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Ask HN: Why do we still use paper receipts?
11–19 of 19 posts
Re: Ask HN: Why do we still use paper receipts?
#12Also, maybe more significantly, BPA (a endocrine-disrupting, estrogen-mimicking plastic) is absorbed through skin from touching thermal-printed receipts. And has a variety of other environmental effects, e.g.
"A 2009 review of the biological impacts of plasticizers on wildlife published by the Royal Society with a focus on aquatic and terrestrial annelids, molluscs, crustaceans, insects, fish and amphibians concluded that BPA affects reproduction in all studied animal groups, impairs development in crustaceans and amphibians and induces genetic aberrations."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51979440_Bisphenol_...
Re: Ask HN: Why do we still use paper receipts?
#13Fraud is/was the main reason for receipts. Without the physical receipt it's possible for the cashier to make a transaction that is not recorded by the cash register/Point of Sale terminal and they can then pocket the cash. Used to be a print receipt was the only option. Things have changed...
Re: Ask HN: Why do we still use paper receipts?
#14Be careful if you are a person who cares about preserving testosterone. Receipt thermal ink contains BPA which is highly absorbable through contact with skin.
Re: Ask HN: Why do we still use paper receipts?
#15CVS will email you a receipt.
And then put your email in their marketing database which no doubts gets shared with creepy entities that stalk people. No thanks.
I once gave my email to a store in the UK when they offered an email receipt (I suspected something bad would happen but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt). Of course, a few weeks later I received some BS from a third-party company asking for "feedback", so there's at least one extra third-party that now has my email without me authorising that.
Re: Ask HN: Why do we still use paper receipts?
#16CVS will email you a receipt.
And then put your email in their marketing database which no doubts gets shared with creepy entities that stalk people. No thanks. I once gave my email to a store in the UK when they offered an email receipt (I suspected something bad would happen but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt). Of course, a few weeks later I received some BS from a third-party company asking for "feedback", so there's at least on…
If you are concerned, use a different email account for receipt purposes.
Re: Ask HN: Why do we still use paper receipts?
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
And then put your email in their marketing database which no doubts gets shared with creepy entities that stalk people. No thanks. I once gave my email to a store in the UK when they offered an email receipt (I suspected something bad would happen but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt). Of course, a few weeks later I received some BS from a third-party company asking for "feedback", so there's at least on…
If you are concerned, use a different email account for receipt purposes.
I shouldn't have to create/maintain/remember unique email addresses just to keep the privacy that paper receipts already offer.
Re: Ask HN: Why do we still use paper receipts?
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you are concerned, use a different email account for receipt purposes.
I shouldn't have to create/maintain/remember unique email addresses just to keep the privacy that paper receipts already offer.
If you're that concerned about "privacy", then yes you should.
Do you also pay in cash for everything? If not, you're already being tracked by your credit cards and will be re-marketed to... You may as well sign up for rewards/store cards and get the discounts.
Re: Ask HN: Why do we still use paper receipts?
#19It's an option in many places in the UK, but people often won't give out their email for a receipt because it also means that you'll be signed up to someone's shitty newsletter.
If I could pay on my phone and receive JUST the receipt, I'd be happy - but outside of receiving a copy of the receipt and having to flag future emails as spam, there isn't an option for this.