The end of paper receipts (as we know them) in France

After multiple delays, France’s new law aiming to "fight against waste" (luttre contre le gaspillage) officially comes into play on August 1, 2023. From this date, it’ll no longer be mandatory to print a payment receipt when selling certain goods and services.

There are exceptions, however, and the discontinuation of systematic printing doesn’t signal the end of paper receipts in themselves (at least not for the time being).

So, what do the changes mean for you and your business? And how should you adapt your process to suit your customers, expense management, and accounting? Let’s dive in.

The law “no. 2020-105,” relating to the fight against waste for a circular economy, was passed on February 10, 2020. In line with this ruling, certain payment receipts will no longer be automatically printed as of August 1, 2023.

The law was introduced for several purposes:

• Combat waste: almost 30 billion receipts are printed every year, inevitably piling up in our drawers and wallets.
• Protect consumer health: bisphenol A, a substance officially recognized as a carcinogen, is present in nearly 90% of all receipts in Europe (study by the University of Granada in 2019).
• Support the digital transformation of the economy: just like invoices, receipts are going digital. There are already a number of online platforms on the market that digitize and authenticate supporting documents - helping companies to store data more reliably and work more efficiently with accountancy firms.

Certain receipts will no longer be systematically printed:

• Receipts issued by sales outlets and establishments open to the public.
• Receipts issued following a cash withdrawal or card payment (excluding durable goods).
• Vouchers and promotional/discount coupons.

However, this law does not apply to:

• Payment receipts for "durable goods~" indicating the duration of the legal conformity warranty, such as household appliances, computer equipment, telephones, etc. A complete list is available on the official Légifrance website (article in French).
• Credit card receipts for cancelled transactions.
• Receipts issued by dispensers, which must be kept and presented in order to claim a product or service.
• Cash register receipts and other billing documents printed by weighing devices.
  
  

Paper receipts are not really disappearing for good, and customers will still be able to request a printout from retailers. Overall, it's not a major shift. But it's still a good idea to stay ahead of the changes as digitalization increasingly becomes the norm.

Paper receipts are still important to French consumers. Opinionway-Perifem recently published a study to this effect on their association website on March 22, 2023.

It found that 9 out of 10 French people check the price of their purchases at the checkout - using their receipt. This is all the more true as inflation continues to bite. 89% of those surveyed keep receipts in case they need to exchange products or claim back on warranty (89%), while two-thirds use them for accounting purposes. It’s worth noting that 54% accumulate receipts without using them, and 45% ask retailers to throw them away.

The study also highlights that a majority of French people (73%) are in favor of this law to reduce receipts at store checkouts. However, 50% fear that stores will refuse to give them a receipt on request. Finally, more than 90% say they’ll continue asking for receipts when buying household appliances, gifts, or fashion items.

Some habits die hard. But the new law presents businesses with an opportunity to save costs, help protect the environment, and offer customers a more convenient experience. So, here are a few tips for a smooth transition.

Today, there are two main alternatives to paper receipts.

Customers can retrieve their receipts by scanning a QR code on their smartphones - no need for an app or to fill out a form with personal data. There are a handful of solutions already providing this service:

• Noticia stores and sends digital receipts via scannable QR codes at the checkout.
• Occidev offers paperless receipts without storing customer data, via its Quipo application.
• Billiv helps companies leverage digital billing as a loyalty-building marketing tool.

Convenient for customers, SMS or email solutions also help you gather valuable data for marketing purposes, such as promotional offers.

Whichever solution you choose, it's likely that you'll need to upgrade your POS (point of sale) software. We’ll cover this in the next section.

You may need to upgrade your existing point-of sale-software or get your hands on a more advanced option. Many of these all-in-one solutions can handle anything from customer data and inventory management, to syncing with your online store and tracking sales:

• Zettle, a complete POS solution that’s 100% compatible with Qonto.
• Wino, an option tailored to local businesses.

Making the transition to digital receipts will help you to:

• Speed up data processing from your point of sale to your accounting tools.
• Ensure sales data is more reliable than when it’s entered manually, and significantly reduce human error. Get in touch with your accountant to prepare for this transition and work together more efficiently.

The new law will certainly have an impact on your expense management, as receipt printing will no longer be an automatic process. When making business-related purchases, always remember to ask for a paper receipt or a digital copy you can retrieve by email or SMS.

Favoring the digital option is a smart habit to adopt. First, you'll stop losing track of all those receipts piling up in your wallet or desk drawer. Second, you can authenticate paperless receipts on most expense management platforms - so you'll be able to easily transfer them to your accountant or company finance team.

To get ready for the changes, choose a solution that allows you to digitize, attach, and export all your transactions and supporting documents to your accountant. Pennylane, Indy, Dougs and Tiime are just a few solutions on the market right now.

Qonto also enables you to do all of this, and more:

• Simplify your accounting process by digitizing your receipts.
• Automatically retrieve data (including deductible VAT) and match it to the right transactions.
• Manage your team's business expenses with ease.
• Work more efficiently with your accountant via dedicated accesses and roles, allowing them to retrieve your data independently.