"Would you like your receipt?"

[AlanRickmanslovely]

I'm asked over and over again in stores if I would like a receipt. I understand the thinking as far as not using resources unnecessarily, saving the planet by saving paper etc and try hard to do what I can to reduce my carbon footprint and save resources wherever possible.

BUT, the following questions spring to mind:-

1. If stopped when leaving the store and accused of shoplifting how do you prove your innocence?

2. If the item needs to be returned because it is faulty when you get it home, breaks in an unreasonably short time, or doesn't fit (and the shop has a returns policy to cover this), how do you prove when and where you purchased it?

3. If you pay by credit card and a dispute arises, how do you prove to your card company what, how and where you paid?

And I've had an email receipt from New Look but couldn't get any mobile reception when I wanted to return something

I always take a paper receipt. Not too long ago a (rude) member of staff in my local Tesco accused me of not paying at the self service tills and being able to show her my receipt meant it was simple to clear up. I never get an email receipt as I don't want my email address spammed with marketing bullshit.

I always take mine. As someone else has said I have been overcharged in a supermarket before now. And these days when you might be walking out with something in your hand (because I may not have a bag with me and who needs to buy a bag for a samdwich) I make doubly sure that I have it.

At least the places I've worked (may not be universal) if you pay by contactless it doesn't actually print a customer receipt as standard. You can only get a copy of the merchant receipt which says merchant receipt, by asking the machine for a reprint. There's no option for a customer receipt with contactless payment. I believe it's designed that way to make it faster which of course is the whole idea behind contactless payment. So when someone pays by contactless I ask if they'd like a receipt. Have had answers from "Well of course" 🙄 to "Obviously not" 🙄
It's almost like everyone has a different expectation of what they want and I'm not a mind reader and therefore cannot know those expectations unless I ask a question or am told.

Someone up thread said you can use bank statement/credit card bill as proof of payment. This is not true in some shops.
For example, Primark will not accept anything except the receipt.

An assistant in My local co-op asks if you want the receipt after he has printed it out. That to me makes no sense as it’s hardly saving paper !

If I am buying 1 thing with the right money and know I have the riht change fine. But I like a receipt because:
I like to know hoow much I was charged. (mistakes do happen.)
I may hev to return items
I want to see they includd the special offer.
Did they charge me for that item I left at the till or did it not go through. (Sure I am no the only one who has had this prob.)
I want to keepa track on my spending.

@Ijustwanttoretire
I don’t usually take receipts and I have no debt at all. Even my house is now mortgage free. I don’t need to budget for every penny because I know for day to day spending what I can and can’t afford. Even if I haven’t taken a receipt I still know pretty much what I’ve spent so far that month and I choose to live within my means. My spending is very much in control without having loads of paper receipts in my purse.

I am also amazed people don't keep receipts for bank statement/credit card statement reconciliation at least once a month. How do you know how much money you actually have available? I know with online banking it's much quicker to check, but I always calculate my own balance and then make sure it actually agrees with the statement.

some shops have "short receipts" at the self service tills here (we live abroad), it would show a bar code to go through the barrier to leave the shop. It saves a lot of paper. Without this barcode, you physically can't leave the shop, a bit like Ikea self service tills. Also, some UK stores will email you your receipt (but then you get bombarded with sales emails from them :-))

I just realised, I never shop clothes or shoes in person anymore - I have found my 'standard' model and brands of boots/shoes/jeans and 'usual' type of blouses/shirts and skirts/dresses so I just order online whenever the current piece is about to give in. If it looks as if sizing might be tricky, I just don't get it, not worth the effort. If something is faulty, I have the electronic receipt and an email with pictures will sort it.

That leaves groceries - I don't get a receipt in our local ASDA because the staff knows us by now and should be able to get the corresponding till history up to check. Was never needed in 5+ years. I get a receipt elsewhere, especially in local Morrisons, which has lots of stuff available to buy after you have passed the tills for some reason. Cafes etc. I only get it if they bring food to the table.

Honestly, I just wish they would change the paper receipts are printed on to a recycable material, without that weird coating.

I only said to DH the other day about this new thing where they ask if you want your receipt.
Yes I do want it, because as others have said it's proof of purchase for instances like setting off the door alarms and returning items. I had to return a supermarket coat the other week. I'd bought it alongside other items, so just showing a bank statement displaying a large amount to that shop would not have been proof of purchase for one particular item.
I get the thinking behind it, but unless it's just a drink or something yes I want my receipt.

@Davros I went to ikea last week and the self service machine asks if you want a receipt.

I usually shop at Morrisons and find myself needing to take something back every couple of weeks or so, usually fresh produce items which often don't last long enough to reach their use by date before going mouldy, or bakery items which aren't baked properly (soggy hot cross buns, fruit scones with no fruit etc).

Every couple of weeks? Sounds like you need to go to another store. I can’t remember the last time I had to return stuff to a supermarket.

The reasons for taking a receipt make total sense.

Lots and lots of shoppers just screw them up and throw away or litter, or ask the till person to throw the receipt away for them. That and greenwashing is why they ask.

Places like Tesco people would leave receipts in trolleys or litter the car park, and "womblers" could make a fortune taking them back into the store to collect the clubcard points.

At my work if somebody pays by contactless, it doesn't automatically print a cardholder receipt. We need to do a reprint to give them one. So maybe it could be that reason in cases.

I know what you mean though, I much prefer having one unless it's for something small like a lunch for example.

New look are the worst for this; they ask if they can take your email address and you have to say no thanks I’ll have the receipt
I dislike being asked for my email at the tills. There's no need. Just give me a normal receipt.

I usually shop at Morrisons and find myself needing to take something back every couple of weeks or so find a new shop.

@IScreamForIceCreams

What’s the system for getting out of the shop if one hasn’t bought anything?

Amlthough I'm saying that, at Ikea they definitely want everyone to have a receipt however you pay because they randomly check when you leave

I hate this especially when you have jumped up security guards following you around....yes I want my fucking receipt.

I rarely keep receipts and know exactly how much I've spent all the time - I find it much easier when paying by card! Monzo bank, for example, updates the app immediately with your spending so it's very easy to see how much you have left.

I always get a receipt.... probably 1 in 12 visits to Tesco I find I've been charged a different price to what was on the shelf. This is particularly common with offers, and, if you're doing a big shop, it's not at all easy otherwise to check unless you keep a very accurate running total in your head. Even then, if the till total doesn't correlate with what you think you should have paid, how do you then identify exactly where the error's occurred?

I also get card receipts to check against online banking. I need to budget carefully and have barely any so called disposable income so want to keep a handle on my actual available money as opposed to 'available' balance. It's not entirely unusual for debits to take up to a week to show. And very occasionally and for god knows what reason these days, even longer than that. Without receipts I wouldn't necessarily remember what I'd spent... either at all, or, the exact amount... and be able to make appropriate adjustments.

Every couple of weeks? Sounds like you need to go to another store. I can’t remember the last time I had to return stuff to a supermarket.

It's the only big supermarket near me. Believe me, I'd not bother with them if there was a convenient alternative.

Everyone says 'no, no receipt thanks, save the paper!' Except that the receipt prints out automatically for any card transaction and, at the end of the day, my bin is full of discarded paper receipts.

I bloody wish we could save the paper. It's like bunting under my till some days.

Depends on the item - for things that will be gone quickly eg food I don't have a receipt whereas for electricals etc I do