On April 1, 2023, receipts will disappear from our shops. More specifically, these will no longer be printed automatically by companies, and will have to be requested to be obtained. We summarize everything you need to know about measurement.
The year 2023 will mark the end of traditional receipts in our shops. Well almost, since the law specifically prohibits the automatic printing of these. Its entry into force was initially scheduled for January 1, before being postponed to April.
This law necessarily raises many questions, but also some objections. If you haven’t followed anything on the news, then this file is for you. From the date of implementation to the real usefulness of the law, here is everything he says about the disappearance of receipts.
When is the disappearance of receipts expected?
Automatic till receipts will disappear on April 1, 2023. As service-publique.fr reminds us, the measure was initially to be put in place from January 1, 2023, before being postponed by a decree published on December 15 in the Journal official.
The purpose of this measure is to combat waste and substances hazardous to health. However, receipts will not permanently disappear from circulation. Indeed, the law only provides for prohibiting their automatic printing. It will therefore always be possible to request them at the checkout if you wish.
As a reminder, receipts of less than €10 have not been compulsory since 2020. Each year, 30 billion receipts are printed automatically.
Which receipts will disappear?
Thus, several types of receipts will no longer be printed automatically. Here is the full list:
- receipts distributed in shops
- tickets printed by machines
- bank card receipts
- vouchers and promotional tickets
As explained above, you will always be able to obtain these tickets by requesting them from the merchant. On the other hand, some tickets will still be printed automatically. Here they are :
- receipts for “durable” products indicating the duration of the legal guarantee of conformity, for example smartphones, household appliances or computer equipment
- bank card receipts in the context of a payment failure
- tickets issued by mandatory machines to benefit from a product or service
- receipts printed by non-automatic weighing devices
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You can still receive your receipts virtually by asking the merchant to send it by SMS or email. Another solution, it has also been possible for some time to scan a QR code to obtain a dematerialized version of your receipt.
Finally, some banks offer to display receipts directly in their application once the purchase has been made. To do this, you must use the card linked to your account so that the transfer is done automatically.
Paperless receipts are, for now, the best available package for those who still want to receive them while reducing their impact on general waste. However, this last point is rightly contested by several organizations.
The removal of receipts: false good idea?
UFC-Que Choisir, moreover, believes that “from an ecological point of view, this measure is largely questionable”. Indeed, the association recalls that the printing of receipts emits less greenhouse gases than its dematerialized alternative. The latter also fears that consumer rights will decline with this law, in particular because receipts are essential for obtaining repairs, replacements and other promotions.
Although it will always be possible to ask for their impression, the UFC-Que Choisir highlights the risk that some consumers simply forget to do so. Finally, the organization raises the question of the right to privacy, through the personal data collected from the buyer. As such, remember that dematerialized solutions will have to comply with European regulations, and will in fact have to obtain the user’s authorization beforehand.
