That never-read, rarely-used and bin-destined piece of paper

Issue 590: 27 March 2024

That never-read, rarely-used and bin-destined piece of paper

Crumpled up in your coat pocket or bag, you’ll probably find a receipt.

That never-read, rarely-used and bin-destined piece of paper is the acknowledgement that something has been paid for or that goods have been received.

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But, what’s the story of receipts?

Will their story be printed and scrunched-up forever, or will their story live on in your inbox? 

First, let’s wind back the clock… what’s the history of receipts? 

The oldest, discovered, receipt confirmed the sale five sheep, one lamb and four grass-fed male kids. It was written on a piece of clay measuring one inch by one inch and half inch thick (imagining carrying one of those around with you!)

In 7500 BC Jericho, tokens of clay balls or similar items are believed to represent a completed trade deal. Smaller in size to its older receipts, but the purpose of receipts has been rooted in representing completed trade or exchange of goods or services. 

By 3200 BC, in Mesopotamia, receipts were written on tablets: containing records of payments. In Babylon, these receipts became of significance because governing laws only recognised transactions which could be verified with a written receipt.

Even by 305 BC, in Egypt, written records were kept to protect themselves from exploitative tax practices. 

In 1500 the printing press changed the game of receipts. The ability to print mass amounts of the same unique text on paper enabled receipts to become widespread.

The story of receipts has remained true to their historic purpose, but the mode has changed.

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With changing times comes changing norms

In recent years, Card Industry Professionals (CIP) have witnessed a notable surge in requests from merchants seeking the ability to disable paper receipts on their card terminals.

The motivations behind this trend can be multifaceted:

• Cost-saving: Eliminating the need to purchase till rolls and reducing administrative time spent organizing receipts translates into tangible financial savings.

• Time efficiency: Skipping the wait for receipt printing, particularly in bustling shops or bars, not only saves time but also ensures smoother customer service by keeping queues moving.

• Enhanced security: The removal of paper receipts alleviates the burden of securely disposing them, whether through costly third-party services or time-consuming shredding processes.

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Impact of paper receipts

Recently, Ingenico shed light on a compelling trend: the potential for digital receipts to champion sustainability - here’s what they found:

Environmental impact

According to the BeatTheReceipt campaign, around 200,000 trees are destroyed to supply the UK with paper receipts each year and 1.6 billion litres of water are needed to produce the thermal paper on which they are printed (which is enough drinking water for almost 1.5 million people for an entire year).

Source: Ingeneico

Health Concerns

A “Skip the Slip” study from 2020 found that an estimated 93% of paper receipts are coated with Bisphenol-A (BPA) or Bisphenol-S (BPS), endocrine-disruptors which serve as colour-developers to make the text appear on receipts. When we touch receipts, the chemical coating is absorbed into our bodies through the skin on our hands.