S'pore foodpanda user charged S$1.50 beverage container deposit fee for order with no drinks, merchant says it's an error & will help with refunds

When ordering from Korean eatery Mi Bibimbap off foodpanda, a user was charged a S$1.50 Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) deposit for an order which did not include drinks.

The eatery has since clarified in response to a Google Maps review that the fee was not imposed by them.

Instead, it arose due to "an error in the platform's product data processing."

Mi Bibimbap also left a representative's contact number and said that it will verify and arrange refunds for affected customers who reach out.

Charged S$1.50 for BCRS deposit but did not order drinks

The foodpanda user, Ben (not his real name), shared a screenshot of his receipt with Mothership.

The order was placed with Mi Bibimbap's Pasir Ris Mall outlet at 2:49pm on Jun. 5, 2026.

Part of the line item in the receipt for the order was a S$1.50 fee for a BCRS deposit.

The BCRS deposit fee is 10 cents per beverage container.

Ben's order did not include beverages.

Ben shared that he noticed the fee prior to ordering, but decided to go ahead with the order and seek a refund later as he had missed lunch due to a work event and was hungry at the time.

On Google Maps, a review posted on Jun. 6 about Mi Bibimbap's Nex outlet briefly detailed a similar experience.

In a screenshot shared along with the review, a S$0.50 BCRS deposit appeared to be included in the user's order.

The order looked to be made on foodpanda.

Miscategorisation by platform

Mi Bibimbap responded to the Google Maps review on Jun. 8.

It said that it has received feedback from customers regarding BCRS-related charged on certain foodpanda orders.

"After investigation, we found that the issue was caused by an error in the platform’s product data processing, which resulted in certain items being incorrectly categorised and charged accordingly," the eatery explained.

It added that the charge was not set or imposed by Mi Bibimbap.

In the Google Maps reply, Mi Bibimbap left its store representative's contact number and informed the reviewer to reach out to process a refund.

Ben said he has also reached out to the eatery to request a refund.

The eatery refunded Ben S$5 as a gesture of goodwill and apology.

When Mothership checked on foodpanda on Jun. 8 evening, the BCRS deposit fee no longer appears as part of the charges on an order without beverages during checkout.

Error in merchant configuration of BCRS deposit: foodpanda

Responding to Mothership's queries, a foodpanda spokesperson said it was aware of the reports regarding the incorrect BCRS deposit charges on the platform and had investigated the matter.

"To facilitate the deposit charges on the foodpanda platform, a BCRS deposit field was set up to support merchants in collecting the required BCRS deposits, in accordance with the scheme," the spokesperson said, adding that deposits collected are not subject to GST or any fees to its merchant partners

"Based on our investigation, the S$0.50 charge was incorrectly applied due to an error in how the merchant configured the BCRS deposit within their integrated POS system," the spokesperson explained.

The spokesperson also said foodpanda is working closely with the merchant partner to ensure the necessary corrections are made and to prevent additional charges on items that should not carry a BCRS deposit charge.

"As the BCRS is a newly implemented scheme, we are supporting our merchant partners and customers during this transition period to ensure a smooth experience," the spokesperson assured.

Foodpanda also regularly reviews listings across the platform and works with its partners to ensure BCRS deposits are accurately reflected and collected in accordance with the scheme's requirements.

"Customers who believe they have been incorrectly charged with a BCRS deposit on a non-BCRS item are encouraged to contact our customer support team so that the matter can be reviewed to facilitate the appropriate refunds," the spokesperson advised.