Retailers are wasting millions on paper receipts: new calculator reveals the true cost
Retailers typically waste between £5,000 and £650,000+ a year on paper receipts. A new online calculator from Yocuda reveals how much can be saved just by switching to digital receipts.
Retailers are pouring thousands – sometimes hundreds of thousands – of pounds into something customers don’t want, don’t keep, are harmful and can’t be recycled: paper receipts.
To help retailers see the real numbers behind those till rolls, Yocuda has launched a new Paper Receipt Cost Calculator, giving businesses a clear, personalised breakdown of what paper receipts are actually costing them each year and how much they could save by making the switch to digital.
For many, it’s a lot more than expected.
The calculator shows that a large-scale retailer with a network of 600 stores and approximately 200 transactions per store per day spends over £650,000 per year on till rolls.
Just a 40% reduction in this, due to implementing digital receipts, could save over £250,000 every year.
A Hidden But Draining Cost for Retailers
It’s easy to overlook paper receipts as a minor part of retail expenditure. But once you look at the full picture, the cost becomes hard to ignore.
As well as the simple cost of paper till rolls, which the calculations are based on, there are also additional hidden costs for retailers.
- Thermal paper prices keep climbing, and high-volume stores feel it fast
- Printers jam and break, slowing checkouts and frustrating staff and customers
- Energy, repairs and consumables add up – especially across multiple sites
- Thermal paper can’t be recycled, meaning retailers literally pay for the waste
In total, many retailers are spending between £5,000 and £650,000+ a year on something most customers don’t even want.
Edward Drax, Managing Director, Yocuda, states,
“Paper receipts have been part of retail for decades, but they’ve quietly become one of the industry’s most wasteful costs. When retailers see their true numbers, the reaction is almost always the same: Why are we still doing this? As we move into 2026, there is no reason for retailers to keep throwing money away on paper receipts when the digital alternative is readily available, cost-effective and incredibly more beneficial for both brands and customers.”
Digital Receipts: A Quick Win for Cost, Experience and Sustainability
Switching to digital receipts delivers almost immediate ROI, but the financial savings are only the beginning.
- Cost Savings: reducing the number of receipt printers cuts paper orders, reduces maintenance and eliminates unnecessary waste.
- Post-Purchase Engagement: digital receipts offer a powerful new touchpoint, with open rates around 75% – far higher than traditional email marketing.
- A True Omnichannel Experience: unlike static POS-generated PDFs, dynamic digital receipts become a continuation of the shopping journey. Retailers can embed product recommendations, brand content, loyalty updates, personalised offers and more, all while linking in-store behaviour with online profiles.
- Smoother Returns, Happier Customers: receipts are stored automatically and securely, making them easily accessible and removing friction at returns counters.
- Better Data & Identification: digital receipts help retailers understand who their in-store customers actually are, aligning online and offline insights.
- A Sustainability Win: less chemical-coated paper, fewer printers and carbon emissions, and reduced waste across the board.
Try the Calculator: See Your Real Savings in Seconds
Retailers can now estimate their paper-receipt costs using Yocuda’s new tool:
