Replacement fee of S$9 for those who have lost TraceTogether token more than once

SINGAPORE: Those who have lost their TraceTogether token more than once will have to pay a replacement fee of S$9 for a new device.

This was announced by the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) in a Facebook post on Thursday (Jun 3).

Members of the public can get their replacement tokens at any community centre. "For those with financial difficulties, you may approach our staff for a fee waiver," it added. 

It was previously reported that the first replacement of lost tokens will be free. Subsequent replacements will be chargeable, although SNDGO did not say at the time what the replacement fee would be. 

READ: TraceTogether-only SafeEntry: 7 things you need to know

Tokens that are out of battery or faulty are replaced for free, according to the TokenGoWhere website.

The replacement fee of S$9 is to recover the cost price of the token, SNDGO said in response to queries from CNA.

"Members of public who have lost their Tokens can go to any CC and inform our staff to get a new token. The loss and replacement will be recorded by our staff," it said. 

While the "vast majority" of token replacements is due to battery drain, SNDGO said there are some who need a new token because they have lost theirs. 

"We have waived the charges for the first replacement, but all subsequent replacements for lost tokens will be charged. 

"We hope that the public will be more mindful about taking care of their tokens and be careful not to misplace them. There will continue to be no charge to replace tokens that have run out of battery, and those that are faulty or damaged," added SNDGO.

READ: Students will not be denied entry to schools should they misplace, forget TraceTogether token or app: MOE

SNDGO also said that the majority of token replacement is for tokens with batteries that have run out. To date, less than 5 per cent of the overall token replacements has been due to lost tokens, and about 2 per cent of the total cases of lost tokens is for a second replacement.  

It has been mandatory since May 17 to use TraceTogether-only SafeEntry at all higher-risk venues such as malls, workplaces and places of worship, and where people are likely to be in close proximity for prolonged periods.

Check-ins can be done either with the token or the TraceTogether mobile app.