Can I get a paper receipt?
Yes, on request. Since 1 August 2023 (decree no. 2023-237, anti-waste AGEC law), printing a till receipt (plus card receipts and vouchers) is no longer automatic: the trader prints it only on your request. So you keep the right to a paper receipt: if you ask, the professional can't refuse to print it, even if they've already offered a digital version. The trader must display, at the till, that the receipt is available on request. The measure aims to cut paper waste and exposure to substances on receipts.
📋 The rules
- Receipt printing not automatic since 1 August 2023
- Paper receipt given on the customer's request
- The trader can't refuse printing if you ask
- Mandatory display at the till of this option
- Also applies to card receipts and vouchers
🔓 Exceptions
- Some receipts are still printed automatically (durable goods with a guarantee, machines, card cancellation, dangerous/weighed products)
- A digital receipt (email, QR code) remains offered as an alternative
- To claim a guarantee, ask for and keep the receipt
⚠️ Penalties & fines
A trader who refuses to give a receipt requested, or who doesn't display the information, breaches the rules and can be reported to the DGCCRF (administrative sanctions). For the consumer, the receipt remains the essential proof of purchase to exercise the legal guarantee, an exchange or a refund: so it's wise to ask for and keep it for important purchases.
📎 Official sources
- Service-Public.fr · End of automatic till receipts →
- economie.gouv.fr · Receipt given on request →
- Légifrance · Decree no. 2023-237 of 31 March 2023 →
❓ Frequently asked
Are till receipts still printed?
No longer automatically since 1 August 2023. The trader prints it only if you ask. They must display at the till that the receipt is available on request, and can't refuse to print it if you claim it.
Can the trader refuse to give me a receipt?
No. If you ask for the receipt to be printed, the professional must give it to you, even if they've already sent a digital version. Refusing breaches the rules from the anti-waste law.
Why this measure?
To fight paper waste (billions of receipts printed and binned) and limit exposure to certain substances on thermal receipts. It's a measure of the AGEC law of 10 February 2020.
Which receipts are still auto-printed?
Notably receipts for durable goods covered by a guarantee, those from machines, cancellation or failed-card receipts, and some products (weighing, dangerous goods). For the rest, it's on request.
Should I keep my receipt?
Yes, for important purchases: the receipt is the proof needed to claim the legal guarantee, an exchange or a refund. Ask for and keep it, or choose a digital receipt you archive.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “receipt on request 2023”
- “end automatic till receipt law”
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- “digital or paper receipt”
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