bank list, because the note table counts every packet.
When do you give lai see in 2027?
From Lunar New Year's Day, Saturday 6 February 2027, to the Lantern Festival on Saturday 20 February 2027. HKTVmall gives the window as the first to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
Is lai see the same as a red packet or hongbao?
Yes. Lai see (利是) is the Cantonese name used in Hong Kong, red packet is the English term, and hongbao (紅包) is the Mandarin word. Wikipedia glosses 利是 as "good for business".
How much does a Hong Kong household spend on lai see in total?
Casa Duniya's 2026 guide puts a typical married couple at HK$3,000 to HK$10,000 or more a year. The calculator's sample list of 19 people costs HK$2,380 at Typical with one packet each, HK$4,760 with two packets per person, and HK$10,500 at Generous with two. In the Hong Kong Research Association's 2025 survey, 62% expected to spend about the same as the year before and 23% expected to spend more.
Is the lai see calculator free, and can I save my list?
It is free and needs no account. To keep or share a list, use the copy button on "Your plan": the text ends with a link that reopens the same list.
Where do the calculator's amounts come from, and how current are they?
From 2026 Hong Kong guides by Sunday Kiss, YOHO, Mami Daily, HKTVmall and Sing Tao Daily, with the Hong Kong Research Association's January 2025 survey setting HK$100 as Typical for your own children. The "2026 norms" badge marks the data year; the amounts are meant for Lunar New Year 2027 and are refreshed every December.
What does the lai see calculator leave out?
It plans New Year lai see in Hong Kong. Wedding money (人情), birthday or graduation packets and the customs of other places are outside it, and it does not scale amounts to income. Sunday Kiss says divorced people can each give a single packet, which is the calculator with the two-packet switch off.
Sources & References
- Sing Tao Daily: 2026 lai see norms by recipient, with the Hong Kong Research Association survey (in Chinese, 2026-02-11)
- YOHO: lai see amounts, etiquette and taboos — even amounts, two packets from a married couple, four from newlyweds (in Chinese, updated 2026-01-16)
- Sunday Kiss: 2026 lai see amounts for eight kinds of recipient (in Chinese)
- HKTVmall blog: how much lai see to give close family, and which amounts to avoid (in Chinese, 2026-02-23)
- Mami Daily: 2026 lai see table — domestic helpers, direct reports and unmarried siblings (in Chinese, 2026-02-13)
- Eastweek: Hong Kong Research Association survey of 1,017 people, 2–16 January 2025 — more than half put HK$20 in a packet, 16% HK$50, 15% HK$100 or more; for their own children 39.7% give HK$100 and 27.2% HK$500 (in Chinese, 2025-01-24)
- Dimsum Daily: How much to gift for lai see in the Year of the Horse — the Hong Kong Research Association's early-2025 survey: more than half of those giving lai see planned HK$20 a packet, 16% HK$50 and 15% HK$100 or more (2026-02-11)
- DotDotNews: new and like-new banknotes for the Year of the Horse at HSBC, Standard Chartered and Bank of China (Hong Kong), 3–16 February 2026, online reservations from 27 January (2026-01-14)
- Time Out Hong Kong: the ultimate lai see guide — HK$20 for doormen, security guards and cleaners, at least HK$100 for domestic helpers, no odd amounts or 4s (2026-02-10)