Is the deposit part of the price?

How does a multipack deposit work?

Which drinks should carry a deposit?

Grocery & markets

Bottle deposits and returns

For Grocers & cashiers · 5 min read · Last reviewed 2026-08-04

In many markets a drink carries a returnable deposit — the German Pfand — on top of its price: a single-use PET bottle, a reusable beer bottle. The customer pays it at the till and gets it back when they bring the empties in. RetailPOS models this as a deposit amount on the item, kept separate from the sale price.

The Grocery pack already sets this on the drinks that need it — bottled water and cola carry a per-bottle PET deposit, and a beer six-pack carries a per-bottle reusable deposit — while deposit-exempt lines like a juice carton or a wine bottle carry none.

The checkout screen — Bottle deposits and returns are applied per line at the till.

Add a deposit to a drink

Open the drink in the Catalog.
Set its deposit amount — the returnable value per bottle.
Leave it unset for deposit-exempt lines like cartons and wine.

Note:A multipack’s deposit is per bottle across the pack — a six-pack of reusable bottles carries six bottles’ worth of deposit, so the whole return is accounted for.

How the deposit shows at checkout

When a deposit item is rung, the deposit is added to the total alongside the price and shown as its own amount — the customer sees what the drink costs and what they’ll get back. Because it’s tracked separately from the sale price, your takings and your deposit liability stay distinct.

Refunding returned empties

When a customer brings empties back, refund the deposit they paid. Keeping the deposit as a distinct amount — rather than baking it into the price — is what makes the return clean: you give back the deposit, not a slice of the sale.

Frequently asked

Is the deposit part of the price?: No. It is a separate returnable amount added at checkout, so the sale price and the deposit stay distinct on the receipt and in your figures.
How does a multipack deposit work?: The deposit is counted per bottle across the pack — a six-pack of returnable bottles carries six bottles of deposit.
Which drinks should carry a deposit?: Returnable containers — single-use PET and reusable bottles. Leave cartons and other deposit-exempt lines with no deposit.

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