February 22, 2021 by Team Zadinga
Do you still rely on paper bills while selling your products? Perhaps it’s time to make the switch to digital bills.
Paper billing or paper invoicing is still the most common way for retail businesses to issue receipts in India. But it comes with its own set of challenges such as:
For retailers
- Considerable initial investment
- Recurring paper and printing costs
- Slows down the payment cycle
- Risk of human error
- Greater risk of fraud and manipulation
- It can lead to complications in times of crisis or emergency
For customers
- Risk of human error
- May easily get lost or misplaced
Besides, the use of paper bills takes a considerable toll on the environment as it requires the cutting down of trees for paper manufacturing.
In comparison, digital bills are easier to create, more economical and much more environmentally friendly. They also carry less risk of being lost or misplaced as they are stored securely in the server/phone/desktop.
What’s more, they are less prone to error, fraud and manipulation as the entire process is computerised.
Having a digital billing system enables you to reach your customers wherever they are as it is sent straight to their email/WhatsApp inbox.
Below we outline some of the major advantages of using digital bills. As we shall see, the benefits associated with digital billing make it much superior to a paper billing system with a positive effect on brand image.
Contents
1. Lower Costs
Although you may not realise it, paper bills involve considerable costs. You need to pay for desktop, printer, printing ink and of course, paper rolls.
The initial investment could range between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000 if the above-mentioned items are taken into account. Compared to this, digital billing only requires you to invest in a desktop and wi-fi.
No wonder digital bills are cheaper to issue compared to paper bills! In fact, the cost per bill reduces by around 35% simply by switching from paper bills to digital bills.
2. Minimisation of Error
One of the biggest problems associated with any manual process is that it is prone to human error. The same is true for manual billing. Despite taking all possible precautions on your part, errors could still creep into the bill number, bill date, price, product description etc.
Such errors in billing could result in several problems, ranging from delayed payments to more serious issues like tax complications. You can easily reduce the error rate by opting for a digital billing system. Since these systems are largely automated, the risk of human error goes down by a huge margin.
A good shop management system like Zadinga provides access to a simple and reliable digital billing system which lowers the scope for errors.
3. Environment-Friendly Option
Environmental concerns have become tremendously important these days. By adopting digital billing, you could ensure that you are doing your bit to protect Mother Nature.
Paper production leads to the cutting down of millions of trees every year. Smoke emission and the discharge of toxic effluents from paper mills also pose as major environmental hazards.
All this leads to serious damage to nature. Shifting to digital billing can help you change to sustainable business practices and reduce the burden on the planet.
As a retailer, you could adopt a system where you provide digital bills to customers as the norm, and paper bills only if they specifically ask for it.
Something like this is already common in ATMs across the country where customers are asked if they want a paper receipt after the transaction. A similar system could be used to minimise your ecological impact.
4. Opportunity to Build Your Brand
Switching to digital bills portrays your business as modern, innovative and environmentally-conscious. The accuracy and convenience of digital billing help in improving the overall customer experience.
All these factors combine to create a positive impression on the customer and help in strengthening the reputation of your business.
You can also add links to your social media pages (Facebook, Instagram etc.) on your digital bills. This will allow you to increase your followership on these platforms.
Customers who follow your business on social media are likely to remain loyal and become your long-term buyers.
Improving Business Efficiency
Digital billing offers many advantages, making it the ideal option for retailers. Whatever the size of your business, you can always improve your billing process by choosing the digital option.
Where to begin?
Zadinga offers digital billing facility with enhanced customer experience as part of its unique shop management system. Eliminate paper and printing costs and contribute towards saving the planet by switching to paperless billing today.
Learn how Zadinga’s retail shop management app offers speed and convenience, while allowing you to cut down costs through its modern billing system.
