Ask HN: paperless receipts • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: paperless receipts

#11

Post by nantes » Fri, Mar 11, 2011, 3:36 PM UTC

timrobinson wrote: post #3

I like the idea of electronic receipts. If you weren't bothered about wasting paper you could print the code on the paper receipt; otherwise, you'd need a dedicated device to transmit the QR code. I wonder how big the QR code needs to be in order to encode all the information on the receipt; those thermal receipt printers aren't that great. How about an app that uses the phone camera to scan the entire receipt, then…

Perhaps this is an intance where a central service could aggregate e-receipts for customers. I could see this being linked to loyalty programs from major grocers, gas stations, etc.

You could then manage your preferences with the central service who could email you receipts or just store them for you indefinitely.

Re: Ask HN: paperless receipts

#12

Post by zemanel » Fri, Mar 11, 2011, 3:37 PM UTC

zemanel wrote: post #10

timrobinson wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's two problems: wasting paper and having to manually enter the receipt into an expenses system. You don't have to solve both problems at once.

yes, but i was wondering about the 1st one, which would have a large impact on the rain forests :) As for #2, i'd say there are so many different formats of receipts that it could prove unfeasible, although just extracting the receipt values could be done, i guess.

the advantage i see in the business owner signing up, as opposed to a more detached solution, it that the business could be categorized in the "backend" (by industry type and etc), and that information would help automatically tagging the receipts (expense type), for example

Re: Ask HN: paperless receipts

#13

Post by nantes » Fri, Mar 11, 2011, 3:39 PM UTC

dreamux wrote: post #8

zemanel wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

that would be great. Apple can do that because you can register an account online with Apple and they get your info (e-mail) by looking up your credit card? A general solution would have to work with small businesses that don't have online services, which i assume being the majority out there.

Actually, I'm not sure if they cross-reference credit card numbers with itunes accounts or if its done through the credit card company; but I think this should be a service that credit card companies offer merchants... perhaps to help justify their massive merchant fees.

This is an interesting approach. Right now, credit cards don't get itemized receipts (afaik), just totals to charge to the customer's account.

For a service like this to be really useful to me, I would want itemized receipts.

Re: Ask HN: paperless receipts

#14

Post by timthorn » Fri, Mar 11, 2011, 3:39 PM UTC

It wouldn't be hard for eg the Nectar card in the UK to be extended to support this. The principal use case I see is for expense submission rather than personal accounting; rather than having to photocopy each receipt and send them all to finance, log on to the loyalty card website and tick the transactions that need to be shared with one's employer.

Re: Ask HN: paperless receipts

#15

Post by timrobinson » Fri, Mar 11, 2011, 3:39 PM UTC

dreamux wrote: post #2

The Apple stores (in Canada, at least) have the ability to email receipts to the email address associated with your credit card instead of printing one. By the time I walk out the door my phone buzzes with a copy of my receipt coming into my inbox. I absolutely love this - it also helps that I don't have to save my receipts for warranties since I can instead just run a search for them. I hope more stores catch onto t…

The other thing I like about Apple stores (the UK ones, at least) is that you don't have to walk anywhere to pay. The last time I went there, the guy entered my purchase into his iPod, then scanned a bar code on the nearest chip & pin machine. This was then the designated chip & pin machine that I could put my card into.

Re: Ask HN: paperless receipts

#16

Post by zemanel » Fri, Mar 11, 2011, 3:40 PM UTC

hugorodrigues wrote: post #9

Delicious idea. hard implementation, mostly because (in)compatibility with existing hardware/software already in stores. One way to minimize the compatibility issue with existing software, is create a (hardware) printer (generic), that print on screen, and generate the barcode so the user may scan. i love the part of "integrate with an on-line personal finance". there are also some legal issues. bring it on!

nice thoughts. I'm not planning to make something out of this, i'm just wondering about it

Re: Ask HN: paperless receipts

#17

Post by nantes » Fri, Mar 11, 2011, 3:41 PM UTC

hugorodrigues wrote: post #9

Delicious idea. hard implementation, mostly because (in)compatibility with existing hardware/software already in stores. One way to minimize the compatibility issue with existing software, is create a (hardware) printer (generic), that print on screen, and generate the barcode so the user may scan. i love the part of "integrate with an on-line personal finance". there are also some legal issues. bring it on!

I think the key would be to find a company to partner with (say Krogers?) that would, with the customer's approval share the data from their loyalty programs that, in theory, store it.

This way the customer only needs to take one action, opt-in when signing up for the loyalty program, as opposed to scanning a barcode or QR code for every purchase.

Re: Ask HN: paperless receipts

#18

Post by timrobinson » Fri, Mar 11, 2011, 3:43 PM UTC

timthorn wrote: post #14

It wouldn't be hard for eg the Nectar card in the UK to be extended to support this. The principal use case I see is for expense submission rather than personal accounting; rather than having to photocopy each receipt and send them all to finance, log on to the loyalty card website and tick the transactions that need to be shared with one's employer.

Do Nectar currently provide this information to customers? If they did then you could put together a quick hack that scraped their web site for the data.

Re: Ask HN: paperless receipts

#19

Post by timrobinson » Fri, Mar 11, 2011, 3:45 PM UTC

zemanel wrote: post #12

zemanel wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yes, but i was wondering about the 1st one, which would have a large impact on the rain forests :) As for #2, i'd say there are so many different formats of receipts that it could prove unfeasible, although just extracting the receipt values could be done, i guess.

the advantage i see in the business owner signing up, as opposed to a more detached solution, it that the business could be categorized in the "backend" (by industry type and etc), and that information would help automatically tagging the receipts (expense type), for example

Stores tend to put their name on the receipt (or at least the large ones do), which you could cross-reference against a list on the server. Alternatively, if you've used your phone to capture the receipt, you've got probably got geotagging information on the image.

Re: Ask HN: paperless receipts

#20

Post by timthorn » Fri, Mar 11, 2011, 3:49 PM UTC

timrobinson wrote: post #18

timthorn wrote: post #14

It wouldn't be hard for eg the Nectar card in the UK to be extended to support this. The principal use case I see is for expense submission rather than personal accounting; rather than having to photocopy each receipt and send them all to finance, log on to the loyalty card website and tick the transactions that need to be shared with one's employer.

Do Nectar currently provide this information to customers? If they did then you could put together a quick hack that scraped their web site for the data.

The information available goes down to transaction level. I get the store name and location, date and amount spent for every purchase.

What is missing is a description of the line items, which would be required for expense reports. It's all very well me saying I spent £20 at Sainsbury's, but my company would want to know what on...