Singapore's vending machine scene has already given us hot meals and transit card charms, so a fortune-telling machine was probably inevitable. At Sunshine Plaza, a short walk from Bencoolen MRT, fortune-telling consultancy Destiny Wealth Crafter has installed a self-service tarot reading machine that runs 24/7 and costs just $4.99 per session — under five minutes from question to printout.
The process is straightforward. You pick a topic (love, career, wealth or health), type in a question of up to 120 words or choose from suggested prompts, then tap to shuffle and draw three cards. The machine warns against cramming in multiple questions, saying it muddies the results. One catch: payment — card or e-wallet only, no cash — is required before you reveal what's under the third card, which is a suitably dramatic cliffhanger for four bucks. Once revealed, the machine interprets your spread, prints the reading, and can email you a copy.
So is it accurate? The writers who tried it would temper expectations. Their health-focused reading came back with sensible but generic advice — spend time outdoors, accept help, let go of stress. Think wellness tips rather than prophecy. That said, at $4.99 it's arguably cheaper than most souvenirs, and the novelty of being told your fortune by a metal box is the real draw. If it sparks an interest, Destiny Wealth Crafter's physical outlet is just around the corner, offering full tarot and numerology sessions and even workshops for aspiring readers.
There's also an upsell: before your reading prints, the machine offers a Crystal Energy Blind Box matched to your chosen topic, containing a crystal or trinket supposedly tuned to your reading's energy. It's $29.90 on its own, or $19.90 bundled with a reading.
For travellers, this is a quintessentially Singapore experience — quirky, efficient, cashless and available at 3am if that's when your existential crisis strikes. Sunshine Plaza sits near the Bras Basah.Bugis arts district, so you can pair a reading with a wander through the area's bookshops and street art. Just bring an open mind and, perhaps, one well-chosen question.
