Paper or email? That’s the new question you may be asked the next time you buy something at a store.
Customers are now being given the option to have a receipt emailed to them. But if you opt for an e- receipt, what else could start popping up in your email?
Paperless receipts are the wave of the future: major banks email customers ATM slips, mobile vendors send you e-receipts to your inbox, and the number of retail stores offering customers electronic invoices is exploding.
“More customers are opting to receive their receipts via email because it’s saving on paper and it’s also more convenient for them,” said jeweler Shaleighne Murphy.
That’s why Stephen Macary, a certified public accountant, loves e-receipts. He manages a fleet of company cars. When one needs an oil change, the repair shop emails him the invoice.
“It gets you the information in a timely manner, and you’re able to view the documents pretty much right away,” said Macary.
But shortly after Macary gave the shop his email, surveys, coupons and reminder notices started popping up.
“All these vendors capture information and they’re going to capture it for emailing you something,” he said.
So retailers can actually track you through e-receipts and coupon offers.
“When you send a digital receipt you can see the person open it, you can see if they clicked on a subsequent offer,” said Mark Johnson, president and CEO of Loyalty 360, The Loyalty Marketer’s Association.
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