No more receipt printing in France; what are the retailer’s obligations?

Starting August 1, 2023, the law concerning waste reduction and the promotion of a circular economy will put an end to the automatic printing of receipts. This measure serves two main purposes: firstly, it aims to decrease paper usage, considering the substantial number of receipts and credit card slips printed annually. Secondly, it aims to protect public health by reducing people's exposure to hazardous substances commonly found on printed tickets.

In application of Article L541-15-10 of the Environment Code, the following tickets will no longer be printed and distributed automatically:

• receipts in sales areas and establishments open to the public
• Bank card receipts
• Tickets issued by certain machines (such as ticket machines)
• vouchers, and promotional or reduction tickets.

These receipts will therefore only be printed at the customer's request.

This concerns all purchases, regardless of the amount or nature of the purchase.

You do not have, as a retailer, the obligation to formally ask the customer whether or not they want a receipt. It is up to the consumer to ask for a receipt. However, If the customer expressly requests it, you cannot refuse the printing of the receipt, even if a dematerialized receipt has been sent to the customer.

On the other hand, the retailer has an obligation to post information about customers rights to have a printed receipt, for example, by means of a readable and comprehensible poster at the cash register.

There are solutions to replace the traditional paper receipt. You can, for example, opt for a dematerialized receipt system or e-Receipts. This alternative use of e-Receipts is in no way an obligation.

Sending an e-ticket is possible.

• by SMS via cash register software
• by e-mail via cash register software
• by message directly in the buyer's banking application.
• by QR code to retrieve your e-ticket from a web page.
• via storage on a loyalty account accessible on the internet.

When adopting an e-receipt solution, it is important to choose a GDPR-compliant one. First of all, be aware that the collection of data from the buyer is subject to his explicit consent. So, consider integrating a device that allows people to consent to or exercise their right to object to the reuse of their data.