Digital receipts for shops: how tap-to-receive works

A digital receipt is a bill the customer receives on their phone instead of on paper. There are several ways to deliver one. This guide explains the one we build, tap to receive, and the others you might consider.

The common ways to send a digital receipt

• Email. The customer gives an email address at the counter. Slow at a busy till, and many people do not want to share it.
• SMS or WhatsApp. The customer gives a number. Faster, but it means collecting and storing personal details.
• QR code. The customer scans a code shown at the counter and the receipt opens in their browser.
• Tap (NFC). The customer holds their phone to a small plate at the till, and the receipt opens straight away.

Tap and QR have one big advantage: the customer does not have to give you any details to receive the receipt.

How tap to receive works

1. The sale is rung up on your till as usual.
2. The plate at the counter is ready for that sale.
3. The customer taps their phone on the plate.
4. The receipt opens in their phone’s browser. There is no app to install and no sign-up.

Each sale gets its own short-lived link, so one customer cannot pick up the next person’s receipt. If someone’s phone does not read NFC, a QR code on the plate gives them the same receipt.

What the customer needs

• A recent smartphone. Most Android phones can read NFC tags. On iPhone, reading a tag in the background works on iPhone XS and later with the screen on.
• A phone browser. That is all.

Phones without NFC can use the QR code instead.

What the shop gets

• Fewer paper rolls to buy, because fewer bills are printed.
• A branded receipt with your logo, colours and a thank-you line.
• Room for more, such as loyalty stamps, a request for a review, or a small offer, features we are building and which carry honest status labels on our shops page.
• A clearer picture of your business, such as how many customers choose digital.

What it does not replace

Be realistic. A digital receipt does not remove the need for paper entirely.

• Some customers will always want a printed bill.
• Some businesses have rules or habits that need a printed copy.
• Rules on what a bill must contain depend on your registration, so confirm with your accountant or the Inland Revenue Department before you change how you issue them.

Most shops keep a printer and print less. Digital becomes the choice customers make when it is quick, not a rule you impose.

Is it worth it for your shop?

Look at two numbers:

1. What printing costs you now. Our guide to the real cost of a bill printer and receipt cost calculator help you find it.
2. What share of your customers would take a digital receipt. You will not know until you offer it, but a quick tap is a much easier ask than “can I have your email?”

Next steps

If you want to see how it would work at your till, talk to us and we will show you. Or start with our going-paperless checklist to see what to decide first.