Electronic receipts: a cautionary tale

(WPRI) - More and more retailers are offering electronic receipts, which are sent directly to either an email address or a phone number.

While it might seem more convenient and environmentally friendly, there are a few downsides to the service.

For example, often these retailers will sell your information to someone else for marketing purposes.

In order to avoid any negative side-effects, talk to the cashier at checkout.

If the company will sell to a third party, expect plenty of spam. On the other hand, if they themselves plan to use your info for marketing reasons, see if you can opt-out.

As a general rule of thumb, if the item is for someone else, ask for a gift receipt.