Why do I have a Missing Cylinder Charge and what is it?

Our CO2 system is designed to be a circular system which looks like:

We send you CO2 → you use CO2 → return to us → we sterilise, inspect & re-fill the cylinder → it gets sent to another customer

This means every cylinder is used, returned, cleaned and refilled for many years. It’s a key part of our sustainability mission and is used by hundreds of thousands of people globally. To ensure the cylinders remain in the ecosystem to be reused (rather than thrown in landfill), we charge customers £10 for each exchange or subscription cylinder that’s not returned to us within their specified returns window. We call this a ‘Missing Cylinder Charge’ or ‘non-returned cylinder charge’ and is charged to the original payment method.

This also includes all ‘Extra’ and ‘Mega’ Sparkling Water Maker bundles as these include exchange cylinders. So, if you have purchased one of these bundles as a gift, please see below for more information.

If you don’t return the cylinder(s) within your returns window – or you do but it isn’t logged to your account - you’ll be charged a £10 Missing Cylinder Charge per cylinder missing. This charge can be refunded once the cylinders are returned and logged, but there are a few different reasons why you might have received a Missing Cylinder Charge, which we’ll cover below:

A) You didn’t return your cylinder within your returns window

B) You returned your cylinder but in a new box without your Customer Account Number clearly labelled on it

C) You exchanged your cylinder in-store instead

D) You didn’t return all the cylinders you needed to

E) You gave a Sodastream as a gift – why have you been charged?

F) Warehouse error

To ensure we keep as many CO2 cylinders in the system as possible, we give customers a clear window by which they need to return their empty cylinders. These differ depending on how you bought your cylinders, which are:

- Online exchange (not subscription): return within 90 days

- Extra/Mega Bundles: return within 90 days

- CO2 subscription: your subscription frequency plus 30 days (e.g. if you purchase CO2 with a 3-month frequency, you have 3 months + 30 days grace period to return your cylinders).

If the cylinders are not returned by this date (and you haven’t contacted our customer service team to request an extension), we will charge you a £10 Missing Cylinder Charge per cylinder against your original order payment method. As soon as you return your cylinders, this charge is refunded. The best way in this example to avoid a Missing Cylinder Charge is to pay attention to your email notifications and My Account area which will let you know when you are coming to the end of your returns window. If you haven’t used your CO2 and you need an extension, you can get in touch with our Customer Support team and they will amend your returns window as a one-off.

If you’re on a CO2 subscription and this is happening on a regular basis, it might be worth reviewing your CO2 quantity or frequency to a timeframe that better suits your CO2 usage. You can do this here:

The best way to send your cylinders back is in its original box. This is because it has all the information included that we need to track your returned cylinder back to your account and mark it as received. We often receive cylinders back in unlabelled boxes that gives us no way to track the cylinder back to the original owner. Therefore, if you have sent back your cylinder in an unlabelled box, we won’t know it's yours and therefore you’ll be issued a Missing Cylinder Charge. If this is what has happened to you, please get in touch with our Customer Support team and let them know which method you returned your cylinder by, show proof of return and they will refund the charge. To prevent this happening in future, please ensure to clearly write your Customer Account Number (found in My Account) on the outside of the box.

Also, please make sure the returns packaging is:

• Sturdy (able to support the weight of cylinder(s) moving about)
• Taped/ sealed sufficiently
• Suitable for transit via courier services
• Clearly labelled

If you have purchased a Sparkling Water Maker bundle or CO2 from sodastream.co.uk, the cylinder must be returned via post to our warehouse, to close the loop and link the cylinders to your account, to avoid charges. If you return or exchange your CO2 cylinder(s) at a retail store, we have no way to link your cylinders back to your account and therefore, we’ll issue a charge.

If you’d prefer to exchange in-store rather than subscription, we’d recommend cancelling your subscription and buying a spare which you can exchange in-store by following these steps (note, you can only return spare or cylinders bought at a retailer in-store).

You need to return all of the cylinders in your subscription to avoid charges. E.g. if you have a 4-cylinder subscription, you need to return 4 cylinders every time & ideally in one box. If you return less than the total number, you’ll be charged a Missing Cylinder Charge per cylinder missing.

If you have sent back fewer cylinders in error, please send all remaining cylinders to us as soon as possible, in a box labelled with your ‘Customer Account Number’ from the My Account area. [If this is not present, we will not be able to identify the cylinders as yours and you will still be charged a Missing Cylinder Charge]. Once these have been returned and logged in our system, you’ll receive a refund for any Missing Cylinder Charges.

If you buy a Sparkling Water Maker bundle as a gift, depending on which one you buy, depends on the returns needed for cylinders within that bundle.

If you buy a ‘Starter’ Sparkling Water Maker bundle, this is the perfect gift as no returns are required for the gas cylinders!

However, if you bought an ‘Extra’ or ‘Mega’ bundle, this includes exchange CO2 cylinders which need to be returned when empty. This is to ensure our cylinders remain in our ecosystem and don’t get thrown into landfill.

Because you are the purchaser of the gift, it’s your payment method we have on file [as per the T&Cs you agreed to at purchase]. If you received a Missing Cylinder Charge after giving your gift to its intended user, this likely means the recipient did not know they had to return the cylinders, or in which timeframe.

If you bought an ‘Extra or ‘Mega’ bundle as a gift, we would encourage you to prompt the gift receiver to return their cylinders within the returns window.

Unfortunately there is currently no way to transfer ownership of the CO2 returns process of previously gifted products to someone else – we’re working on it! In the meantime, please contact our Customer Support team to discuss your options.

If you followed all of the correct steps (returning in the original box, or returning in a new box with your Customer Account Number written on, within your returns window) but still received a Missing Cylinder Charge, there may have been a system issue. Please get in touch with our Customer Support team and let them know which method you returned your cylinder by, show proof of return and they will refund the charge.

To avoid Missing Cylinder Charges in the future, these are the best steps to follow:

• Note when your returns window closes (set a reminder if needed, check ‘My Account’ or take note of your reminder emails!)
• Keep your original CO2 box to send your empty cylinders back in
• Ensure your Customer Account Number is clearly legible on your packaging & input this number when you create your returns label here
• Allow 5 working days for the courier to return the parcel to our warehouse & for your cylinders to be logged back into our systems before getting in touch to enquire about your return