Do I get the 50-forint bottle deposit back in Hungary?
Yes — if it carries the logo and you didn't flatten it. In the MOHU system, drink packaging marked with the deposit-return logo — PET bottles, metal cans and single-use glass — carries a 50-forint deposit paid at purchase and refunded when you feed the packaging into a REpont machine or hand it over at a manual return point in smaller shops. Machines only accept intact, recognisable packaging: crushed bottles with unreadable barcodes stay rubbish. Outside the system: milk and milk-based drink packaging (hygiene grounds), unlabelled or pre-system stock, and foreign containers. Your refund comes as a shop voucher, REpont app credit or bank transfer — that pile of bottles in the kitchen is cash now.
📋 The key rules
- 50 HUF deposit on logo-marked PET bottles, cans and single-use glass
- Return at REpont machines or manual return points in small shops
- Machines accept only intact, uncrushed packaging with readable barcodes
- Milk/milk-based drink packaging is not returnable
- Payout: shop voucher, REpont app credit or bank transfer
🔓 Exceptions
- Classic refillable beer bottles return the old way at shop counters
- Unlabelled, pre-system or foreign packaging earns no 50 forints
⚠️ Penalties
No sanctions threaten consumers — you only lose the unclaimed 50 forints. MOHU and the authorities act against system gaming (bulk unauthorised foreign returns).
📎 Official sources
- REpont (MOHU) · Consumer returns — official rules (HU) →
- Telex · How the new return system works (HU) →
- BAON · Drop it in, it beeps, it pays — how returns work (HU) →
❓ Frequently asked questions
Why won't the machine take my bottle?
Most often it's crushed, the barcode is damaged, or the return logo is missing — only intact, system-registered packaging passes.
Why is the milk carton rejected?
For hygiene reasons, PET bottles and cartons that held milk or milk-based drinks aren't part of the system — they belong in selective waste.
How do I get the money?
Your choice: an instantly spendable shop voucher, credit in the REpont app, or a bank transfer — manual return points typically give vouchers.
Do refillable beer bottles go to REpont too?
No — refillable deposit bottles return the traditional way at the shop; REpont covers single-use, logo-marked packaging.
🔎 What people actually search
Real search phrases for this topic.
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