# Singapore Pays 20 Coins for 15 Minutes of Reading

> Singapore’s ReadSG rewards daily reading with tiny cash prizes to build book habits.
- Title: Singapore Pays 20 Coins for 15 Minutes of Reading | Shortify
- Summary: Singapore’s ReadSG rewards daily reading with tiny cash prizes to build book habits. Singapore’s five-year reading program gives 20 virtual coins for 15…
- Keywords: singapore, readsg, national library board, virtual coins, reading habits, behavioral nudge, civic design, s$150000, technology, startups, Pays, Coins
- Source: Gadget Review — https://gadgetreview.com/singapore-is-paying-people-to-put-down-their-phones-and-read-books
- Published: 2026-09-17T15:06:13+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: singapore, readsg, national library board, virtual coins, reading habits, behavioral nudge, civic design, s$150000, technology, startups
## ReadSG Launches
Singapore’s National Library Board launched ReadSG on September 6, 2026, a five-year reading campaign.

> Singapore’s National Library Board launched ReadSG on 6 September 2026, a five-year national reading campaign that converts logged reading time into virtual coins redeemable for cash.
## How It Works
Log 15 minutes of reading to earn 20 virtual coins, equivalent to S$0.02.

> Log at least 15 minutes of reading on GovTech’s CrowdTaskSG platform and you earn 20 virtual coins.
## Coin Mechanics
50 consecutive days of reading earns one Singapore dollar, with a fixed conversion rate.

> Fifty consecutive days of reading earns you a single Singapore dollar.
## Read for Good
7.5 million cumulative reading minutes unlock a S$150,000 charitable donation.

> The program targets 7.5 million cumulative reading minutes across all participants, a collective goal that would unlock a charitable donation of up to S$150,000.
## Pilot Phase
ReadSG is in a pilot phase with plans to refine the program based on user feedback.

> The National Library Board has described the current campaign as still in a pilot phase.
## Decade of Literacy
ReadSG builds on Singapore’s National Reading Movement launched in 2016.

> ReadSG follows Singapore’s National Reading Movement, launched in 2016, and a series of earlier literacy initiatives.
## Behavioral Nudge
Critics say the reward is too small to attract new readers, but supporters cite behavioral economics research.

> Critics note that the financial reward is too small to attract anyone who was not already inclined to read.
## Global Watch
Governments worldwide are watching ReadSG as a test of gamification shifting screen habits.

> Governments and educators are watching ReadSG as an early test of whether gamification and micropayments can shift public behavior at population scale.
## What It Means
ReadSG shows how small incentives can build reading habits without being a side hustle.

> The National Library Board has characterized the payout as deliberately modest, designed as a behavioral nudge rather than an income stream.
## Key takeaway

Singapore’s five-year reading program gives 20 virtual coins for 15 minutes of reading, redeemable for cash.