Why do Taiwanese receipts have an 8-digit number printed on them?
In Taiwan, receipts from convenience stores or restaurants are printed with a two-letter code and an eight-digit number, and that eight-digit number becomes part of a government-run lottery.
Every two months, the government announces the winning numbers: matching the last three digits wins NT$200, larger matches bring larger prizes, and matching all eight digits can win up to NT$10,000,000.
The system began in 1951 and used a simple structure: when shops issue receipts, their sales are recorded. As customers ask for receipts to get a lottery number, tax reporting by shops is naturally strengthened. That is why people in Taiwan do not immediately throw away the small receipt they receive at the counter; after the numbers are announced, they check it, and small prizes can be claimed right at a convenience store.
