Digital receipts are environmentally friendly and convenient for customers. They reduce paper consumption, avoid toxic chemicals often found in receipts and help buyers keep track of their documents. According to Retail Week, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey is encouraging retailers to focus on an often over-looked benefit of electronic receipts: customer engagement.

At the National Retail Federation (NRF) Convention on Jan. 15, Dorsey explained how businesses can use digital receipts as a component of their retail marketing strategies, the source reported. He suggested merchants use interactive digital receipts that can be sent as an email or text message, a venue for opening the door of communication between the store and the customer.

"Sometimes the receipt isn't taken –  the reason it's not taken is it's not useful," Dorsey said in his keynote address, according to Retail Week. "We see the receipt more as a communication and publishing medium – a product in itself that people want to take home and engage with."

POS software makes this form of customer engagement easier for businesses. For example, Retail Pro, in partnership with flexReceipts, offers eReceipts through its retail management software. By sending eReceipts, retailers can include personalized promotions to engage consumers and encourage additional purchases.