| I waste paper...there, I said it. On an almost daily basis, I | | | | my receipt isn't the only thing that I'll be getting. |
| am presented with innumerable documents, no bigger | | | | Marketing professionals love this kind of forced opt-in |
| than a cell phone, often showing me how I just flushed | | | | email list building - give us your email address so we |
| another five dollars for that overpriced, albeit delicious, | | | | can fill your email box with all kinds of goodies, or you |
| cappuccino. The paper receipt, how the dichotomy of | | | | won't be able to get your receipt for that plasma TV, |
| your existence fascinates me. | | | | so don't even think of trying to return it if something |
| Using Paper is Evil | | | | goes wrong. Even worse, some companies will send |
| On the one hand, the paper receipt is an incredible | | | | you your record via text message. Now your phone |
| waste of resources. There is an almost instinctual | | | | can buzz away with offers for car insurance or |
| behavior to instantly crumple it up and toss it into the | | | | energy pills. |
| nearest trash bin, ashtray, toilet, or receptacle. In some | | | | Finally, there is the issue of returns. I overheard a |
| stores, not only is the receipt forced on you, but the | | | | heated conversation at a national retailer where the |
| company can be penalized if they don't! Receive $5 | | | | customer service associate would not accept a |
| instantly if we do not give you a receipt. No thank you, | | | | returned product because the customer did not have |
| kind sir...can you please throw that directly away, | | | | an "original receipt". Apparently, this retailer has an |
| without me ever having seen it, without it having an | | | | option to email a receipt rather than receive a paper |
| impact in this world, and waste yet another scrap of | | | | one, but the employee stood stalwart, indicating that |
| paper unnecessarily? Miles of paper are discarded | | | | she could not "validate the authenticity" of the receipt, |
| daily without ever having been seen, no less read, by | | | | since it was printed off a computer. She thought that |
| customers. The receipt offer/rejection process is not | | | | the customer had faked the date on the receipt so |
| only a waste of paper and a drain on the environment, | | | | that they could return the item within the thirty day limit. |
| but a waste of the only truly valuable thing, my time. | | | | Valid point, I thought. This establishment uses the Blue |
| Companies like Apple are shuffling us towards a reality | | | | Bamboo P25-M thermal printer, producing receipts that |
| of the paper-free world by offering to email you your | | | | are virtually impossible for the average person to |
| receipt. This is the natural progression, from paper to | | | | forge. A contentious reaction from the employee, but |
| screen. However, this leads to the other side of the | | | | one which no doubt illustrates how the simple paper |
| paper receipt coin, the ultimate benefit of the paper | | | | receipt can have power beyond its mere paper and |
| receipt...security. Security? What can this diminutive | | | | ink. If merchants and shopkeepers can rely on their |
| record offer to keep me safe? | | | | paper receipts as accurate records of transactions, |
| On the Other Hand... | | | | then there will be fewer questionable sales and returns, |
| The receipt is the official record. If I pay the | | | | which, in the end, will keep prices down, restart the |
| aforementioned five dollars for that coffee, and my | | | | economy, cure cancer, and solve global warming. |
| receipt indicates that they also charged me three | | | | Okay, the last few items are a bit over ambitious, but |
| dollars extra for a dry, flavorless uber-biscuit, I can | | | | keeping prices down for consumers is always a |
| correct this immediately. The receipt is printed by the | | | | benefit. |
| company, and is instantly recognized as their official | | | | So, my paper receipt friend, I would venture to say |
| record of the transaction. If I have to wait to get to a | | | | that you are welcome to stay for the time being. Until |
| computer, hope that the email receipt has arrived in a | | | | our society has accepted the paper-free lifestyle, |
| timely manner (and has not been fed to my voracious | | | | which probably won't be in the very near future, the |
| spam filter), find out that it's wrong, print it out on an | | | | overall security of an original paper receipt still merits its |
| even bigger sheet of paper, and drag myself back to | | | | existence. Perhaps a combination thermal receipt |
| the shop to rectify it, I might as well let them keep the | | | | printer/recycling bin would work. It would save time, |
| extra three dollars. | | | | and probably let me drink my coffee before it gets |
| Then there is the communication issue itself. If I provide | | | | cold. |
| my email address to receive my receipt, I'll wager that | | | | |