Apple Pay: receipts?

[jimthing]

A question for those who have used it regularly...

Q: How are receipts handled? Do you get them emailed to you automatically (or optionally)? I thought I read they appear somewhere else...? [for returning items, and reconciling bank statements, etc.]

Thanks in advance.

 

[C DM]

You get the same receipt as the one you would get if you used the credit/debit card directly, without Apple Pay.

 

[jimthing]

You get the same receipt as the one you would get if you used the credit/debit card directly, without Apple Pay.

I thought there was a record made somewhere on the device of all the transactions...?

 

[gsmornot]

I thought there was a record made somewhere on the device of all the transactions...?

Some card/banks turn on an optional feature that will provide in the Passbook app more detail for your purchases. American Express will show purchase history in the Passbook card field each time the card is used even if you didn't use ApplePay to make the purchase. My father in law loves this as a way to watch for activity and last year caught some bogus charges this way. Then you have cards (like both of mine) that only show the last transaction made with ApplePay and both are vague. My credit card will show where I used ApplePay, my debit card only shows the amount spent.

Your receipt will be similar to what you have received in the past with two exceptions. The card number on the paper will reflect your device ID, not the last 4 of your card and there will be no name on the paper because its not part of the transaction with ApplePay. These two things are part of the added security of the system. You could drop your receipt and it will mean nothing to the finder. In the past it meant little but did include some personal info. Now it includes none.

 

[jimthing]

Some card/banks turn on an optional feature that will provide in the Passbook app more detail for your purchases. American Express will show purchase history in the Passbook card field each time the card is used even if you didn't use ApplePay to make the purchase. My father in law loves this as a way to watch for activity and last year caught some bogus charges this way. Then you have cards (like both of mine) that only show the last transaction made with ApplePay and both are vague. My credit card will show where I used ApplePay, my debit card only shows the amount spent.

Your receipt will be similar to what you have received in the past with two exceptions. The card number on the paper will reflect your device ID, not the last 4 of your card and there will be no name on the paper because its not part of the transaction with ApplePay. These two things are part of the added security of the system. You could drop your receipt and it will mean nothing to the finder. In the past it meant little but did include some personal info. Now it includes none.

Thanks for the reply. Seems a bit of a shame really to me, as it'd be great if one could deal with receipts digitally along with everything else these days.

Personally, I'd like it if the store could email me a receipt on every transaction, so I wouldn't have to carry all those paper receipt stubs in my physical wallet, which I then have to keep emptying all the time. It'd also make the reconciling of bank statements at the end of each month a lot easier too having them all in one place automatically.

I do wonder why Apple didn't consider this a useful feature of the service, from the outset?

 

[TheMountainLife]

Would be awesome if receipts could be sent electronically but its not something Apple can do alone. The merchant has to have the support/programming within whoever POS service they use. It also contradicts the whole "contactless payment" point of Apple Pay because the business would have your email address.

As more and more businesses support paperless billing, I can easily see electronic receipts becoming the next standard.

 

[heleneberk]

I also hate paper receipts. It's 2017! One of my networking contacts is working on a way to digitize this. Would love to chat about it and get your opinion, if interested.
----------

Thanks for the reply. Seems a bit of a shame really to me, as it'd be great if one could deal with receipts digitally along with everything else these days.

Personally, I'd like it if the store could email me a receipt on every transaction, so I wouldn't have to carry all those paper receipt stubs in my physical wallet, which I then have to keep emptying all the time. It'd also make the reconciling of bank statements at the end of each month a lot easier too having them all in one place automatically.

I do wonder why Apple didn't consider this a useful feature of the service, from the outset?

 

[MC6800]

Some stores ask me if I'd like an email receipt, but that would require giving them an email address. Guess what their marketing department would use that for...

 

[heleneberk]

I've had that, too, but it takes time and I just want to get my stuff and go. The clerk made a typo before, too, so then I never even got the email at all.

Some stores ask me if I'd like an email receipt, but that would require giving them an email address. Guess what their marketing department would use that for...

 

[taptronic]

I just wanted to add that those who typically use Apple Pay probably already gave these retailers their email by way of loyalty / rewards programs, etc. Its 2017, I can get electronic receipts from Walmart, Home Depot, Dollar Tree and several other retailers...

Was hoping by now that Apple Pay evolved and that access to digital receipts was simple and widespread - have I missed a setting or where to locate these?

 

[Julien]

I just wanted to add that those who typically use Apple Pay probably already gave these retailers their email by way of loyalty / rewards programs, etc. Its 2017, I can get electronic receipts from Walmart, Home Depot, Dollar Tree and several other retailers...

Was hoping by now that Apple Pay evolved and that access to digital receipts was simple and widespread - have I missed a setting or where to locate these?

Apple is "blind" to all transactions and the merchant is blind to your identity. Any email receipts must be some type of agreement between you and the store to devolve your identity/email for the specific transaction. NO way I'm giving tracking info to stores so they can use and sell my info.

 

[Rigby]

Apple is "blind" to all transactions and the merchant is blind to your identity. Any email receipts must be some type of agreement between you and the store to devolve your identity/email for the specific transaction. NO way I'm giving tracking info to stores so they can use and sell my info.

I agree. It would be nice if the industry came up with a way to transmit receipts back to the phone via NFC, which could be done with the same level of privacy Apple Pay currently provides. There have been attempts in the past, but apparently it didn't get enough traction back then. Maybe it's a good time to try again now given the rising popularity of Apple Pay.

 

[Starship67]

I do wonder why Apple didn't consider this a useful feature of the service, from the outset?

That really isn't up to Apple. The individual merchant decides how a receipt is offered.

 

[jimthing]

That really isn't up to Apple. The individual merchant decides how a receipt is offered.

Obviously. But if Apple can create a payment method which merchants have taken up, and one for paying contacts, then one may suspect they could create one for receipts too. Perhaps one that doesn't involve emailing, but something else. Who knows.

...come back in five years. :-/
[doublepost=1512954243][/doublepost]One problem with receipts, is sometimes you ask a family member to return something on your behalf, so you have to give them the receipt. So it has to be transferable and not stuck on the device.

TBH, when I buy something from many online stores and a relative sometimes returns it for me to their physical store, I already just email the relative my original order email, and the retailer scans a barcode and refunds it to original payment method.
So POS systems are halfway there, perhaps.

 

[taptronic]

Apple is "blind" to all transactions and the merchant is blind to your identity. Any email receipts must be some type of agreement between you and the store to devolve your identity/email for the specific transaction. NO way I'm giving tracking info to stores so they can use and sell my info.

Thanks Julien. Makes sense what you said about apple being blind to the transaction.

re: email: I feel the same way. I use a throwaway email address for stores that ask for it.

Cheers
[doublepost=1514130473][/doublepost]

Obviously. But if Apple can create a payment method which merchants have taken up, and one for paying contacts, then one may suspect they could create one for receipts too. Perhaps one that doesn't involve emailing, but something else. Who knows.

...come back in five years. :-/
[doublepost=1512954243][/doublepost]One problem with receipts, is sometimes you ask a family member to return something on your behalf, so you have to give them the receipt. So it has to be transferable and not stuck on the device.

TBH, when I buy something from many online stores and a relative sometimes returns it for me to their physical store, I already just email the relative my original order email, and the retailer scans a barcode and refunds it to original payment method.
So POS systems are halfway there, perhaps.

I dont know if other retailers do this but my wife and I both use the same Walmart account and each have an app with the same login. She has returned items to the store without a receipt, which I purchased, by just opening the app and showing the electronic receipt copy. They scan the barcode at the bottom or punch in the code if they cant read the barcode for some reason. Works nice. Wish more would implement similar.

 

[tmiw]

The card number on the paper will reflect your device ID, not the last 4 of your card

I've actually had the last four of the real card show up on receipts and websites before. It depends on the payment processor they're using and how the POS/website is programmed.

 

[heleneberk]

Apple is "blind" to all transactions and the merchant is blind to your identity. Any email receipts must be some type of agreement between you and the store to devolve your identity/email for the specific transaction. NO way I'm giving tracking info to stores so they can use and sell my info.

They cannot sell your info - it's illegal.

 

[Julien]

They cannot sell your info - it's illegal.

No it's not. Also have you ever heard of a little compony called Google? Their core business model IS selling your personal information.

...it has become common practice for many retailers to store, collate, and sell the information of millions of customers for a profit. In the age of online retailing and phone shopping, big data is huge. The more retailers can know about you, the more targeted their campaigns can be. If a company wants to specifically focus on white males, ages 31–40, who smoke, drink, and subscribe to a sports package, they can buy that list. It can be expensive, initially, for retailers to buy this data, but it can really pay off because their message is laser-focused on the audience they want to reach...

http://time.com/money/4506297/how-retailers-track-you/

 

[Vytas Vytautas]

Whole point of Apple Pay is that your identity is hidden. I suppose it is possible for Apple to add electronic receipt option in their Apple Pay system, but that would mean that information would be floating somewhere in the cloud and i don't think they want that. Personally i don't feel the need for it, if i buy something big with a warranty it is not hard to get that paper receipt.

 

[heleneberk]

No it's not. Also have you ever heard of a little compony called Google? Their core business model IS selling your personal information.

Google includes this in their Terms of Service, which you agree to when using it. Most Point of Sale companies do not permit the selling of customer information as it violates privacy laws. Merchants can, however, sell market data which you as a consumer contribute to every time you buy something in a store. They can't include your credit card number, but they can include the types of items you bought (ie. sporting goods, beauty care, fast food, etc.)




http://time.com/money/4506297/how-retailers-track-you/

 

[ecschwarz]

As Apple Pay in stores is using NFC, the store would have to support something like this and it may also lock out Android users (or other devices like Fitbits that have NFC payment capabilities).

Recently, by me, Meijer has started implementing optional digital receipts in the stores and has had digital gas pump receipts for awhile - they're emailed to the address you have on file with your mPerks account ("logged in" via phone number or barcode at the start of the transaction). Obviously, this is allowing them to build a profile about me, negating the anonymity portion of Apple Pay, but not having paper receipts (and access to receipts via email or in their app) and some discounts/savings for the data that I buy gas and food (especially on sale items) is a reasonable tradeoff.