The Challenge: Logistical cup chaos and the '1 coin' nightmare

With approximately 200,000 visitors spread across a four-day event, Sinksen Kortrijk is one of the largest free city festivals in the region. The city's ambition was clear: to significantly increase sustainability by deploying no fewer than 350,000 reusable cups, as well as pitchers and food containers, city-wide. Visitors had to be able to take their cups anywhere and return them at any square.

However, this presented an enormous logistical and financial challenge for the participating squares and bar operators. The traditional method of cash deposit refunds was simply impossible: it required tens of thousands of physical 1 euro coins, and posed significant security risks due to large amounts of cash on the streets. Furthermore, this led to unfair situations because visitors often returned their cups at a different square than where they had purchased their drink. Kortrijk sought a system that would completely relieve bar operators operationally and financially, eliminate fraud, and offer crystal-clear data transparency to ensure fair settlement.

The solution: Global reusables strategy with stand-alone QR Refund

Together with logistics partner CUPernicus , Beyond Ordering rolled out the innovative QR Refund system across the city. A crucial strategic advantage of this setup: there was absolutely no sales obligation. Organizers or individual bar operators were not required to replace their existing POS systems or sales payment terminals; QR Refund functioned perfectly as a completely separate and independent system purely for cup deposits.

Efficient, app-less return flow

Visitors brought their cups to the central collection points in the squares. The staff member counted the cups, entered the number into the standalone terminal, and a unique QR code was immediately printed. The visitor scanned this code with their smartphone, entered their IBAN number, and the deposit was automatically refunded to their bank account a few days later.

100% data transparency

Because all return points were digitally linked, both the city and partner CUPernicus gained real-time insight into cup flows. It was possible to precisely monitor how many cups were returned per square. This ensured flawless and fair financial settlement afterwards between all participating locations.‍

Maximum on-site support

A mega-project like Sinksen requires robust backup. Thanks to intensive operational support and direct communication lines, any logistical or technical bottlenecks in the squares could be immediately addressed, ensuring the return flow ran smoothly around the clock.

The result: Green, safe, and operationally featherlight

The city-wide rollout transformed the traditional logistical nightmare into a prime example of a modern, sustainable city festival:

No cash handling, zero security risks

Collection points did not have to manage heavy safes with change. The entire cup flow was 100% cashless, which eliminated errors and maximized safety on the streets.

Fraud prevention

Because all return points were synchronized, fraudulent actions by visitors could also be monitored, and refunds were canceled where necessary. This way, cup collectors were rewarded, but street gangs were penalized.

Fair, data-driven settlement

Thanks to the comprehensive reporting within the platform, the imbalance between 'cups sold' in one area and 'cups collected' in another was digitally and flawlessly rectified. The result was a green, waste-free festival with transparent accounting.

Unclaimed deposits provide additional operating funds.

It's no secret that not every visitor claims their received QR Refund voucher within the refund period. These additional revenues therefore ensure that a large portion of the cup costs (rental, washing, loss, and management) are covered.