vocabulary

Supermarket German: Pfand, Kasse, Bon and more

2026-10-02

German supermarkets are efficient. Very efficient. The cashier scans your shopping at top speed, you're asked three quick questions, and before you know it the next person's groceries are sliding toward you.

If you're new in Germany, the supermarket can feel like an exam you didn't study for. It doesn't have to. This guide gives you the words you'll see on signs, the questions you'll hear at the checkout, and a clear explanation of Pfand, the bottle deposit system that confuses almost every newcomer. It's written for beginners (A1 to A2), with English for everything.

Before you go: a few surprises

Sundays are closed. Most shops in Germany are closed on Sundays and public holidays. Shops at big train stations and airports are the main exception. Plan your shopping for Saturday.
Bring a coin for the cart. Many shopping carts (Einkaufswagen) are locked together and open with a coin or a plastic chip. You get it back when you return the cart.
Bring a bag. Thin plastic carrier bags have been banned at checkouts since 2022. You can buy a paper or reusable bag at the checkout, but most people bring their own.
Weigh your fruit, sometimes. In some supermarkets you weigh fruit and vegetables yourself at a scale (die Waage) and stick the printed label on the bag. In others, the cashier does it. Look around the fruit section for a scale.

The words you'll see and hear

Tap the cards to learn the most useful supermarket words. The speaker reads each one aloud.

14 supermarket words

Tap a card to flip it. The speaker reads the word, or the example once the card is flipped.

der Supermarkt (plural: die Supermärkte): supermarket Example: Der Supermarkt hat bis 22 Uhr geöffnet. (The supermarket is open until 10 p.m.)
der Einkaufswagen (plural: die Einkaufswagen): shopping cart Example: Für den Einkaufswagen brauchst du oft eine Münze. (You often need a coin for the shopping cart.)
die Kasse (plural: die Kassen): checkout, register Example: An der Kasse ist eine lange Schlange. (There's a long line at the checkout.)
der Kassenbon (plural: die Kassenbons): receipt (short: der Bon) Example: Den Kassenbon brauche ich nicht, danke. (I don't need the receipt, thanks.)
der Warentrenner (plural: die Warentrenner): checkout divider Example: Kannst du mir den Warentrenner geben? (Can you pass me the divider?)
das Pfand: deposit on bottles and cans Example: Auf der Flasche sind 25 Cent Pfand. (There's a 25-cent deposit on the bottle.)
der Pfandautomat (plural: die Pfandautomaten): bottle return machine Example: Der Pfandautomat ist neben dem Eingang. (The bottle return machine is next to the entrance.)
der Pfandbon (plural: die Pfandbons): deposit voucher from the machine Example: Den Pfandbon gibst du an der Kasse ab. (You hand in the deposit voucher at the checkout.)
das Leergut: empty bottles (to return) Example: Ich bringe heute das Leergut weg. (I'm taking the empty bottles back today.)
die Tüte (plural: die Tüten): bag Example: Ich habe meine Tüte vergessen. (I forgot my bag.)
das Angebot (plural: die Angebote): special offer Example: Die Erdbeeren sind diese Woche im Angebot. (The strawberries are on sale this week.)
die Waage (plural: die Waagen): scale Example: Das Obst wiegst du hier an der Waage. (You weigh the fruit here at the scale.)
das Kühlregal (plural: die Kühlregale): refrigerated shelf Example: Die Milch steht im Kühlregal. (The milk is in the refrigerated section.)
die Selbstbedienungskasse (plural: die Selbstbedienungskassen): self-checkout (short: SB-Kasse) Example: Ich gehe heute zur Selbstbedienungskasse. (I'm using the self-checkout today.)

Signs in the aisles

A few words appear on almost every sign:

Angebot or Aktion: special offer.
Neu: new.
Bio: organic.
Mindestens haltbar bis: best before.
Stück: piece. "Pro Stück" means per piece.
kg and 100 g: price per kilo or per 100 grams, printed in small letters under the main price. Great for comparing.

At the checkout: how it works

Here's the routine at a typical German Kasse:

Put your items on the belt and place a Warentrenner (the plastic divider) behind them, so they don't mix with the next person's shopping. If you're the person behind, place one in front of yours. It's a small gesture Germans notice.
The cashier scans everything quickly. In many discount supermarkets, items go straight into a cart or onto a short shelf, and you pack them later at a separate packing table.
Answer a few questions. Points? Receipt? Card?
Pay, take your things and move along. Pack at the packing table if there is one, not at the checkout.

The speed surprises a lot of people. Nobody expects you to keep up perfectly. Put the items back in the cart, pay, and pack calmly at the side.

The questions at the checkout

Cashiers usually ask the same things, often in very short form. Test yourself: do you know what each one means? Turn the timer off if you want more time.

What did the cashier say?

Eight phrases from the checkout. Ten seconds each, or switch the timer off.

Brauchen Sie den Bon?: Do you need the receipt?. Shops have to offer you a receipt, so you'll hear this one a lot. "Nein, danke" is fine.
Sammeln Sie Punkte?: Do you collect points?. The cashier is asking about a loyalty card or app. If you don't have one: "Nein, danke."
Mit Karte?: By card?. Almost every supermarket takes cards. For cash, say "Nein, bar."
Karte einstecken, bitte.: Please insert your card.. Sometimes the card reader wants the chip and PIN instead of a tap.
Die Kasse ist geschlossen.: This checkout is closed.. Look for the light above the checkout, or just ask: "Ist die Kasse offen?"
Ich mache Kasse drei auf.: I'm opening checkout three.. When you hear this, people walk fast. Join them.
Die Erdbeeren sind im Angebot.: The strawberries are on sale.. Angebot means a special offer. The weekly flyers are full of them.
Ist das Ihr Leergut?: Are those your empty bottles?. Leergut is what you take back to the bottle machine.

About the Bon

Der Bon (short for der Kassenbon) is the receipt. Shops in Germany have to offer you one, which is why you'll be asked about it so often, or why it gets printed even when you don't want it. Keep it if you might return something, or if you want to check your spending.

Paying

Almost every supermarket accepts debit cards, and contactless payment is common. Useful sentences:

Mit Karte, bitte. By card, please.
Bar. Cash.
Kann ich mit dem Handy zahlen? Can I pay with my phone?
Kann ich hier Geld abheben? Can I withdraw cash here? (Some supermarkets let you do this at the checkout when you shop.)

Pfand: the bottle deposit explained

Now the big one. In Germany, many drinks come with a deposit, called Pfand. You pay a little extra for the bottle or can, and you get it back when you return the empty container (das Leergut).

There are two kinds of bottles:

Einweg (single-use): plastic bottles and cans with the deposit logo. The deposit is 25 cents. After you return them, they're recycled.
Mehrweg (reusable): mostly glass bottles, for example for beer, and some sturdy plastic bottles. The deposit is usually lower, often 8 or 15 cents. These bottles are cleaned and refilled.

How to get your money back:

Find the Pfandautomat (bottle return machine). It's usually near the entrance.
Put the bottles in one by one, bottom first or as the machine shows.
Press the button, usually labeled Bon or with a receipt icon.
Take the Pfandbon (voucher) to the checkout. It's taken off your bill, or you get the money in cash.

Pfand is also why you'll see people collecting bottles in parks and at train stations. Some people put their empty bottles next to a public trash can instead of inside it, so collectors can take them easily.

Now check what you've learned. Fact or myth?

Pfand: fact or myth?

Six claims about the German bottle deposit. Which ones are true?

Single-use plastic bottles and cans with the deposit logo carry a deposit of 25 cents. Fact. That's the standard deposit on single-use (Einweg) bottles and cans. Look for the deposit logo on the label.
Juice in a plastic bottle has no deposit. Myth. Since 2022, single-use plastic bottles and cans have a deposit for almost all drinks, juice included.
You can only return a can in the shop where you bought it. Myth. Shops that sell single-use bottles or cans generally have to take back containers of the same material, whatever the brand or the shop you bought them in. Very small shops are an exception.
Glass beer bottles are usually reusable (Mehrweg) and have a lower deposit than single-use bottles. Fact. Reusable bottles usually carry 8 or 15 cents. They're washed and refilled, which is why shops usually only take back the kinds they sell.
The machine pays you in coins. Myth. It prints a Pfandbon. You hand it in at the checkout, and it's taken off your bill or paid out in cash.
A crushed can is still accepted by the machine. Myth. The machine has to read the barcode and the deposit logo. Crushed or damaged containers are often rejected, so return them in one piece.

Your supermarket cheat sheet

Entschuldigung, wo finde ich ...? Excuse me, where can I find ...?
Haben Sie ...? Do you have ...?
Ist die Kasse offen? Is this checkout open?
Nein, danke, den Bon brauche ich nicht. No, thanks, I don't need the receipt.
Mit Karte, bitte. By card, please.
Ich habe noch einen Pfandbon. I have a deposit voucher, too.
Der Automat nimmt die Flasche nicht. The machine won't take the bottle.

Keep learning

The supermarket is a great free classroom. Read the labels, compare the signs, listen to the announcements. When you find a word you want to keep, save it to your word library. You can start with the words from this post below. And if a long sentence on a package or sign makes no sense, paste it into our sentence explainer.

Viel Spaß beim Einkaufen!

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