A bill has been introduced in California which would phase out the use of paper receipts in favor of electronic ones. This bill would require, beginning January 1, 2022, that a proof of purchase be provided to a consumer for the retail sale of food, alcohol or other tangible personal property, or for the provision of services by a business, only in electronic form unless the consumer requests that the proof of purchase be provided in paper form. The bill was proposed due to the concerns raised by an environmental group called Green America that is pushing to eliminate paper receipts due to concerns regarding the chemicals found in paper receipts and that paper is made from trees.
SGIA has joined an industry coalition that has submitted a letter dated March 18, 2019 in opposition to the bill. The letter points out the incorrect statement of environmental and health impacts and raises a concern regarding privacy issues such as the collection of email addresses, which is a significant concern due to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The bill, if enacted, would also increase the costs of anyone issuing a receipt as they would now have to provide it electronically and they would have to ensure the privacy of the collected data from the customer is protected.
SGIA has joined an industry coalition that has submitted a letter dated March 18, 2019 in opposition to the bill. The letter points out the incorrect statement of environmental and health impacts and raises a concern regarding privacy issues such as the collection of email addresses, which is a significant concern due to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The bill, if enacted, would also increase the costs of anyone issuing a receipt as they would now have to provide it electronically and they would have to ensure the privacy of the collected data from the customer is protected.