What you can buy with SARA: the 15 item categories and the shops that accept it

Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) is a MyKad credit for buying basic necessities cashless at SARA partner shops. This guide is based on the official sara.gov.my portal and the SARA 2026, SARA untuk Semua and SARA 2027 FAQs, which we read on 25 Oct 2026.

Monthly SARA is given automatically to Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) recipients. SARA untuk Semua (SARA for All) is a one-off RM100 credit given on 9 Feb 2026 to citizens aged 18 and above. Both use the same 15 categories of goods.

The 15 SARA categories and examples

The official SARA portal says these 15 categories cover more than 140,000 basic items. The examples below are taken from the category list on that portal.

Eligible items are labelled SARA on the shelf price tag. The SARA FAQ calls this the MyKasih label.

What you cannot buy

SARA purchases are limited to items in the approved categories. Items outside these categories, and amounts above the SARA balance on your MyKad, must be paid for yourself.

The 15 SARA 2026 categories do not include wet and fresh produce. However, frozen chicken, meat, fish, seafood and vegetables fall under the frozen food category.

From 2027: wet and fresh produce

The SARA 2027 FAQ, issued by HASiL on 17 Oct 2026, lists 16 categories. The new category is wet and fresh produce.

The Budget 2027 speech says wet and fresh produce can be bought at 216 Pasar Tani or Tamu markets under the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA). The SARA 2027 FAQ also lists FAMA's Pasar Tani and Pasar Tamu as partners.

As at 25 Oct 2026, the sara.gov.my portal still shows SARA 2026 information. SARA 2027 rates by recipient category are in our SARA 2027 guide.

Shops that accept SARA

According to the Budget 2027 speech, there are 15,000 SARA partner premises, including 6,800 small grocery shops and cooperatives. The Government aims for 10,000 small grocery shops before the end of 2026.

Chains named in the SARA FAQ include Mydin, Giant, Econsave, The Store, Pacific, Milimewa, 99 Speedmart and Lotus Stores. Independent supermarkets and minimarkets also take part.

You can shop outside the area where you live. To find a shop, open the Shop List on the MyKasih recipient portal (checkstatus.mykasih.net), then search by town or state.

How to buy with your MyKad

1. Choose items labelled SARA on the shelf price tag.
2. Show your MyKad to the cashier to verify your status.
3. The cashier scans each item according to the permitted categories.
4. Pay with your MyKad to confirm the transaction.
5. Keep the receipt. It shows your SARA balance before and after the purchase, and the amount you need to pay.

The SARA FAQ says no one other than the recipient can make purchases, because payment is made with the recipient's MyKad. If it happens anyway, it is the recipient's own responsibility.

How to check your SARA balance

The SARA FAQ lists three ways to check your balance:

• Official sara.gov.my portal: the Semak Kelayakan (Check eligibility) link takes you to the MyKasih recipient portal, which asks for your MyKad number without dashes.
• MyKasih app: shows your balance, item types and a list of nearby shops.
• Purchase receipt: your latest balance is printed on the receipt.

Only enter your MyKad number on official websites. Do not give your MyKad number to anyone over WhatsApp or a phone call.

SARA 2026 balances expire on 31 Dec 2026

Unused monthly SARA balance carries over to the next month. However, any balance left unused at the end of the programme, on 31 Dec 2026, expires automatically.

The RM100 SARA untuk Semua credit is also valid until 31 Dec 2026. According to the SARA untuk Semua FAQ, unused balances after that date will be used for other social protection programmes the following year.

SARA 2027 is a new allocation for January to December 2027, and its balance expires on 31 Dec 2027.

If your MyKad is lost, damaged or newly replaced

Call the MyKasih Helpline at 03-7720 1800. A manual purchase exemption is given for one transaction only, and later purchases must use the new MyKad.

If you have just replaced or renewed your MyKad, tell MyKasih so the MyKad version on your record is updated. The old MyKad version can be frozen to prevent misuse of SARA.

Beware of scams

Monthly SARA is given automatically to approved STR recipients, so there is no separate SARA application. On 21 Jan 2026, MOF stressed that no STR or SARA applications or payments are made through WhatsApp.

The HASiL Warning Notice says there are fake websites and social media accounts using the STR and SARA names. Do not open suspicious links, and do not reveal personal information to unverified parties.

If you have been scammed, call the 24-hour 997 line as soon as possible so the accounts involved can be blocked (Berita RTM, 6 Jul 2026). Suspicious messages can be checked with the Scam Message Checker.