Taiwanese receipt lottery
What do you usually do with paper receipts after buying souvenirs or dining out on a trip? Like most travelers, I used to toss them into the trash right away.
However, in Taiwan, Throwing away your receipt means throwing away free money!
Taiwan operates a unique government-run lottery system tied directly to everyday shopping receipts. To help you take advantage of this fun travel bonus, here is everything you need to know about Taiwan's receipt lottery and how to check if you won!
Every Receipt is a Lottery Ticket in Taiwan
In Taiwan, every official receipt issued by a convenience store, cafe, supermarket, or restaurant is actually a lottery ticket known as a Uniform Invoice.
To encourage business to issue receipts and pay taxes properly, the Taiwanese government prints an 8-digit lottery number right in every receipt. Every purchase you make—even a quick $1USD bottle of water from 7-Eleven or FamilyMart—gives you a shot at winning the jackpot!
How Much Can You Win?
The lottery offers payouts across several prize tiers, ranging from small pocket-money rewards to life-changing jackpots:
| Prize Tier | Winning Condition | Prize Amount (TWD) | Approx. Value (USD) |
| Special Prize | Match all 8 digits of the Special Prize number | NT$10,000,000 | ~$310,000 USD |
| Grand Prize | Match all 8 digits of the Grand Prize number | NT$2,000,000 | ~$62,000 USD |
| First Prize | Match all 8 digits of any First Prize number | NT$200,000 | ~$6,200 USD |
| Second Prize | Match the last 7 digits of any First Prize number | NT$40,000 | ~$1,240 USD |
| Third Prize | Match the last 6 digits of any First Prize number | NT$10,000 | ~$310 USD |
| Fourth Prize | Match the last 5 digits of any First Prize number | NT$4,000 | ~$125 USD |
| Fifth Prize | Match the last 4 digits of any First Prize number | NT$1,000 | ~$31 USD |
| Sixth Prize | Match the last 3 digits of any First Prize number | NT$200 | ~$6 USD |
💡Note: Even if you don't hit the multi-million dollar jackpot, matching just the last 3 digits gets you NT$200, which is very common and serves as a fun travel souvenir!
When Are the Winners Announced?
Winning numbers are drawn bimonthly (every two months) on the 25th day of the following month:
- January - February receipts: Drawn on March 25
- March - April receipts: Drawn on May 25
- May - June receipts: Drawn on July 25
- July - August receipts: Drawn on September 25
- September - October receipts: Drawn on November 25
- November - December receipts: Drawn on January 25
If you've already returned home, you can check your numbers online or pass winning physical receipts to friends traveling to Taiwan!
How to Check Your Receipts & Claim Your Pirze
How to check if I win Taiwanese receipt lottery?
Imagine manually comparing 8-digit numbers on a massive stack of paper receipts... It's exhausting! Luckily, there is a much faster and easier way to check your tickets.
1. Download a Free Receipt Scanner App
I personally downloaded '統一發票', It was really easy to use.
Open the app's scanner and align the two square frame boxes on your screen with the two QR codes printed on your receipt. The app instantly reads the data!
3. Get Instant Results
The app compares your receipt number against the winning numbers automatically. The meaning of '請加油' is Better Luck Next Time which means my number didn't match the winning number.
I saved up a huge stack of receipts during my trip and scanned them all one by one. Unfortunately, none of my tickets won anything. Feeling defeated, I uninstalled the scanner app right then and there!
How to Claim Your Prize If you Win
To claim physical receipt prizes, the original receipt must be presented in person at authorized convenience stores or banks in Taiwan (along with your passport for identity verification).
So if you get lucky and win a prize after returning home, consider it the ultimate excuse to book another flight back to Taiwan!
