Ask HN: Why do we still use paper receipts?

10 pointscosmosa6y ago17 comments

Isn't it a huge waste of paper? There's a push to use less plastic bags, less plastic bottles, but not much talk of reducing receipts. In my opinion if you pay by card or digitally, the receipt should be digital. If you pay cash, I guess you might need a paper receipt, but it should be optional to receive the receipt. I think the pos industry is outdated.

17 comments

yesenadam6y ago

Also, maybe more significantly, BPA (a endocrine-disrupting, estrogen-mimicking plastic) is absorbed through skin from touching thermal-printed receipts. And has a variety of other environmental effects, e.g.

"A 2009 review of the biological impacts of plasticizers on wildlife published by the Royal Society with a focus on aquatic and terrestrial annelids, molluscs, crustaceans, insects, fish and amphibians concluded that BPA affects reproduction in all studied animal groups, impairs development in crustaceans and amphibians and induces genetic aberrations."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51979440_Bisphenol_...

diehunde6y ago

It is optional in most places in the US. They normally ask if you want the receipt. Lots of people say no. I only say yes when I need to report expenses.

cosmosaOP6y ago

It is not really optional, it is always printed I think, and just thrown out by the cashier if you say you don't want it. If you do self checkout in my experience it's always printed. I think maybe gas stations are the only place where it asks you if you want a receipt.

55556246y ago

It depends on the place. I know a couple of small, independent cafe/takeouts that don't print it and don't even ask you if you want one. They'll give you one if you ask. (One doesn't even give you a paper bill, it's displayed on a tablet at the cashier.)

Come to think of it, 7-Eleven is the same way, you have to ask for one.

CM306y ago

Over here in the UK it is optional in many places. Most self service checkouts will ask you whether you want a receipt when you're done, and most cashiers will ask the same.

So for the most part it is optional. Only encountered one shop in the last few years that always printed the receipt out.

SamReidHughes6y ago

It's not a huge waste of paper. It costs far less than a penny to produce that amount of paper. It's a fraction of the credit card processing fee and this way less information about customers or purchases is shared between entities.

EnderMB6y ago

It's an option in many places in the UK, but people often won't give out their email for a receipt because it also means that you'll be signed up to someone's shitty newsletter.

If I could pay on my phone and receive JUST the receipt, I'd be happy - but outside of receiving a copy of the receipt and having to flag future emails as spam, there isn't an option for this.

jocoda6y ago

Fraud is/was the main reason for receipts. Without the physical receipt it's possible for the cashier to make a transaction that is not recorded by the cash register/Point of Sale terminal and they can then pocket the cash. Used to be a print receipt was the only option. Things have changed...

rahuldottech6y ago

> If you pay cash, I guess you might need a paper receipt, but it should be optional to receive the receipt.

This is how it is in most places in India. Even the card machines will ask if you want to print a customer receipt. Most people say no.

awareBrah6y ago

Be careful if you are a person who cares about preserving testosterone. Receipt thermal ink contains BPA which is highly absorbable through contact with skin.

fortran776y ago

It's to make sure the cashier rings up the sale and isn't stealing from his employer.

icedchai6y ago

CVS will email you a receipt.

Nextgrid6y ago

And then put your email in their marketing database which no doubts gets shared with creepy entities that stalk people. No thanks.

I once gave my email to a store in the UK when they offered an email receipt (I suspected something bad would happen but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt). Of course, a few weeks later I received some BS from a third-party company asking for "feedback", so there's at least one extra third-party that now has my email without me authorising that.

icedchai6y ago

If you are concerned, use a different email account for receipt purposes.

1 more reply

Spooky236y ago

A: it’s simple and easy.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

17 comments

yesenadam6y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51979440_Bisphenol_...

diehunde6y ago

It is optional in most places in the US. They normally ask if you want the receipt. Lots of people say no. I only say yes when I need to report expenses.

cosmosaOP6y ago

55556246y ago

Come to think of it, 7-Eleven is the same way, you have to ask for one.

CM306y ago

Over here in the UK it is optional in many places. Most self service checkouts will ask you whether you want a receipt when you're done, and most cashiers will ask the same.

So for the most part it is optional. Only encountered one shop in the last few years that always printed the receipt out.

SamReidHughes6y ago

EnderMB6y ago

It's an option in many places in the UK, but people often won't give out their email for a receipt because it also means that you'll be signed up to someone's shitty newsletter.

If I could pay on my phone and receive JUST the receipt, I'd be happy - but outside of receiving a copy of the receipt and having to flag future emails as spam, there isn't an option for this.

jocoda6y ago

rahuldottech6y ago

> If you pay cash, I guess you might need a paper receipt, but it should be optional to receive the receipt.

This is how it is in most places in India. Even the card machines will ask if you want to print a customer receipt. Most people say no.

awareBrah6y ago

Be careful if you are a person who cares about preserving testosterone. Receipt thermal ink contains BPA which is highly absorbable through contact with skin.

fortran776y ago

It's to make sure the cashier rings up the sale and isn't stealing from his employer.

icedchai6y ago

CVS will email you a receipt.

Nextgrid6y ago

And then put your email in their marketing database which no doubts gets shared with creepy entities that stalk people. No thanks.

icedchai6y ago

If you are concerned, use a different email account for receipt purposes.

1 more reply

Spooky236y ago

A: it’s simple and easy.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse