The retailer says the information cannot be used for marketing as the data is stored anonymously. It adds that allowing customers to keep their receipts in one place could make shopping trips easier.
'Easy and convenient' Tesco is not the first retailer to try digital receipts. Apple stores began sending e-receipts in 2005, with other retailers following suit. Debenhams and Topshop both began using digital receipts last year, while keeping the option for a paper receipt.
Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption Major retailers including Debenhams and Argos already offer the option of an e-receipt
But could this trend herald the end of the paper receipt? "There are people who still pay by cheque - digital probably will dominate but there will still be those who want a paper receipt," says Mr Carroll. Ronan Hegarty, news editor of The Grocer magazine, agrees. "I don't think this is the end of paper receipts," he says. "People like to see the promotions they get and the money they saved. "It's all part of a continuing trend by retailers to operate more cheaply and more efficiently. But ultimately they are there to serve their customers and they're not going to force changes onto them." Caroline Abrahams, Age UK's charity director, says a paperless future is "still very distant" for
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some older people who have never used the internet. "It is vital that businesses recognise this and maintain a range of ways to meet the needs of all their customers," she says. "Not only is this good for older people, it can make great business sense as well."
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