Governments across the world have been guilty of conveying mixed messages about the coronavirus. From being accused of muddying the waters to not reacting quick enough to stop the spread of COVID-19, in many countries people are still, it seems, conflicted over the official guidelines.
Do you wear masks or not? What’s the rate of infection? Should I sanitise my shopping? There are questions that even today, four months after the start of lockdown, people argue over which advice to follow.
Amongst all the conflicting opinions, you hear a lot about receipts and whether it’s safe to keep them on your person. So, we thought that we’d clear up some of the miscommunication for you and demonstrate why you should invest in receipt recognition technology.
Does COVID-19 Survive on Paper Receipts?
How many times have you handled a receipt throughout the pandemic? Once a day? Once a week? Almost never? Well, you may be shocked to know that the coronavirus virus can be found on receipts.
According to leading medical authorities, the virus seems to last on cardboard for 24 hours, which is the closest material to paper that has been tested. Now, 24 hours might not seem too long, but consider this: as soon as you’re handed a receipt as proof of purchase what do you do? Put it in your pocket.
Why us this bad? The moment you touch the receipt your putting yourself at risk of getting COVID-19. Remember too that the cashier might not know they have it! Then you put the receipt in your pocket where the virus continues to live. How many times do you put your hands in your pockets?
If you don’t wash your hands, it’s possible that you’ll contract the virus. Scientists believe that an infectious dose of the virus is about 100,000 particles, which means that the larger the receipt, the more likely you are to contract the virus. Do you really want to take the risk?
Don’t you think that OCR for receipt recognition will keep you safer?
Back to Work and Receipt Recognition API
Many of us are slowly getting back to normal. Offices are reopening. Social distancing is being reduced; even international travel is getting off the ground. Yet, we are far from out of the woods just yet and still right smack in the middle of uncharted waters.
The WHO has released specific guidelines for those returning to work. Putting hand sanitizers around the office is one guideline as is access to masks. But what about surfaces, specifically what about paper receipts?
Well, as we’ve just outlined, keeping paper receipts is bad. COVID-19 symptoms do not manifest until as long as 14 days after contact. That means that you could be working in an office, surrounded by co-workers for as long as two weeks – and what if you’re touching receipts repeatedly?
So, it stands to reason that minimising the chances of exposure is paramount. And how can you contract COVID-19 – by touching paper. It seems that now is a better time than ever to deploy receipt recognition technology. It could stop the spread of the virus in your office.
Long Term Health and OCR for Receipt Recognition
Although society is slowly returning to the way it was before the outbreak, we’re far from free of COVID-19. You only need to turn on the news to see the threat of a second outbreak. Depending on where you live in the world, you may feel safer than your fellow man, but it’s clear, at least now, that a second wave of infections is a concern.
To prevent another Coivid-19 outbreak, WHO guidelines and measures shouldn’t be followed in the short-term but for as long as is necessary. If not for public health but to maintain a strong economic ecosystem the world over.
This means that we may have to think long and hard about the way things are done. Face to face business meetings may become a thing of the past, as will large open plan offices. But what of commercial processes as a whole? Well, luckily, we have a digital infrastructure that supports minimal physical contact if need be.
One of the ways that we can use receipt recognition technology to minimise contact is through using any API for marketing purposes. Just think, you can convey important sales and marketing messages, letting customers know of any special offers or discounts that they are entitled to. Now, this may seem to be a bit of a stretch, but if minimal contact between people promotes long-term health, businesses will need to optimise any digital marketing strategies to win and keep customers!
So, there it is. Three strong reasons why receipt recognition API, apps and platforms are essential in the modern world we live in. Interested in learning of the other reasons why your business should invest in the technology? Get in touch with Tabscanner today.