When someone receives a Christmas gift they don't like or want, the obvious solution is to exchange it.

However, this almost always means that the recipient needs the vendor's receipt.

Some donors include the receipt with the gift, particularly if it might be the wrong size/colour/flavour. But that has the unfortunate consequence that the recipient now knows exactly how much you think they're worth.

So BorgCo have decided to offer a Gift QR code sticker service. When informed that the item is to be a gift, the vendor prints and affixes a self-adhesive label to the packaging which encodes the relevant purchase information to permit an exchange or refund.

Then, the purchaser has the "master" human-readable receipt (which can optionally include the QR code) and the recipient gets the information too, but it will not be immediately legible. If they want to exchange the gift, then a quick click on their smartphone will tell them where to return it, and even provide other options that the retailer may offer.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 09 2018

This is a reasonable use of technology. How did this idea get past the HB censors?
-- Sgt Teacup, Dec 09 2018


We have a cloaking device.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 09 2018


I don't see why a gift receipt, whether human-readable or not, needs to indicate the price at all. AFAICT it only needs the transaction ID, and the store can then look up the transaction and see how much refund or exchange value to provide. The purchaser's receipt can still include the price, of course.
-- notexactly, Dec 09 2018


If the recipient is happy to exchange their blue pullover for an otherwise identical green one at the same price, then the price is indeed irrelevant.

But it it isn't a like-for-like swap, then the "available value " is needed.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 09 2018


And when they get to the store they can learn it. Right?
-- notexactly, Dec 09 2018


Inevitably.

But it may be useful to the recipient to browse the store's website before they take or send the item back, knowing what value is available to them.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 09 2018


Then the store can have a gift receipt value lookup tool on their website.
-- notexactly, Dec 12 2018


What the [Sgt] said. [+].
-- pertinax, Dec 12 2018



random, halfbakery