Late comedian Mitch Hedberg has a great bit about getting receipts for low value purchases, such as doughnuts. I have to agree. Why do businesses generate receipts for non-returnable items, such as cups of coffee? Why get a receipt for anything you wouldn't be able to bring back? A cup of coffee isn't a cashmere sweater. It isn't something that you can turn back in for money or credit. You can't even bring back a reusable cup unless it's to purchase a refill. You also don't need the receipt to refill the cup. What's the point?
Even retail returns don't really need receipts. The returns are often verified by running the card used to purchase the item. Customer Service verifies the last four digits of the card, so shoplifters can't get money for an item they didn't buy. Stores typically only refund money to the card used to make a purchase. The store may also issue an exchange credit, which doesn't help a shoplifter because it's only good for items of approximate value. It isn't something he or she could spend somewhere else. If the merchandise is individually tracked, the shoplifter may even be caught because the purchase transaction wouldn't show for the item being returned.
It's a rare event for me to reach into my bag in which I don't have to dig through useless paper receipts. With today's purchase verification protocols; why are business still using them? They cost companies money in consumable supplies, they waste finite natural resources and create waste both in ink and paper. There is also waste generated in oil, water and chemicals used process raw materials into receipt paper.
Apart from the problem of creating needless waste, printed receipts are something very few people need or care about. They are a nuisance which accumulate in pockets and purses. They have varying amounts of personal information on them which makes shredding necessary to dispose of them. People who file their receipts digitally, use tools like scanners or NeatDesk to convert them, but they still have to dispose of the hard copy. Current technology allows businesses to save costs by doing away with printed receipts. Companies, like Apple, use emailed or digital receipts. These receipts have the advantage of being easily organized and archived on a computer. If a consumer needs receipts for tax purposes, or to return an item, the document is easy to locate according to how it was filed. A simple date or keyword search puts the receipt on the screen and you only have to print it if you need it. You can also forward it to your cell phone.
Companies like Square, which provide digital transaction services, offer an added benefit to merchants by organizing transactions into trackable categories. They also generate reports which then help the business quickly assess streams of income, payroll and expenses. Paper receipt terminals do not do this. The whole paper system is obsolete, it doesn't serve anyone and it should've gone away in the 90's.
Even retail returns don't really need receipts. The returns are often verified by running the card used to purchase the item. Customer Service verifies the last four digits of the card, so shoplifters can't get money for an item they didn't buy. Stores typically only refund money to the card used to make a purchase. The store may also issue an exchange credit, which doesn't help a shoplifter because it's only good for items of approximate value. It isn't something he or she could spend somewhere else. If the merchandise is individually tracked, the shoplifter may even be caught because the purchase transaction wouldn't show for the item being returned.
It's a rare event for me to reach into my bag in which I don't have to dig through useless paper receipts. With today's purchase verification protocols; why are business still using them? They cost companies money in consumable supplies, they waste finite natural resources and create waste both in ink and paper. There is also waste generated in oil, water and chemicals used process raw materials into receipt paper.
Apart from the problem of creating needless waste, printed receipts are something very few people need or care about. They are a nuisance which accumulate in pockets and purses. They have varying amounts of personal information on them which makes shredding necessary to dispose of them. People who file their receipts digitally, use tools like scanners or NeatDesk to convert them, but they still have to dispose of the hard copy. Current technology allows businesses to save costs by doing away with printed receipts. Companies, like Apple, use emailed or digital receipts. These receipts have the advantage of being easily organized and archived on a computer. If a consumer needs receipts for tax purposes, or to return an item, the document is easy to locate according to how it was filed. A simple date or keyword search puts the receipt on the screen and you only have to print it if you need it. You can also forward it to your cell phone.
Companies like Square, which provide digital transaction services, offer an added benefit to merchants by organizing transactions into trackable categories. They also generate reports which then help the business quickly assess streams of income, payroll and expenses. Paper receipt terminals do not do this. The whole paper system is obsolete, it doesn't serve anyone and it should've gone away in the 90's.