Do you want a receipt

[Bunnybenty]

I moved to England not that long ago.

In other countries that I lived in, they just gave me a receipt in the shops, everytime that I bought something. The receipt was always handed to me with the purchase.

Why in the UK do they not just give the receipt to you,

instead they always ASK you if you want a receipt.

What annoys me about it, is that it slows the shopping experience down so much.

Many times I have been called back to the till, to be asked if i want a receipt.

Example: I was in a small shop this morning. I only had a certain amount of time, as i was on the way to work. I was walking out of the door, when the woman at the till shouted at me "Wait. Come back! come back!".

I thought maybe my payment hadn't gone through, so I walked all the way back to her.

She said "Do you want a receipt?".

It drives me mad!

As I have already written many times now. I also have lived in Ireland very recently.

And i have never once been asked for a receipt

So we have had differing experiences.

You don't even want the receipt but are happy to add to the mountain of unrecyclable waste.

Use your words and tell them 'no receipt please' when you hand over your payment.

It's to cut down on unnecessary wasted paper. I normally say no because i usually just throw it away. Clothes ships normally just give the receipt without asking or ask if you want it via email.
I can't believe it slows up a shipping trip.

And no its not my tone and nature. Lol. So ridiculous.

Its not the tone and nature of the OP on many threads.

Its the pile on of bullies onto many threads that cause the problems on every thread, as we all know very well

It is a lot of wasted paper!

The amount of people that shop - of course it’s a huge amount of paper altogether. I think it’s great they ask, unless it’s something I may need to return I won’t get a receipt that I’m going to literally throw out as soon as I leave the checkout.
I’ve literally never been slowed down by the process of being asked if I want a paper receipt though. The only thing that slows the process is the few places that ask for your email to send the receipt.

This thread is so funny. This is such a strange corner of the internet lol

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/14/paper-receipt-chemical-bisphenol-s

Because not everybody wants or needs a wasteful piece of paper.

When I’ve been in Spain I’ve been called back to be forcibly given my receipt and told I can’t leave the store without it! That is time wasting. I’d rather be asked if I want it as 99% of the time I don’t!

Also live in Ireland and the majority of time I am asked if I want a receipt, I generally decline unless it’s something I might need to return.

Tesco is perhaps the exception as it just prints automatically, but I usually don’t use the manned tills so I’m not 100% sure.

What country are you from where you’re not asked if you want a receipt?

Oh go away. Fuck sake. Mumsnet has to be the absolute cesspit of humanity at times.

I'm on another chat forum. People talk about all manner of things. They complain abput shopping, about relationships, about friends.

Normal people on that forum come on and reply like adults

on Mumsnet, which is supposed to be an advice forum for adults, it just attracts the most immature crazy posters that write like ten year olds.

How did it get to be like this here?

Ooh that is time wasting too. Yes I don't like being called back.

The most tedious are some wholesalers, where you pay for your goods at the till, and then have to wait for the security guards to cross check your receipt against every item in your trolley/basket. Especially annoying when you have just one item but have to wait in the security queue for full trollies to be checked.

It isn't a total lie.

OK, so technically you said that you had only experienced this in the UK. You also stated that you don't think it happens in Ireland, despite contrary evidence from people who actually live there. And you talked in your OP in general terms about what happens in "other countries".

The clear implication from your post was that you think this is a practice that is specific to the UK, so I'm hardly making that up. You can argue the toss on technicalities if you like, but you will be wasting your time because we've all got the gist of what you were saying in your OP and subsequent posts.

But tbh, it's clear from your responses that you have bigger issues than being asked about whether or not you want a receipt.

To save paper and litter. What country are you from that doesn’t care about litter or paper usage.

Maybe best pop off to that other forum, then?

I always like one in spermarkets so you can you check you have been charged the right price in offers - some charge the original price if the system has not updated, with a receipt you can get that sorted quickly

My first thought when asked if I want a receipt is “perhaps - will you at any point want me to prove I’ve paid for this stuff or not?”

It is a lie.

And your argument makes no sense.

"Contrary evidence from people that live in ireland".

As i have written many times, in multiple posts, I also lived and worked in Ireland very recently

Are you Okay? Because you are not following what I've written, despite me writing it multiple times.

I’ve never been called back to be asked if I want a receipt. Maybe you’re being rude to the shop staff and they are asking in a condescending way as it seems to happen to you all the time.

How mature of you

Again, I feel like im talking to 12 year olds. This forum is bizarre. Are there any adults here please.?

You are clutching at straws now.

That doesn't make Sense.

How would me being rude to them make me call me back to ask me if i want a receipt. Right.....

No i am never rude to them.

@Bunnybenty your own individual receipt doesn't generate much paper waste, but in a country of 66 million (or whatever it is), with lots of people shopping, that's a lot of paper.

Rather than slag off the UK for trying to avoid waste, why not be happy about it?