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I don’t know about rest of EU, but here in Slovakia, every receipt has a QR code. You can send that number to API for receipt verification - and it returns all

by Void_ 3y ago

I don’t know about rest of EU, but here in Slovakia, every receipt has a QR code. You can send that number to API for receipt verification - and it returns all line items and prices. If we could get people to scan the receipts (expense tracking for example) we would have massive amount of crowdsourced data. Wish I had time to pursue this idea!

ephbit 3y ago
It would be the easiest thing to give customers a csv table of the purchased items *directly* in the QR code on the receipt (instead of just a link to some website, where you can download the table as pdf of what). Then people could load it into their app or software and analyze their own data and shopping behavior. Of course the retailers will never do this. As Mario writes, the essential thing with this whole topic is: > If I were trying to describe it in more flowerly terms: It's asymmetric information war fare. [1] The way for companies to increase their margins is: remove price transparency so people effectively cannot compare anymore. It's the same concept everywhere: the higher the complexity of the system, the harder it will be for the individual to optimize for their own benefit. Big entities on the other hand, such as big companies CAN deal with complexity and still optimize for their benefit. Take away message: people should always be cautious of additional complexity creeping into systems. It usually benefits the big actors, at the expense to the individual. [1] https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@badlogic/111071588108514123 https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@badlogic/111071588108514123
vitro 3y ago
Interesting! That would make things way easier. Another feature that comes to my mind is setting up watches for products you are interested in. Especially for people who need to watch every expense, this could come very handy. Yes, time..
folmar 3y ago
This is not the case in most EU. Also note that it'll also make a even bigger tracking mechanism than having a centralised API in the first place. For example the QR-code bearing receipts from Germany have a signed proof of commiting the transaction to HSM, but not the details. Online-capable cash registers in Poland submit only hourly statistics centrally.

by Void_ 3y ago

ephbit 3y ago

It would be the easiest thing to give customers a csv table of the purchased items *directly* in the QR code on the receipt (instead of just a link to some website, where you can download the table as pdf of what). Then people could load it into their app or software and analyze their own data and shopping behavior. Of course the retailers will never do this. As Mario writes, the essential thing with this whole topic is: > If I were trying to describe it in more flowerly terms: It's asymmetric information war fare. [1] The way for companies to increase their margins is: remove price transparency so people effectively cannot compare anymore. It's the same concept everywhere: the higher the complexity of the system, the harder it will be for the individual to optimize for their own benefit. Big entities on the other hand, such as big companies CAN deal with complexity and still optimize for their benefit. Take away message: people should always be cautious of additional complexity creeping into systems. It usually benefits the big actors, at the expense to the individual. [1] https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@badlogic/111071588108514123 https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@badlogic/111071588108514123

vitro 3y ago

Interesting! That would make things way easier. Another feature that comes to my mind is setting up watches for products you are interested in. Especially for people who need to watch every expense, this could come very handy. Yes, time..

folmar 3y ago

This is not the case in most EU. Also note that it'll also make a even bigger tracking mechanism than having a centralised API in the first place. For example the QR-code bearing receipts from Germany have a signed proof of commiting the transaction to HSM, but not the details. Online-capable cash registers in Poland submit only hourly statistics centrally.