Ask HN: Why do we still use paper receipts? 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 I think the pos industry is outdated. |
"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_...
Come to think of it, 7-Eleven is the same way, you have to ask for one.
So for the most part it is optional. Only encountered one shop in the last few years that always printed the receipt out.
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.
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.
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.
Do you also pay in cash for everything? If not, you're already being tracked by your credit cards and will be re-marketed to... You may as well sign up for rewards/store cards and get the discounts.