Digital Receipts: Benefits, Sustainability & Business Impact

Receipts – they are probably the most recognized and ubiquitous symbol of the retail industry. Ever since the advent of retail, when they were essentially handwritten notes, right up to the present day, when they take the form of printed slips that get lost in our pockets, receipts have been a constant by-product of sales and transactions. Receipts are often given and received automatically, without much thought given to whether they are actually needed. Tons of paper are used every year printing receipts that most people don’t really need. A dual solution to this constant waste would consist of, firstly, asking customers whether they want a receipt, and secondly, getting rid of printed invoices and cash register slips, and opting for digital receipts instead.

In an age when all businesses are encouraged to “go paperless”, shifting to digital receipts is one of the easiest ways to do so. Aside from the environmental benefits, digital receipts provide a number of business advantages too. They save money and make businesses more efficient. Here is what you need to know about digital receipts.

Digital receipts are receipts that are sent to customers via electronic means, such as email, WhatsApp, or text, rather than being printed at the point of sale. They are very easy to use – the process is more or less as follows:

Digital receipts provide a number of benefits for both retailers and their customers.

Receipt printing uses a special thermal printing process which generates considerable costs in the form of technology and the specialized paper required. This costs more money than necessary and also has a heavy impact on the environment. Digital receipt systems eliminate these costs, reducing retailers’ overall operational costs and drastically lowering paper wastage.

Digital receipts are more convenient for customers because they won’t fade and are convenient to keep for their records. Customers can simply open their emails, then download and save their receipts in dedicated folders on their computers or hard drives, ready to access when the time comes to file taxes. Paper receipts get lost, thrown away, or crumpled up at the bottom of a drawer or coat pocket. Digital receipts are thus much more efficient and convenient for customers.

The information on your digital receipts is saved on your POS system and progressively builds up into a comprehensive sales history from which you can glean preferences and buying patterns. This information can then be used to formulate marketing campaigns specifically targeted at each of your customers.

Obviously, one of the biggest attractions of paperless transactions is that they promote sustainability and eco-friendly business practices.

If you can go completely paperless with your receipting, you not only eliminate the costs of paper and printing, and increase the efficiency of your business, but you also contribute to sustainable business and lower your impact on the environment. The retail industry uses tons of paper every year for receipts. Imagine if every business eliminated the need for this paper. The environmental gains would be considerable. As an environmentally conscious retailer, you can contribute to these gains, making your business more sustainable and responsible, and significantly reducing your carbon footprint as a result.

Eco-friendly business is a megatrend that does not seem likely to dissipate in the near future. Policy-makers, businesses and consumers are all moving in this direction, looking for options that are more sustainable and environmentally responsible. With this in mind, when you offer digital receipts to your environmentally conscious customers, you give them an incentive to return to your business for future purchases. When choosing between you and your competitors, your thoughtfulness with regard to sustainability will surely stand you in good stead, and make you a more attractive option.

Mobile payments are an integral part of the paperless revolution. Sales can be transacted entirely on mobile devices, with payments being completed via a payment gate and a receipt being sent instantly to the customer’s inbox. No paper is required, and neither is any additional technology, such as scanners or cash registers. This is by far a more efficient and more sustainable practice than the hardware-heavy, paper-heavy transactions of the past.

Contactless payments don’t necessarily eliminate the need for paper receipts, but they can do so. When customers tap their cards, they generally have the option of asking for a paper receipt or not. You can opt to print a receipt, email it, or the customer may choose not to take a receipt at all.

As you can see, mobile payments and digital receipts are inextricably linked. Although digital receipts can also be issued at more traditional points of sale, mobile payments are most likely to be associated with paperless sales. Both mobile payments and digital receipts work together in a tech-centered, paperless system that eliminates waste by keeping all the key steps and data in the cloud, rather than using precious resources to reproduce them on paper.

Digital receipts are an integral part of digital sales and transactions. These digital systems are the future of commerce, in keeping with the information and tech-driven business practices that have become de rigueur in retail and other sectors.

Cloud-based computing is closely linked to digital receipts. POS systems like Access2Pay are cloud-based, providing secure platforms on which to store masses of business information without the need for on-site hardware or printed materials. This is just one of the ways in which cloud-based systems are transforming commerce, and helping businesses to reduce their operational waste.

Digital receipting is just one of the innovations that are bringing the business world into the modern age. In the future, the world of retail will likely see the rise and integration of even more exciting technologies such as increased security through biometric authentication, quantum-resistant encryption, and even more sophisticated environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks. Payment technology is a very exciting space to be in, and Access2Pay will remain at the forefront of these developments.

Access2Pay is a cloud-based POS solution suited to a wide variety of businesses. We provide comprehensive retail POS services to help our clients run their businesses efficiently and profitably. These services include:

Our cloud-based software integrates with all e-commerce platforms, as well as accounting software and other tools you may need to run your business. 

Although we are happy to set up paper receipt systems if that is what you prefer, our solution also works easily and effectively with paperless systems, empowering you to issue digital receipts, improve your efficiency, and make your retail business more responsible and sustainable. Contact us for more information about our system and its benefits.