When shopping in Taiwan, people will almost always be asked the same question after paying — would you like a receipt?
If you say no and tell the sales assistant they can keep it, there's a good chance they will.
Many Taiwanese people collect stacks of these receipts, waiting for a bimonthly draw when one of the small slips of paper might just land them a jackpot.
Others keep an eye out for notifications on their lottery app.
For an overseas visitor, Taiwan's receipt lottery scheme is often one of the first quirks they discover about the country.
Taiwan has been running the system since 1951 with a draw on the 25th day of every second month.
There are eight prize categories ranging from the "special" prize of $NT10 million ($480,000) down to one worth just $NT200($10).
Taiwan was the first country to introduce the receipt lottery as a way to combat tax evasion.
Other countries including Brazil, Portugal, Czechia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia have seen its success and implemented similar schemes.
How does the receipt lottery work?
At the top of receipts for goods or services is a random, unique string of eight numbers.
It doesn't matter if the purchase was an iced matcha latte or a Lamborghini — as long as the transaction generates a receipt it's game on.
There are a few exceptions including public transport, medical care, and goods bought from small operators like street vendors.
The lottery is run every odd month by the Ministry of Finance, with multiple sets of numbers drawn.
To win the big prize, all eight digits on a receipt have to match those of the special prize numbers draw.
There are multiple prize tiers for receipts with partially matching numbers — the prize money decreases in value with fewer matching numbers.
For the smaller prizes there are thousands of winners, but not everyone bothers collecting.
Winners have three months to claim their money, with small amounts able to be picked up from convenience shops.
Those lucky enough to have hit it big will have to go to a bank or a branch of the tax office to get their hands on their winnings.
Minus a 20 per cent slice for the taxman, of course.
The lottery is open to everyone, not just locals.
"Taiwanese citizens, foreign residents, and short-term visitors can all participate as long as they receive a valid receipt in Taiwan," the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia said.
However, they will need to collect the prize in Taiwan in-person before the three-month deadline.
Don't even need to keep receipts
Jenna Lin, a digital designer living in Taipei after studying and working in Melbourne, said people used to check their receipts manually to see if they had been lucky.
But as shops and customers move away from using paper receipts, the system has changed.
People don't even need to hang onto their receipts anymore.
"Nowadays, people either provide a QR code to the teller at the time of purchase that will keep track, or the transaction is stored on your credit card and your bank will notify you of winning," she said.
"These platforms also mean cashiers print less paper. Taiwan is a densely-populated country and puts a lot of emphasis on reducing waste."
She said the lottery was popular.
"Because of the minimal effort required with electronic transactions, the only people not participating are people too lazy to collect their winnings," she said.
People can also use the receipts to support charities, which allows a not-for-profit to keep any winnings.
"You can donate your receipts to charities at the point of sale," Ms Lin said.
Ms Lin said she knew plenty of people who had won small amounts, around $10, but no-one who had hit the jackpot.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia said the receipt lottery system was "deeply embedded in everyday life in Taiwan and is widely embraced by the public".
"Most consumers routinely ask for receipts, and many regularly check for winning numbers," it said.
Why does Taiwan do it?
The lottery was introduced to increase tax compliance by incentivising customers to ask for receipts, which means sales must be declared and run through tills rather than pocketed on the sly as cash.
In the year after it was brought in sales tax revenue reportedly increased by 75 per cent.
It has continued to increase tax compliance, according to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia.
"The government effectively involved the public in monitoring business transactions, strengthening tax fairness and improving overall revenue collection," it told the ABC.
ANU tax expert Michael Kobetsky said it was unlikely a similar program would be effective in Australia.
"It is a measure to counter the cash economy by recording transactions," Professor Kobetsky said.
"Since COVID-19, fewer transactions are made with cash in Australia."
