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Guide · Digital receipts

Digital receipts in Germany (eBon): how to get them and collect them in one place

Updated · 5 min read

In Germany you usually get a digital receipt (eBon) through the shop's own app or loyalty card, and it ends up in your account with that retailer, in its app or in your email. If you shop at several chains, your receipts are scattered across all of them – you can gather them in one place by forwarding the email, importing the QR code or uploading the PDF.

What is an eBon and how does it differ from a paper receipt?

An eBon is the German Kassenbon (till receipt) in digital form instead of printed thermal paper. At the checkout you are asked whether you want the receipt on paper, digitally or not at all. Technically there are usually two routes: the shop links the receipt to your customer account (for example through the card in its app), or the till shows a QR code that you scan with your phone.

Under section 146a of the German Fiscal Code (Abgabenordnung) a shop must offer you a receipt, and the law allows electronic issue. Whether a shop offers eBons, and how, is up to the shop. This is not legal or tax advice.

Which German shops offer digital receipts?

Several large chains offer digital receipts, usually tied to a loyalty programme or their own app – for example REWE, Lidl (Lidl Plus), Edeka stores, dm or Kaufland. Exactly how it works, which branches take part and whether you need an account or a card differs from retailer to retailer and changes over time. Check the shop's app or help page before you rely on it.

Two patterns are common:

Where does the eBon end up – and what is inconvenient about it?

By default the eBon stays with the retailer: in the account, in the shop's app or in your inbox. That is fine if you only shop at one chain. In practice you buy groceries at REWE, toiletries at dm, a few things at a discounter and some online – and every one of them has its own archive.

How do you collect eBons from different shops in one place?

  1. Forward the email. If the eBon arrives by email, forward it from your sign-up address to bons@bonstructer.com. PDF and photo attachments are read automatically and land in your notebook, without opening the app.
  2. Import the QR eBon. If the till shows a QR code for the digital receipt, you can read it into Bonstructer (the content differs by retailer).
  3. Upload the PDF. If you downloaded the eBon as a PDF from the retailer account, upload the file. Photos and pasted text work too.
  4. Add paper receipts. Photograph the receipt from the bakery or the market stall as usual, so digital and paper receipts sit in the same archive.

Bonstructer reads the shop, the date and every item line. If a line is read wrongly, you correct it right in the receipt. The original (photo or PDF) stays attached to the receipt. We cannot promise that every retailer format is read cleanly – if something looks off, a PDF or a photo usually helps. For image quality, see real receipts read without a single correction on the home page.

What do you gain from having everything in one place?

With all receipts together you can search by shop, date or item – for example when an appliance breaks after a year and you need to show when you bought it. You also get statistics by category, shop and month, and you can ask questions about your purchases in chat. Answers are written by an AI based on your receipts and can be wrong; you check totals in the notebook. There is no bank connection – only the receipts you add yourself are used.

For tips on photo quality, see our receipt scanning tips.

Sources

FAQ

How do I get a digital receipt at REWE, Lidl or Edeka?

Usually through the retailer's app or loyalty card: choose the digital receipt at the till, then find it in your account or the app. Which branches and routes are available differs by retailer, so check the app or the help page.

Does an eBon count as proof of purchase?

For exchanges and complaints a digital receipt is a receipt like a paper one, but the shop decides whether to accept it. Keep your own copy as a PDF or photo. This is not legal advice.

How do I forward an eBon to Bonstructer?

Forward the email containing the receipt from your sign-up address to bons@bonstructer.com. PDF and photo attachments are read automatically and land in your notebook.

Does the QR eBon import work with every retailer?

QR eBons and PDF receipts can be read in. Because retailers use different formats, not every variant will arrive flawlessly. A PDF or photo then helps, and you correct wrongly read lines in the receipt.

Which address do I forward receipt emails from?

Forward them from the address you are signed in to Bonstructer with.

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