Almost half of consumers see paper restaurant receipts as a waste

71 per cent find digital receipts easier to keep

Paper receipts in the hospitality sector are falling out of favour. Almost half of Dutch consumers (46%) consider them a waste and no longer in keeping with the times. This is according to research of a till and payment platformLightspeed (NYSE: LSPD) (TSX: LSPD), conducted amongst 1,000 Dutch consumers. Nearly two-thirds of consumers (63%) expect that the phasing out of paper receipts will have a positive impact on the environment. The figures show that consumers are becoming more mindful of waste, even during small, routine moments.

From routine to waste

But what actually happens to the receipt once it has been printed? Almost half of consumers (49%) do nothing with it. Four in ten (40%) check that everything is correct, only to throw the receipt away afterwards. As a result, in most cases the paper receipt serves only a fleeting purpose, and printing it out and taking it with you seems to be a well-established routine. And that’s a bit of a sticking point: nearly one in five (19%) feel guilty when they throw a paper receipt straight into the bin.

A digital version as a logical next step

At the same time, there is widespread support for digital alternatives. As many as 71 per cent of consumers find digital receipts easier to keep and claim back. Moreover, half (50%) find digital receipts clearer than their paper equivalents. For some consumers, sustainability is even a deciding factor. More than a third (37%) say they prefer completely paperless hospitality venues, where even straws and napkins are no longer made of paper as standard. Whilst the paper receipt was the norm for many years, it is now increasingly seen as outdated.

“A single paper receipt may seem insignificant,” says Emine Youssef, Director of Hospitality for Western Europe at Lightspeed. “But multiply this by millions of transactions and thousands of venues every day, and the number of printed receipts adds up very quickly. Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of sustainability, even when it comes to everyday choices like this. For a growing group of people, the digital receipt is therefore not only more convenient, but also a conscious choice. And that presents a major opportunity for hospitality businesses: the technology to minimise the printing of paper receipts is already available; now it needs to become the norm.”