POS Receipts Just Got Smarter — Here’s What Retailers & Restaurants Need to Know

A customer purchases a single item, and your receipt printer springs into action. A long strip of paper for one tiny transaction. You hand it over, they barely glance at it, and within seconds, it’s either scrunched into a pocket or tossed into the bin.

Now multiply that by 50, 100, or even 300 customers a day. That’s a lot of paper, a lot of waste, and yes — a lot of money going literally out the door.

Convenience, speed, and sustainability are business essentials. So, switching to POS receipts could be one of the simplest yet most impactful upgrades you make.

This blog walks you through what digital receipts are, why they’re better for your bottom line, your customers, and even the planet.

What Are Digital Receipts?

Imagine a customer enters a quick-service restaurant, orders a burger combo via their mobile device, and opts for counter pick-up.

The moment they pay, the QSR POS system processes the order, and sends a digital receipt straight to their phone via SMS or email.

This receipt shows:

• Items Ordered: Burger, fries, and drink (Combo Deal)
• Discount applied
• Contactless payment method
• Pickup time
• Your store’s name, contact, and maybe even a coupon for their next visit

Digital receipts are electronic versions of the traditional paper receipt. Gone are the days of storing long paper receipts in bulky cash registers. Digital receipts are generated directly by the retail POS system or restaurant POS system at the time of purchase and hence are also called POS receipts.

Instead of handing over a printed slip at the checkout counter, you send the receipt directly to them:

• Email receipts: Sent directly to the customer’s inbox.
• SMS receipts: A quick link sent via text.
• App-based receipts: Saved in your store’s app or a customer’s digital wallet.
• QR code downloads: Customers scan a QR code at checkout and instantly download their digital receipt.

Cost Savings and Operational Efficiency

One of the biggest reasons to switch to POS receipts? The savings. You might not realize it, but all those rolls of thermal paper, ink refills, printer maintenance, and even printer replacements add up fast.

Switching to paperless transactions positively impacts your bottom line by:

• No more paper and ink expenses. You’ll save thousands annually by not constantly buying receipt rolls and printer supplies.
• Less reliance on receipt printers means fewer breakdowns, lower repair costs, and less time troubleshooting.
• Instead of waiting for the printer to churn out a receipt, you simply ask for an email or phone number, and it’s done. Quicker checkouts mean happier customers and less crowding at the counter.
• Digital records eliminate the need for physical storage. No more overflowing receipt boxes, binders, or folders eating up your office space.
• You won’t have to spend hours digging through paper trails during audits or end-of-month reporting. Everything is searchable, filterable, and right at your fingertips.

Enhanced Customer Experience

Keeping track of paper receipts is cumbersome. They fade, crumple, and always seem to disappear when you need them most. On the other hand, POS receipts make life easier for you and your customers.

Here’s how they improve the customer experience:

• Easy access anytime, anywhere. Whether it’s in their email inbox, messages, or app, customers can pull up a digital receipt instantly. No going through drawers or old wallets.
• No more clutter. POS receipts keep things neat and organized.
• Customers can quickly prove a customer's purchase, making returns, refunds, and warranty claims way smoother.
• With digital receipts, you're not just sending a summary of paperless transactions. You're sending a mini marketing opportunity. Include:
  
  • Your Business Name
  • Store Location and Contact Info
  • A short Header Message (like “Thanks for visiting!”)
  • A Footer Message with an offer (“Get 10% off your next visit”)
  • Even a Store Code for tracking

Environmental, Sustainability, and Health Benefits

Each small paper receipt leaves an environmental footprint. That means it leaves behind an environmental impact — from the trees cut down to make the paper, to the fuel used in transporting it, and the energy used in printing. All of that adds up to what's called a carbon footprint, or simply the total greenhouse gases your business contributes to the environment. 

• Most receipts are printed on non-recyclable thermal paper, contributing to deforestation and landfill waste. POS receipts help cut down this unnecessary consumption.
• There’s energy involved in producing, packaging, and transporting thermal paper rolls to your store. Eliminating paper cuts down the entire supply chain’s carbon emissions.
• Think of how many receipts you print in just one week. Not printing them at all is a lot of waste avoided and a huge step toward sustainability.

But on top of all this, understand that receipts are bad for your health.

Most paper receipts are coated with BPA (Bisphenol A) or BPS (Bisphenol S). These can be absorbed through the skin during handling and have been linked to hormone disruption. Cashiers, servers, and business owners handling hundreds of receipts a day are at increased risk. So, switching to POS receipts protects your staff and customers too.

Data Collection and Marketing Insights

Every business owner loves knowing their customers better. POS receipts help you go from just selling to actually building relationships.

When customers opt-in for digital receipts via email or SMS, you gain valuable contact details and open the door to:

• Email addresses for newsletters and promos
• Purchase history to understand buying habits
• Product preferences, timing, and even frequency of visits

Furthermore, with purchase data, you can send:

• Tailored offers
• Birthday discounts or loyalty perks
• Special promos based on past buying behavior

Also, analyzing receipt data helps you identify what’s working and what’s not.

• Which items are bestsellers?
• When do customers buy the most?
• What marketing ideas perform best?

With this info, you can fine-tune your inventory, menu pricing, and promos.

Simplified Tax Compliance and Record-Keeping

Digital receipts can actually make it way less stressful. Here's how:

• With POS receipts, everything is stored in your system or cloud. Need to pull up all sales from last April? Just search and download. Done.
• Manual logging is prone to mistakes, and those mistakes can cost you big during audits. Digital systems reduce the risk of:

• Typos
• Missing receipts
• Inconsistent tax records

• Your customers can also access receipts for warranty claims or tax filing without calling your store and asking for a reprint. 

Security and Compliance Considerations

Understandably, you might be wondering: “If everything’s digital, is it safe?” The short answer — yes, if done right.

• Modern POS systems encrypt data to ensure the secure storage and transmission of digital receipts and customer information. So, even if you're sending a receipt via email or SMS, it’s protected end-to-end.
• If your laptop dies or your system crashes, POS receipts aren’t gone — they’re backed up on secure servers. 

Addressing Common Concerns

Here are the most common concerns you might have before switching to digital receipts:

1. Will customers accept it?

Yes. In fact, many actually prefer it. Younger customers (especially Gen Z and millennials) are all for digital convenience. For older or hesitant customers, just offer both options at checkout for a while. You don't have to move to digital receipts overnight.

2. What about older demographics?

Some customers might still love their paper trails. So, offer both options: digital for those who want it, paper for those who don’t. Over time, you’ll notice more people naturally opting for digital.

3. Isn’t it expensive to upgrade?

Not really. OneHubPOS supports POS receipts; it is affordable and packed with features. Plus, you’ll quickly make up the cost with savings on paper, ink, maintenance, and printer replacements.

4. What if the customer doesn’t want to give their email?

No worries. Offer receipts via SMS or let them scan a QR code at the counter to download it instantly. No email needed. 

5. How do I store digital receipts for taxes?

Cloud-based POS systems automatically store and organize your POS receipts safely. You can easily access them. In the tax season, you can just export the data you need.

Switch to POS Receipts With OneHubPOS 

OneHubPOS is an intuitive POS system that eases up moving to POS receipts with:

• Email, SMS, and QR-based digital receipts
• Real-time analytics and marketing integrations
• Secure cloud-based backup
• Smooth staff training and setup

Ready to transform your business? Book a OneHubPOS demo today and step into a smarter, greener, and more efficient future.