Paid the 10¢ deposit but your bottle was rejected? What to check in Singapore

First check what you paid for

Find the drink on your receipt and look for a separate BCRS deposit amount. For a multipack, compare the number of containers with the deposit charged. If the receipt does not make this clear, ask the shop to explain the drink price and deposit separately.

A missing deposit line does not by itself prove that no deposit was collected. IRAS allows businesses to omit the deposit from a GST receipt or account for it separately. The deposit itself is not subject to GST. IRAS guidance on BCRS deposits

Likewise, two bottles with the same shelf price do not establish an incorrect charge. One price might exclude the deposit; the underlying beverage prices might differ. BCRS’s retailer guide specifically notes that major retailers show shelf prices without the deposit and include it on the receipt. BCRS retailer guide, page 1

Keep the enquiry simple: “Was a BCRS deposit charged for this bottle?” That is more useful than starting with an assumption about why the total looks different.

Then look at the bottle itself

The Singapore deposit mark is the first eligibility check. The scheme covers regulated pre-packaged drinks in plastic or metal containers from 150ml to 3 litres. Glass bottles, cartons and pouches are outside that container scope. Freshly prepared drinks and certain other products have exclusions. NEA’s consumer guide

If there is no Singapore deposit mark, a recycling symbol or a familiar brand name is not a substitute. Unmarked containers do not earn the scheme’s refund. During the approved October clearance period, finding old unmarked stock can have a legitimate explanation.

If your receipt appears to charge a deposit for that unmarked bottle, photograph both together before disposing of the container. Return to the retailer with the specific transaction. A machine cannot resolve a checkout charge by treating an ineligible container as eligible.

Also keep the shopping receipt separate in your mind from a machine’s service ticket: one records the purchase; the other records a failed refund transaction.

Check its condition before another attempt

Empty the bottle or can, leave it uncrushed and keep the barcode intact. Insert containers individually, following the instructions on that machine. Return Right’s preparation guide is designed around recognising the whole container, so flattening it to save space works against the return process. Return Right’s illustrated steps

For a sticker-labelled container, check the sticker’s barcode and 2D-matrix code as well as the deposit mark. Damage to those details can prevent acceptance. Return Right FAQ

Do not peel off the label to “fix” it or swap a label from another bottle. Take a clear photo of the original label if it looks readable but keeps failing; that gives the operator something specific to investigate.

Work out whether the machine is the problem

Does it reject just this bottle, or is it displaying a fault or refusing to start? That observation helps you decide whether to keep checking the container or find another return point.

A readable label does not rule out a machine problem. In its 6 October parliamentary reply, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment identified container placement and occasional machine faults among reasons eligible returns can fail. It directs people with unresolved eligible returns to BCRS for assistance. MSE’s reply on rejected returns

If the machine is full or unavailable, use the official return-point map to choose another location. Do not leave a bag of rejected bottles beside the machine. Record the location, machine number if visible and exact message before moving on.

If the containers went in but the money did not arrive

Complete the refund step before leaving. The current options are DBS PayLah! and a physical SimplyGo EZ-Link card, including eligible concession cards. PayNow QR codes, the SimplyGo app and NETS FlashPay cards are not interchangeable with those options. Return Right’s payment instructions

For a failed refund:

• Service ticket printed: keep it and follow its QR code or the official refund portal. Submit within 30 days and retain the ticket until paid.
• No service ticket: photograph the screen showing the machine ID, date, time and refund amount; email hi@returnright.sg within 30 days.
• Waiting for payment: the operator gives an expected period of 10 working days after verification, subject to bank processing; some cases need further checks.

Keep tickets private because the first valid claim can redeem them. Return Right will not request passwords, OTPs, Singpass credentials or an upfront payment. Refund and security instructions

Send the problem to the right place

For machine or payment issues, contact BCRS at 6035 5882 or hi@returnright.sg. For suspected incorrect deposit charging or other non-compliance, use NEA’s feedback form, after checking the product’s scope and the October exception.

Include the facts that match the problem: retailer and receipt for a charge query; container and label for rejection; machine and transaction details for a failed refund. A short account of what happened will be easier to follow than a collection of unrelated screenshots.