Borderlands 4: Unpaid Tab Walkthrough [Step-by-step Guide]

What to know

Unlocks after completing Siege and Destroy.
Recommended level: 13 or higher.
Mission involves restoring Carcadia in Ruined Sumplands, infiltrating the Old Refinery, fighting Driller Hole, and deciding Quent’s fate.
Rewards are the same whether Quent lives or dies.

BL4 Missions Overview

Previous Mission	Current Mission	Immediately Unlocked Mission
Siege and Destroy	Unpaid Tab	Her Flaming Vision

Unpaid Tab Mission Overview

In Unpaid Tab, you’ll repair Carcadia, fight through Ripper territory, raid camps for a refinery password, and eventually face Driller Hole. The final challenge includes a timed sequence to save or lose Quent.

Phases at glance

Phase	Description
A	Restore Carcadia’s systems: power, fast travel, vending, and water.
B	Cross Firedust Bridge and meet Quent.
C	Collect password halves from Ripper camps.
D	Infiltrate the Old Refinery and disable the jamming device.
E	Fight Driller Hole and attempt to save Quent.

Phase A: Restoring Carcadia

Step 1

Go to the core relay room in Carcadia and destroy 11 red/orange energy orbs.

Step 2

Activate the terminal to restore main power.

Step 3

Turn on the fast travel station and vending machines by interacting with their control switches.

Step 4

Rotate valves along the pipe system to restore the water supply.

Phase B: Crossing Firedust Bridge

Step 1

To reach the bridge area, you can fast travel to Rustic Hurl order silo. Expect a long travel route otherwise.

Step 2

Defeat the Rippers guarding the bridge area.

Step 3

Turn the first valve to lower one half of the bridge.

Step 4

Shoot the red beams holding up the other half of the bridge to drop it.

Step 5

Cross over and help Quent by defeating nearby enemies, then speak with him.

Phase C: Raiding Ripper camps for password

Step 1

Travel to the old refinery, talk to Painsley, who will direct you to the camps to access the refinery.

Step 2

Travel to the eastern camp and eliminate enemies, and defeat Eleri to obtain the first ECHO log. Head to the western camp, clear enemies, and defeat Brenda for the second ECHO log.

Step 3

With both halves of the password, use the side entrance intercom to unlock refinery access.

Phase D: Inside the Old Refinery

Step 1

Join Zane and clear enemies, including Security Jones.

Step 2

Find the jamming device and interact with it to hack.

Step 3

Climb using grapple points, then perform a ground slam to destroy the jamming device.

Step 4

Take the elevator with Zane to descend into lower refinery areas.

Phase E: Driller Hole and Quent’s fate

Step 1

Go into the Queen's Cradle to find the prisoners. Kill all the ripper on your way.

Step 2

Find Quent.

Step 3

Engage Driller Hole—focus on stripping its armored health using corrosive weapons. Stay mobile to avoid radiation zones and waves of enemies.

Step 4

After the fight, a 60-second timer begins to save Quent. Pull 5 green levers scattered around the machine. Some require grappling. Shoot 3 red-glowing pipes on the ceiling until they burst.

Step 5

Complete both objectives before the timer ends to save Quent. If not, he dies, but rewards remain unchanged.

Unpaid Tab Mission rewards

Reward Type	Details
XP & Cash	Standard mission completion rewards
Eridium	Earned during completion
Weapon	Rare or epic SMG
Cosmetic	SICKO (ECHO-4 Frame)

Unpaid Tab Mission drops from Driller Hole

Type of Weapon	Name of Weapon	Description
Sniper Rifle	Katagawa’s Revenge	A high-damage sniper rifle with critical hit bonuses, themed after Katagawa’s tech.
Assault Rifle	G.M.R	Versatile assault rifle with strong sustained fire and good elemental roll potential.
Grenade Mod	Fuse	A unique grenade that creates chain explosions, effective for crowd control.
General Loot	Shields, Class Mods, Relics, Cash, Eridium	Standard loot pool items that vary by player level and RNG, includes useful upgrades and resources.

Final thoughts on Unpaid Tab mission

Unpaid Tab challenges you with a mix of environmental puzzles, timed pressure, and a key story choice. While Quent’s survival is optional, mastering the sequence to save him gives you a satisfying win without altering loot. It’s a mission that keeps the tension high and prepares you for the even tougher challenges ahead.