A receipt is a written acknowledgment that a specified article or sum of money has been received as an exchange for goods or services. The receipt is evidence of purchase of the property or service obtained in the exchange.[1]
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In English speaking countries the term most frequently applies to the printed record given to a consumer at checkout that lists the purchases made, the total amount of the transaction including taxes, discounts and other adjustments, the amount paid and the method of payment. Increasingly, these receipts may also include messages from the retailer, warranty or return details, special offers, advertisements or coupons. Receipts may also be provided for non-retail operations such as banking transactions. A receipt is a legal document.[2] In many countries, notably the United States of America, it is mandatory by law for retailers, and individuals, have to show receipts and store information about every receipt, so that the tax authority, or IRS can check that sales are not hidden, or something along those lines.[3]
Wherever credit cards and most purchases are accepted, receipts are printed using thermal printing on narrow rolls of thermal paper. Some thermal paper contains Bisphenol A, which, in high doses, causes impotence in men[4] and is harmful to children,[5][6] but BPA-free thermal paper is available. Recent innovations have led to multi-colored thermal printing technology and the ability to print double-sided receipts.
Receipts may be presented as proof of a transaction for the purpose of exchanging or returning merchandise. Some retailers provide special "gift receipts" specifically for this purpose. Unlike a standard purchase receipt, the gift receipt omits certain information, most notably the price that was paid for an item. The receipt usually has a barcode along the bottom so that the retailer can call up the transaction information from a database of previous purchases, authenticating a return.
Increasingly, retailers are using barcodes on receipts that allow them to identify the transaction in their system later on. This is helpful for proving the authenticity of the receipt, especially when a customer is returning or exchanging goods. Some retailers' point-of-sale systems allow the salesperson to see a complete record of the customer's buying history, including information about other store locations the customer has visited, what they purchased or returned, and total accumulated spendings, among other things- all by scanning a receipt barcode. This kind of monitoring has led to considerable savings among retailers by helping to prevent fraudulent return.
Hand-written or hand-completed receipts are more often used for infrequent or irregular transactions, or for transactions conducted in the absence of a terminal, cash register or point of sale (for example, as provided by a landlord to a tenant for receipt of rent money.)
Organizing receipts and similar financial documents is a multi-million dollar industry in the United States. Consumers can use desktop and online software to organize electronic receipts; sometimes, receipts are sent digitally from point of sale devices to consumers. The growing trend of digital receipts has led to the launch of new businesses focused on digital receipt management.