How Lidl replaced paper deposit receipts with a Digital Payout solution – and what it means for retailers
Amersfoort, the Netherlands: Returning empty bottles and cans is a familiar part of grocery shopping in the Netherlands, and for retailers, managing that process efficiently is just as important as making it easy for customers.
At Lidl Netherlands, the everyday recycling moment has become simpler, faster and fully digital. With TOMRA's Digital Payout API, Lidl customers across the entire country no longer need a paper receipt after using the reverse vending machines (RVMs). Instead, they receive their deposit directly in the Lidl Plus app and can redeem it at checkout. The result: less paper, fewer operational steps, and one seamless digital touchpoint from return to checkout.
From paper receipt to app-based payout
At any TOMRA reverse vending machine in Lidl Netherlands stores, customers can open the Lidl Plus app and scan the QR code displayed on the machine screen. They then return their empties as usual.Once the return is complete, the deposit refund amount is added directly to the Lidl Plus app, ready to be redeemed during check-out, whether right away or in a future store visit. For customers, the benefit is clear. There is no paper receipt to keep, no risk of losing it, and no extra step at check-out.
I immediately receive the deposit credited to my Lidl Plus app. At check-out, I open the app again and the deposit amount is deducted immediately. It’s very convenient.
A natural next step in Lidl’s digital customer journey
For Lidl Netherlands, the digital deposit feature fits naturally into the wider Lidl Plus app experience. Customers already use the app as part of their shopping journey. By adding deposit refunds to the same app, Lidl turns the recycling moment into another digital touchpoint – connecting returns, shopping and checkout in one seamless experience.We are the first supermarket chain in the Netherlands with this digital deposit feature, and we are very proud of that. We want simplicity and convenience for our customers.
Powered by TOMRA’s Digital Payout API
Behind the seamless customer experience is a smart technical connection. TOMRA’s Digital Payout API links the reverse vending machines with Lidl’s digital ecosystem. The integration was supported through the TOMRA Developer Portal, where Lidl’s development team had access to the documentation, APIs and testing tools needed to connect the app with the reverse vending machines and enable the digital checkout journey.
For Lidl Netherlands, the collaboration with TOMRA was an important part of the process. Eveline Hillen points to “the open way of working between the teams, with short lines of communication and close cooperation throughout the project. This helped both sides move quickly and create a digital deposit flow that works smoothly for customers.”
By bringing these elements together, the digital deposit feature becomes more than a standalone function. It becomes part of a connected digital touchpoint in the customer journey.
Making container recycling easier and more engaging
The value of digital deposit payout goes beyond customer convenience. A simpler return process lowers the barrier for participation – when recycling is easy, more customers take part, and more packaging is returned. The first results confirm that customers are ready for this change.
According to Lidl Netherlands, around 20% of deposit refunds are already processed digitally within the first six months – a strong signal that customers adopt quickly when the experience is seamless.
For retailers, this opens up new opportunities to make recycling more engaging. Lidl wants to further develop the Lidl Plus app and explore how it can reward customers who recycle well. This could turn recycling from a simple return moment into a more visible and positive part of the shopping experience.
More returns, more material back in the loop
The biggest impact comes when more bottles and cans are returned.
Gerben van Scherrenburg, VP Service at TOMRA Collection Netherlands, explains: “The easier this system works, the more materials, cans and bottles, are returned. These are then reused as raw material for newly manufactured beverage packaging.”
That is the strength of the solution. TOMRA Digital Payout API simplifies the customer’s journey, while helping more packaging find its way back into the recycling loop.
Recycling is no longer just something consumers have to do. It’s something that fits naturally into their daily routines: simple, digital, and increasingly engaging
