What does “Pfand” mean in German?

In this clip the speaker adds up the cost of sparkling water and warns that buying it at the supermarket brings two downsides: “Pfand und Schleppen.” Pfand is the deposit you pay on top of the price for returnable bottles and cans. You get it back, but only after you carry the empties back to the shop and feed them into the machine. So it ties up your cash and your time.

Spoken line: “Und Du hast hier 2 Probleme, Pfand und Schleppen.” (And here you have two problems: deposit and lugging it all home.) Pfand is the deposit you leave on a drink container. It is not an extra charge you lose — it comes back to you when you return the empty bottle or can. Most supermarkets have a return machine (Pfandautomat) that prints a slip you use at the till. - “Auf die Flasche sind 25 Cent Pfand.” — There’s a 25-cent deposit on the bottle. - “Bring die leeren Flaschen zurück, dann bekommst du das Pfand.” — Bring the empty bottles back and you get the deposit. - “Ohne Bon kein Pfand.” — No slip, no deposit back. Usage notes: Pfand is usually a small amount per bottle, but it adds up across a big shop. People also say “Pfandflasche” (deposit bottle) and “Leergut” (empties you take back).