From this Tuesday, August 1, receipts will no longer be printed automatically. A decision that raises many questions and raises fears of several harmful effects for consumers. Explanations.
This is not yet the final end of receipts, but a first step. As of August 1, this will no longer be printed unless the customer requests it. This measure voted in 2020 was initially to come into force on January 1, 2023, before being postponed to April 1, then postponed to August 1 due to inflation.
“We have feedback from the field, we are discussing with consumer associations, with large retailers, who tell us that, faced with inflation, many French people want to check the accuracy of the amount of the shopping they do”, then explained Bercy. Even if the rise in prices remains strong, its progression is slowing down: +4.5% in June over one year.
The ban on the automatic printing of tickets in stores aims to reduce waste production. Each year, nearly 30 billion slips are printed in this way.
Beware, however, of the perverse effects of such a decision, denounced by 12 consumer associations which published last year a rare joint statement to demand that the printing of the receipt be “systematically offered” to the consumer.
Intrusive Advertising
They thus consider that this reform “opens the way to a forced dematerialization of the ticket… likely to facilitate, via marketing techniques, the creation of databases by merchants and in particular tolead to the rise of intrusive or unwanted advertisements. “.
Indeed, the consumer will now be able to choose either not to obtain a till receipt, or to request the paper printing of the till receipt, or to retrieve the till receipt electronically, in particular via SMS or email.
“Retrieving the ticket by dematerialized way sometimes presents more risks for the respect of your private life because it involves, in certain cases, the communication of your coordinates”, warns moreover the National Commission of data processing and freedoms ( CNIL).
More difficult proof of purchase
But this is not the only perverse effect. “The default ticket deletion carries the seeds ofan explosion of situations where the consumer will be deprived of the possibility of asserting his rights. By renouncing implicitly and for lack of information on the usefulness of the receipt, consumers will be exposed to the risk of not being able to provide proof of their purchase. Proof of purchase essential to take advantage of legal or commercial guarantees, or for reimbursement in the event of a food product recall. Proceeding to the exchange of a garment that the seller had offered to decide the consumer when buying could also be complicated, ”consider the consumer associations.
Unable to verify the exact amount paid
Another argument put forward: the ticket makes it possible to verify the accuracy of the amount of the transaction, “a far from trivial precaution to avoid errors at the checkout, such as not taking into account a promotion”, point out these consumer associations. .
Increased risk of fraud
The associations also warn of the increased risk of fraud in contactless payments in the event of non-printing. “On payment terminals, it is entirely possible for the merchant to type in the amount to be paid without the customer seeing it displayed. The ticket is then his only means of verifying that he is paying the amount he owes the professional, ”explains UFC-Que Choisir.
A budget management tool removed
Last significant point in this period of high inflation, “the receipt is a family budget management tool, which allows consumers to materialize and track their daily expenses. In a context of erosion of purchasing power, this element cannot be neglected”, underlines the press release of the 12 consumer associations.
In this context, the CLCV asked for a definition a maximum purchase amount of 25 euros beyond which the printing of the ticket remains systematic unless the customer objects. “This measure would limit the risk of forgetting to ask for your ticket to small purchases. It would also have the merit of allowing consumers to gradually enter the era of dematerialization,” the association recently estimated.