To Charge or Not to Charge: Understanding Late Fees for Reusables Programs
Updated: May 29, 2025
In this blog, we’ll dive into the role of late fees in reusable container programs and how they influence return rates, program success, and diner sentiment. We’ll explore different types of charges, from single-use surcharges to customizable late fees, and how Topanga’s integration capabilities make managing these fees straightforward. With real-life examples from university programs, you’ll see how charges can impact both the environment and your dining program’s bottom line.
Introduction
As an API-based product, Topanga was built with an integration-first mindset, allowing organizations to leverage our software seamlessly within their existing tech stack. When it comes to late-fee charging, this means that Topanga can set up automated charging directly through your organization's diner-card systems, mobile-ordering integrations, and/or give you all the tools and transparency you need to execute charging in-house.
What are the different types of charging in reusables programs?
Late Fees
Late fees are just like checking out a library book! When a reusable asset is scanned out, the rental window begins. Each rental consists of a due date and an expiration date. Automated return reminders are sent to users if the container isn’t returned by the due date and late fees are eligible if the container still isn’t returned by the expiration date.
Single-Use Surcharge
Single-use surcharges can be implemented in addition to or instead of late fees. By adding a surcharge to single-use packaging, it gives students the option of participating in ReusePass for free or continuing to choose single-use packaging for a fee.
The single-use surcharge has proved to be an excellent lever for encouraging widespread ReusePass adoption and making the ROI tangible to the school.
Surcharges are great if you want to have an optional reusable packaging program but the cost of single-use is still a burden on the bottom line.
How are late fees charged? Where are late fees charged to?
Late fees are configured on a per-organization basis during implementation of your ReusePass program. By default, there is a standard late fee that will be eligible for a charge once the rental has expired and a container is not returned.
There are advanced configurations available (such as $5 for a clamshell and $2 for a coffee cup) but Topanga will recommend the right choice depending on the implementation.
There are two core ways to charge late fees:
Automated charging
Automated charging integrates Topanga and your organization's payment-card provider, either through direct set up and/or through our mobile-ordering partnerships.
While Topanga can support seamless execution of charges, it is always up to the organization to determine where the charges land across various forms of currency, such as dining dollars, flex money, meal swipes, or student’s campus wide accounts.
Refunds are processed automatically in these scenarios as well.
Manual-charge processing
Some of our schools prefer to charge the students manually for increased transparency and control when it comes to executing late fees. Additionally, we’re continually growing our integrated partners, but don’t support 100% of card providers at this time.
Topanga’s platform makes it incredibly easy to track and manage manual charges through our charging workflow in the dashboard. Learn more on manual charging workflows here.
Manual charging gives schools complete control over the cadence of charging, which accounts to process a charge too, and how to manage refunds.
Topanga does not manage or process late fees directly to credit cards at this time.
Does charging late fees actually result in better return rates?
By and large, late fees are one of many levers that drive program performance. If recouping costs for unreturned containers and focusing on economic ROI is key to an organization, then late fees and single-use surcharges will be great tools to leverage.
That being said, many organizations don’t charge late fees and instead focus on positive incentives through loyalty/rewards programs and bringing ReusePass to life with ambassador engagement. Learn more about our ReusePass ambassador program here.
We’ve seen that organizations that charge late fees tend to see a 98% average return rate while those who don’t charge see a 96% average return rate. Both of these results set organizations up for long-term environmental and economic impact, regardless of which route you choose.
Is there charging flexibility for specific instances where you do not want to charge late fees?
Yes, Topanga has robust tools to ensure ultimate flexibility when it comes to when and why late fees are charged so campuses can create the best reuse experience for their diners. This includes Topanga's new features like return forgiveness and rental received forgiveness.
Forgiving a rental means that you do not intend to issue fines or penalize the diner for failing to return a container before the rental expires. We created this feature in response to feedback that we collected from several clients who expressed 1) a desire to offer more flexibility as campus life and operations vary throughout the year (e.g. beginning of a new term, holiday breaks, etc.) and 2) a desire to be more lenient with diners regarding when the returned container is received. Learn more about our new rental forgiveness feature here.
Your Topanga success team will help you decide when to leverage these product features to ensure the best-in-class program and participant sentiment.
Additionally, all schools that charge automated late fees are recommended to buy into Topanga’s live customer support tools. This allows Topanga to take on the heavy lifting and work directly with end-users to troubleshoot refund requests and ensure accurate charging.
If students have multiple overdue containers, can schools block their ReusePass program participation?
Today, this is not a feature that we support in our ReusePass programs. The reason being? By and large, we haven’t seen many bad actors in a ReusePass program!
On average, customers only have 1–2 containers out at a given time, so there’s no need to worry about bad actors who are taking advantage of the program.
That being said, we will sometimes see a skew in the data where a participant will have multiple un-returned containers checked out, but based on our data this is <1% of all ReusePass participants. In those scenarios, Topanga has targeted communication tools to connect with those users directly and intervene as is necessary, as well as provide automated reporting to schools for visibility into their users’ behaviors.
What are some examples of successful charging situations in ReusePass programs?
Below are a wide variety of successful ReusePass programs, including retail, residential, optional and mandatory variations—each with their own specific charging protocols. Thanks to the flexibility of ReusePass, you can customize your charging to suit your dining program’s needs.
Optional residential program
$1.25 single-use surcharge or reuse for free
$5 late fee for unreturned containers at the end of the semester
Results:
99% average return rate
46.5 container uses before retiring
<$0.07 per use, which is 70% less than the average cost of single-use containers
<1 day return timeline
3-day cycle rate (from initial checkout to ready for next reuse)
Mandatory residential program
$5 late fee
Results:
97% average return rates
11 reuses per container
Diner reuse 2X per week
<$0.30 container cost per reuse
Optional retail program
$2.50 single-use surcharge or reuse for free
$8 late fee
Results:
95% average return rate
90% reach across the undergraduate population
78% reduction in disposable packaging
Over 200k open container loops
10 uses per container, making it 45% cheaper per use than single-use containers
2-day return timeline
Extra funds that they can now reinvest into the growing program and support other operational needs
Mandatory residential program and optional retail program
$2.50 single-use surcharge in retail or reuse for free
$5 late fee
Results:
98% average return rate
24 average uses per asset
<$0.13 per use, which is 74% less than the cost of single-use containers
93% of Brandeis students participate in the program
Diners reuse 2.4X per week
2-day return timeline
Interested in figuring out what charging would be best for your dining program?
Reach out to us at sales@topanga.io to customize a ReusePass reusables program to meet your dining team’s needs and to explore more of our data behind charging.
Muahoatuoi mang đến trải nghiệm đặt hoa online khá tiện lợi, mình thấy việc giao nhận cũng nhanh chóng và hoa vẫn giữ được độ tươi https://muahoatuoi.vn/ .
Reusable packaging programs often raise practical questions about how people use shared resources, what happens when items are returned late, and how small decisions affect the overall system. A fair policy needs to balance convenience, cost, and long-term usability. Interestingly, similar thinking applies to construction, where choosing materials involves more than looking at the initial expense. The quality of each component, its expected lifespan, and the way it performs under everyday conditions can all influence the final result.
This connection becomes clearer when planning an industrial or commercial building. Just as reusable packaging needs a system that works reliably over time, a building needs materials suited to its intended purpose. Selecting a puf panels manufacturer requires attention to insulation performance,…
Interestingly, the discussion of late fees in reusable container programs highlights a broader lesson: successful operations depend on clear processes, accountability, and continuous improvement. The article To Charge or Not to Charge: Understanding Late Fees for Reusables Programs”* offers a valuable perspective on balancing customer behavior, environmental responsibility, and operational efficiency. Its focus on return rates and program success demonstrates how thoughtful policies can encourage better habits while supporting long-term business goals. This connects to another important area of operational management: manufacturing, where even small process improvements can lead to meaningful results.
Just as reusable programs benefit from well-defined return procedures, manufacturers need structured workflows to reduce waste and maintain consistency. A lean manufacturing system provides a practical foundation by…
From Sustainable Dining Choices to Healthier Everyday Habits
It is interesting how small, thoughtful choices can create a positive impact, whether we are reducing waste through reusable dining programs or improving our health through everyday food choices. The article To Charge or Not to Charge: Understanding Late Fees for Reusables Programs offers valuable insights into how responsible decisions, clear policies, and consistent habits can support sustainability while improving the dining experience. Its focus on balancing environmental responsibility with customer satisfaction is particularly relevant today, when people are becoming more conscious of the choices they make.
This idea of making informed, practical decisions also connects to another important part of daily life: nutrition. Just as successful reusable container programs depend on…
The discussion about late fees for reusable programs is a good reminder that small decisions can have a bigger impact when considered over the full life of a system. Instead of looking only at the immediate cost, it helps to think about how something will be used, maintained, and managed over time. Interestingly, the same way of thinking can be applied to construction materials. The lowest initial price does not always mean the most practical choice once performance, installation, maintenance, and long-term use are considered.
This connects to an important question for anyone planning a new building, renovation, industrial facility, or temporary structure: how should different construction and insulation options be compared? There are several materials available, and each has…