It could not verify my phone number
I could not register. I went to another recycling center instead.
Bug NOT fixed
Require to have my phone number verified before I can cash out, but always run into the same error when attempted to send the verification code. No human customer service. Digital assistant is stupid and totally useless. Basically got my money and refuse to pay me. Complete junk! Don’t use.
Second time it’s not working
This app + the machine is terrible! This is the second time it fails back to back.
One time it was full. This time around it keeps asking me to login the app (I am logged in.)
Asked to add it to my Apple wallet (done.) It asks me to hold near the reader. Been trying this for 10 mins to no avail. Seriously? It’s a waste of my time. (This is the machine next to the Safeway in Walnut Creek on Ygnacio Valley Rd.)
One time it was full. This time around it keeps asking me to login the app (I am logged in.)
Asked to add it to my Apple wallet (done.) It asks me to hold near the reader. Been trying this for 10 mins to no avail. Seriously? It’s a waste of my time. (This is the machine next to the Safeway in Walnut Creek on Ygnacio Valley Rd.)
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Good Idea-Bad UX
Update June 2026
Decides to give it another try. They did not disappoint. Still horrific customer experience. I just gave up on them and threw my bottle in a nearby trash can.
Tried this today and was surprised at how such a great idea could be turned bad with an ill planned customer experience. The app doesn’t seem to actually know about all the machines. When you search it gives you a list. The first one on the list for me was several hundred miles away. I switched to map view and it showed the whole state. When you arrive at the machine, there is now instructions for use. Like why now make the Home Screen say open the card in your phones wallet and tap? And the machine was “closed”. Yes. A vending machine June has hours of operation! Shame. Such a great idea.
Decides to give it another try. They did not disappoint. Still horrific customer experience. I just gave up on them and threw my bottle in a nearby trash can.
Tried this today and was surprised at how such a great idea could be turned bad with an ill planned customer experience. The app doesn’t seem to actually know about all the machines. When you search it gives you a list. The first one on the list for me was several hundred miles away. I switched to map view and it showed the whole state. When you arrive at the machine, there is now instructions for use. Like why now make the Home Screen say open the card in your phones wallet and tap? And the machine was “closed”. Yes. A vending machine June has hours of operation! Shame. Such a great idea.
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Scam cash out verification does not work
Scam cash out verification does not work
ALWAYS FULL
I’ve reached out to Customer Service about the machines ALWAYS BEING FULL, they just give me a generic answer. I tried to be patient with this company and almost a WHOLE MONTH the machine has been FULL. I’m so over this. It’s a great concept, but if they don’t know how to keep up with demand then y’all will lose customers.
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A work in progress
Olyns is in a test phase before a wide rollout, so I appreciate the opportunity to offer feedback that may be helpful.
The app should prioritize nearest collection locations that are not full, or at least offer it as a search option.
Due to weight and volume constraints, Olyns’ glass collection bags fill up quickly. That’s another issue but finding an available glass collection location just beyond my app-defaulted home area now takes a lot of non-intuitive phone screen tapping and swiping.
I know users may have an option to bring recyclables inside the store hosting the location but supermarket managers are rarely just standing around the customer service counter waiting for something to do. I would rather just go to the next closest location that the otherwise helpful status bars show as open and well below capacity.
The app should prioritize nearest collection locations that are not full, or at least offer it as a search option.
Due to weight and volume constraints, Olyns’ glass collection bags fill up quickly. That’s another issue but finding an available glass collection location just beyond my app-defaulted home area now takes a lot of non-intuitive phone screen tapping and swiping.
I know users may have an option to bring recyclables inside the store hosting the location but supermarket managers are rarely just standing around the customer service counter waiting for something to do. I would rather just go to the next closest location that the otherwise helpful status bars show as open and well below capacity.
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Interesting concept, but sadly disappointing and frustrating waste of time
Most telling is that they are not fixing or improving anything over time. Their machines are full more time than they are not. They are not emptied regularly. The machines only work smoothly about half of the time, and they are not being maintained, so are just getting worse. A machine being shown as not full may actually really mean that it just isn’t working, so obviously can’t get full. And apparently no one thought to have any fault detection in their “connected” machines. The app sometimes does not show accurate information, or simply hangs. Have to back out and then redo. Overall just a sad huge waste of time.
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Recycling made impossible
They make you jump through so many hoops just to recycle some bottles or cans for chump change. Not worth it at all.
Useless
This app is actually design by someone who doesn’t know UX. Don’t even get me started on the actual machine. Deleted instantly.
A new way to recycle added to my way of recycling.
Almost got a five star but instead it’s a four star. Why? Well after doing the recycle with the cube, I’m looking to cash out and the app tells me that there’s some type of error and to try again later. Multiple times it’s happened and sometimes it won’t cash me out till the very next day. The longest it’s done that to me was 2 days. There hasn’t been a time I was not paid cause when the app is working right it definitely will pay, regardless it took 1 or 2 days. Next and my only gripe would be the time it takes to recycle your containers… one at a time takes up most of your time and they don’t always get it right when placing a good uncrushed drink crv container. Like they say on the Apps FAQ’s the A.I that does the separation of containers in the cube will make mistakes. Damn straight it’ll make mistakes, it’s a damn program or some artificial blah blah blah. Other than that I separate my crushed containers to be taken to a recycle spot at another time. While my uncrushed will be taken to an Olyns cube near me.
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This app is SO bad
oh dear lord where do i even begin this app’s ui is atrocious and it seems like nothing functions. other then that when it comes time to cash out i always get hit with an error message, and that’s without mentioning that the only way to cash out is through paypal (which seems legally dubious) so it’s a whole process to set up. this whole system is jank. how is is that in europe they have machines that give you the money instantly and are able to process cans and bottles at quick speeds while in california we have this nimby excuse for a recycling system. i’m all for the can tax and limiting pollution, but 5 cents as an incentive honestly does nothing for the regular person and this company is not making it any easier for the ones who want to contribute to the cause.
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Cant cash out
Tried this for the first time. Made a whopping $3.70 for the 20 minutes it took to load cans one at a time. Then when I attempted to cash it out to PayPal it is not working.
Scam alert
The concept of this app is great, but the execution is a total failure when it comes to the only part that actually matters: getting paid. I’ve built up a balance, but cashing out is impossible. Every time I click the PayPal verification link sent to my email, it redirects to a 404 page.
It creates an endless loop where you do the work of recycling, but the app blocks you from accessing your money. When the core functionality of a "cash-back" app is this fundamentally broken, it starts to feel less like a service and more like a data-harvesting scam. Until they fix their redirect links and payout infrastructure, stay away. Your time is worth more than a "balance" you can't actually touch.
It creates an endless loop where you do the work of recycling, but the app blocks you from accessing your money. When the core functionality of a "cash-back" app is this fundamentally broken, it starts to feel less like a service and more like a data-harvesting scam. Until they fix their redirect links and payout infrastructure, stay away. Your time is worth more than a "balance" you can't actually touch.
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Really useless
Every time I try to
Post this review somehow it doesn’t get posted. And Olyns has TONS of terrible reviews yet their rating is 3.6? What’s going on here?
Every time I try to use one of the Olys vending machines, I waste lots of time and half the visits I leave without depositing my cans. because the machine doesn’t work or the app doesn’t work or the machine is “closed” or who knows what other excuse. When you call the Help phone number you just get a recording to delete the app & all your data & download it again. I did that twice and it still didn’t work. Olys is just a USELESS WASTE OF TIME. It’s a lame excuse for stores no longer accepting recycling cans that they sold to you & charged you a fee that you’re supposed to be able to get back. ITS A TOTAL SCAM. We need to get congress to demand that stores accept recycling.
Post this review somehow it doesn’t get posted. And Olyns has TONS of terrible reviews yet their rating is 3.6? What’s going on here?
Every time I try to use one of the Olys vending machines, I waste lots of time and half the visits I leave without depositing my cans. because the machine doesn’t work or the app doesn’t work or the machine is “closed” or who knows what other excuse. When you call the Help phone number you just get a recording to delete the app & all your data & download it again. I did that twice and it still didn’t work. Olys is just a USELESS WASTE OF TIME. It’s a lame excuse for stores no longer accepting recycling cans that they sold to you & charged you a fee that you’re supposed to be able to get back. ITS A TOTAL SCAM. We need to get congress to demand that stores accept recycling.
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Terrible UI
Terrible can’t even sign in because my phone number apparently does not seem to verify tried multiple times and still could not verify
Can’t register
The app complains that it can’t verify my phone number (which IS correct, BTW) but gives me no recourse for correcting it or getting help.
Always full
Worst option better and faster to go to retailer
Always full - app too slow to update
Machines are always full. App doesn’t update quickly enough so machines will show there is room even when they are full for a quite some time. Frustrating system. Need more machines, emptied more often.
Garbage collector, ppl are garbage
Why 20 minutes a session? Ppl are abusing it. I saw ppl take 4 large bags to deposit.
Location: bay area
Location: bay area
