With business constantly adopting new technologies, companies have reduced their paper trail by adopting paperless receipt technologies, where customers are sent digital receipts instead of the traditional paper ones.
According to the white paper, "Optimizing the Post-Sale Opportunity", 22.7% of retailers are sending digital or e-receipts for in-store purchases.
Pretoria-based Qualitone Software Solutions is launching a service that will enable retailers to link their point-of-sale systems to the EcoSlips app, which will in turn send the transaction slips digitally from any pay point to consumer cellphones.
"Consumers may download the application to their cellphone and register for free. When at the point of purchase, the cashier scans or enters the customer's unique PIN number and a digital receipt is almost immediately forwarded to their cellphone. The transaction slips are stored in the cloud from where they can be downloaded, verified, forwarded or printed," explains Henco Schoeman, technical director at Qualitone Software Solutions.
He adds the system is ready for pilot implementation and is engaging a few retailers that have shown interest in implementing the system. "The app is free to all consumers and small retailers. We anticipate that we will be able to make money through value-add services, such as an advertising platform to retailers for which they pay a monthly subscription. This includes geographically targeted advertising, customer feedback and transaction verification services."
He adds that moving consumer interaction from paper to digital means retailers can get an omni-channel view of their customer's retail journey. "The system also allows for retailers to receive complaints and compliments directly, as well as have area-based advertising strategies. We are also very careful not to exhaust customers with messages, although most of our messages do not get lost in spam filters because they are sent directly to the user's mobile."
A similar app, PocketSlip, was launched in Cape Town last year. The app saves receipts from various retailers in a cloud platform and allows for easier access. "Because the receipts are stored digitally, it allows consumers to more easily conduct returns or warranty replacements for products. The system is also easily integrated into existing point-of-purchase systems," said the company. Pocketslip, however, is a pay-per-use service where merchants are charged on a monthly usage rate.
Both companies have noted that adoption, from both consumers and retailers, as well as navigation of the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act, are significant challenges. They add that retailers fail to understand that customers want one app for all chains, unlike receiving various e-receipts from numerous retailers. Customers, they say, are also hesitant to adopt the new technology.
The POPI Act obliges South African institutions to conduct themselves in a responsible manner when collecting, processing, storing and sharing another entity's personal information by holding them accountable should they abuse or compromise personal information in any way.
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