How can a retailer email your transaction receipt- if you never gave them your email address? It's happening more often with the growing popularity of a credit card processing system that is changing the way many merchants do business.Bob Throndsen of Edmonds says at first he was curious, then furious- because the merchant that emailed him was a restaurant he had visited on vacation- in Tennessee.
"It was a great trip," said Throndsen. "We had a really good time."
Throndsen and his wife used their credit card at many attractions while recently in Nashville- from the Grand Ole Opry to Graceland, to barbecue eateries. At one restaurant they used their card to pay for a take out barbecue dinner and, like everywhere else,got a paper receipt.
"It took us less than two minutes to walk back to our car," said Throndsen. "And I looked at my phone and all of a sudden- wow! I've got an email receipt on my phone from this place!"
Throndsen said he initially found it convenient and efficient -- but then had second thoughts.
"They didn't ask for my email, they just sent me an email receipt and I thought, wow. That's weird," Throndsen explained. "And it made me wonder, how can this happen? How can they get that information off my card?"
The answer came with a call to his credit card company. The restaurant's credit card processor already had Bob's email information.
The rapidly growing company, Square, designs and supports special apps that allow merchants to turn smart phones, tablets and other computers into point-of-sale credit card readers. Small businesses especially like Square, because it doesn't charge merchants high processing fees like traditional credit card processors.
But unlike other credit card processing systems- once you allow a Square vendor to email a receipt of your credit card transaction, all future transactions with that card trigger an automatic receipt to your email address. The email information becomes a secured part of that card's Square profile, but no business has access to the information.
"I can't recall any transaction like this that I've ever had!" said Throndsen. It's a common response for many consumers who get sudden email receipts after using their credit cards. While Square is increasingly popular, and many merchants display signage to identify themselves as Square merchants, not everyone knows what that means.
"How do I know I'm even using your service?" asked Thronsden, adding that he has nothing against the restaurant and loved the food and service.
"I'm buying some dinner from a guy at a barbecue joint in Nashville. I don't know I'm using your (Square) service." , Throndsen said.
If you can't tell whether a merchant uses a Square card processing system and don't want lots of email receipts and, be sure ask the merchant if they use Square. If your card is processed through a Square system and an email receipt is your only choice- some Square readers cannot print receipts - you can go to the bottom of the screen and click the option that says you don't want the digital receipts to continue after that one transaction.
Square explains the full receipt process on its website.