The elimination of paper receipts presents a viable opportunity for advancing environmental sustainability.
For instance, receipts:
With worldwide retail sales projected to be an estimated $32.8 trillion USD by 2026 and around 30-40% of all online purchases being returned, the immense scale, activity, and impact of this sector is very evident [4], [5]. This dynamism points to the clear advantages of digitalizing receipts via TD MySpend app integration, like the reduction of paper waste, streamlining of retail and financial record-keeping processes, and the elevation of overall consumer experience.
My initial idea for digitization was a standalone app that connects to a user’s bank account, where with every purchase made, the app would retain a digital receipt.
However, through casual research and conversations about receipt management strategies with my family and friends, I uncovered the challenges surrounding security, app fatigue, and interoperability.
TLDR: Gen Xers mostly preferred physical receipts compared to Gen Zers and Millennials, and while everyone saw the benefits of digital receipts, they were hesitant on the incorporation of AI to accelerate receipt digitalization.
Two informal surveys along with brief follow-up interviews amongst a panel of 5 men and 5 women (ages 20-55) were conducted to gather insights into users’ current receipt management habits and their attitudes toward receiving digital receipts via mobile apps.
Additionally, based on companies like Sensibill, which utilizes AI to parse and interpret financial data, I wondered whether incorporating this technology would be the obvious next step.
To summarize the results:
From these results I gathered that:
a) App fatigue impacts productivity. Embedding receipt digitization into a familiar banking app reduces the mental processing power required for learning a new app or functionality.
For example, three Fortune 500 companies learned that employees' focus and efficiency are disrupted when they spend a large amount of time switching between applications and websites [8].
b) Leveraging established privacy infrastructure is key. Utilizing TD MySpend as a base product ensures that security infrastructures are already in place to deal with sensitive financial data, increasing user trust and adoption likelihood.
Statistics Canada reported that banks accounted for the most cybersecurity incidents in 2017 at 47%, but, they were also more likely to implement security requirements [9].
c) Making real impact on environmental stewardship is also key. Through a reliable and high-use app like TD MySpend, I want to encourage and amplify more eco-conscious financial habits right at the POS.
Global email use produces CO₂ emissions equivalent to 63 million cars every year, highlighting the effects of receiving receipts even through email [6].
So why did I choose TD MySpend? I've been a longtime customer of TD and am very familiar with the app. It is also well-established, being offered by one of the “Big Five,” referring to the five largest Canadian banking institutions [10].
TD MySpend connects directly to users’ TD accounts to track and notify purchase activities in real time [11]. While it offers virtual receipts after transactions are completed, these are created by TD MySpend and not by the merchant [12].
My goal is to bridge this gap between transactions-to-consumers-to-financial record-keeping by laying the groundwork for its full digitalization.
User receives a lock-screen notification for recent purchase with a prompt to view digital receipt.
This takes the user to the homepage, where the user can access the digital receipt via the Transactions page or by clicking on the in-app notification.
On the Transactions page, the user can tap on the receipt icon to view the receipt. The user can also “flip over” the receipt to see:
The notification preferences enables users to set up push notifications for shopping tips, offers, and updates.
Purchase at a new retailer produces a pop-up that enables users to turn notifications on, including a mini tutorial of where the notification preference setting is located.
Looking back at Sprint 2, I found myself dissatisfied with my user flow, wireframe, and prototype in Sprint 2. The main gripes I had were:
So, Sprint 3 explores three new design directions, each having a different degree of scalability and implementation effort.
Solution 1: Manual Photo Uploads
Solution 2: Semi-Digitalization Through Standardization
Solution 3: Digital Receipts For All
While exploring receipt digitalization, I encountered Taiwan’s Uniform Invoice Lottery, run by the Ministry of Finance, which draws every two months with prizes of up to NT$10 million (approximately CAD$457,222) to encourage receipt collection and reduce tax evasion [16, 17].
As the name implies, receipts in Taiwan all have a standard format. They include an 8-digit lottery number and QR codes for scanning into cloud receipt mobile apps like the Ministry of Finance’s Uniform Invoice Lottery Redemption app [18, 19]:
This raised a larger question: Should digital receipt processing be managed federally, such as by CRA, rather than outsourced to banks or merchants?
From a design lens, this would:
If I were to move forward with a 4th Sprint, I would introduce a CRA-level approach. Possibly a web-based mobile application like their MyBenefits app that provides an overview of an individual's personalized benefit and credit information [20].
In conclusion, the digitalization of paper receipts is perhaps not only a product design challenge, but also a public infrastructure opportunity.
