Digitalisation regularly poses new challenges for consumers in various situations in life. Cash is also being replaced by new forms of cashless payment, and shopping itself is increasingly taking place digitally. The physical and digital worlds are merging more and more, and omni-channel strategies are becoming established in the retail sector, linking offline and online trade (cf. Bossauer et al. 2018).

The constant developments in retail also require flexible offers for issuing digital receipts, which customers want to receive directly at the checkout on their smartphone. anybill offers the right technology and infrastructure for issuing digital receipts directly at the checkout, so that digital receipts can be issued smoothly and smart added value can also be offered to consumers.

QR code scan: In the app or from the customer display?

anybill also offers payment method-independent solutions for the digital receipt by scanning QR codes: both the scan of the individual and own QR code in the app, as well as the scan of a QR code directly at the checkout, which is shown on the customer display. A simple solution for cashiers and consumers: after the purchase has been paid for either with cash or by card, customers can scan the digital receipt directly onto their smartphone by either scanning the QR code in the app from the scanner at the checkout or independently using the photo function to scan the QR code, which is shown on the customer display. One advantage of the QR code scan from the customer display is that customers do not necessarily need the anybill app for this, but can simply scan the QR code with the photo function of the smartphone. Customers are then redirected to a download area where they can simply save the digital receipt as a PDF. 

The one digital point of contact with the customer

Nevertheless, the most efficient solution is to combine the payment process with digital receipt holding into one joint solution. The so-called one-touch solution from anybill is designed in such a way that both customer and merchant now only have one common digital point of contact directly at the point of sale. This means that customers can link their desired means of payment with the anybill technology and then, when they pay with the stored means of payment, receive the receipt directly on their smartphone without further scanning. anybill is convinced that the vision of a one-touch solution is the most efficient for both customers and merchants. In this way, we realise our goal of being able to offer as much added value as possible with as few contact points as necessary.

anybill relies on payment linkage

All three digital receipt options are to remain in the anybill technology. Above all, we want to continue to offer digital receipts independent of the means of payment and thus also enable cash payments. Nevertheless, it is important to us which option is preferred by users. For this purpose, we launched a survey on our social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram) on the topic of "Which option of digital receipt do you prefer?", in which 147 interested parties participated.

The result confirms us in our approach: 73% of the participants want the linking of the means of payment and the associated direct receipt of the digital receipt and without further scanning. This absolute majority of respondents confirms that we are on the most user-friendly path with our vision of the one-touch solution.

Nevertheless, 16% of the respondents prefer the QR code scan directly from the customer display. We assume that this is mainly due to the flexibility this option offers. This type of digital receipt does not require anybill app, but only the photo function of the smartphone. The remaining 11% of the survey state that they would like to have the QR code scanned by the cash register scanner in their own anybill app.

The feedback of our users is essential for our product planning. That is why we are also incorporating this survey opinion into our product development and continue to pursue the realisation of a one-touch solution for the better networked and digital point of sale of the future, in order to be able to offer associated smart added value for customers and retailers.

Source:

Bossauer, P. et al. (2018): Mehrwerte auf Basis digitaler Kassenzettel: eine verbraucherinformatische Studie, in: A. Gadatsch et a. (eds.): Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften im digitalen Zeitalter, Wiesbaden.