Eliminate Cash Register Receipts

Would you like to have your store receipts stored electronically? You may soon have the chance to do that without ever holding, or scanning a printed receipt. A new option for eliminating receipts at the checkout counters of major retailers may be around the corner.

An on-line service that will let consumers receive digital receipts after a counter purchase at big box stores, such as Best Buy and Target, is set to launch May 16.

AllEtronic is an add-in for digital cash registers running popular point of purchase applications. When it recognizes a customer as a sale is rung up, allEtronic blocks the receipt-printing process, triggering details to be sent to its servers instead.

As a consumer you can visit allEtronic’s Web site to view and export receipts to your personal accounting software. You can sign up for an count now, but the service is not active until later this week.

First you have to enter the first six and last four digits of a credit card number when you sign up for the program.

This may be a little inconvenient for people like me that use several credit cards to keep expenses separate.

Participating retailers will likely display an allEtronic decal near the usual lineup of credit card logos. Some shops may add allEtronic kiosks or tout the service in their TV commercials.

Retailers that still use paper receipts for internal records could continue to do so, but without printing a customer copy.

The company is seeking a stamp of approval from Trustwave, which would mark allEtronic as a secure service for storing partial credit card numbers.

AllEtronic publicizes its product as green for helping to save the trees felled for some 600,000 tons of thermal receipt paper used by stores each year. It takes 15 trees, 19,000 gallons of water, and 390 gallons of oil to make a ton of paper, according to the company, which is based in Fullerton, Calif.

I am all eliminating the paper printed receipts. Overall it should save me time. And save paper. I also think it may help me to be more organized. One draw back may be a mis-rung item at the checkout, but I am willing to pay extra attention as the items are rung up so I don’t have to deal with all the little tiny receipts.

Do you think this idea will catch on?