Digital Receipt XML Schema

ARTS, IXRetail Present First Digital Receipt XML Schema To Retail Industry

Standard Allows Fast, Secure Verification For Retailers, Third Parties and Consumers

New York, NY, USA. January 14, 2002.

The Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS) and IXRetail are very pleased to announce the availability of the IXRetail digital receipt XML schema. The digital receipt is an electronic purchase verification that can be issued by retailers, financial institutions or any other industry that provides consumers proof of purchase. The availability of this electronic verification standard is a major step for traditional retailers toward doing business online in an efficient, cost-effective manner.

"We are extremely pleased that the value of the IXRetail digital receipt has been immediately recognized," said Richard Mader, Executive Director of ARTS. "AfterBOT, a member of the Digital Receipt Development Group, has announced the first implementation. In the point-of-sale and retail management areas, Sales Management Systems (SMS) has made a digital receipt feature available in its QuickSell Commerce software."

The AfterBOT ReceiptPLUS web-service solution has been implemented at Smart & Final Stores, a 233-store warehouse grocery retailer based in Commerce, CA. AfterBOT's Receipt solution, which is the first digital receipt implementation based on the IXRetail digital receipt ARTS standard, provides retailers the ability to create, deliver and archive digital receipts using in-store point-of-sale transaction data.

"Superior customer service is the cornerstone of our success," said Bob Graham, Vice President of Store Systems at Smart & Final. "Once fully implemented, AfterBOT's innovative ReceiptsPLUS solution will give our customers the ability to securely view their receipt details and related purchase information on our web site, a unique service we are proud to be the first to provide."

Digital receipts provide benefits to all parties in a sales transaction. They provide retailers a new method of communicating with customers for marketing and targeted promotions, help reduce third party credit charge backs and fraudulent returns, and enable proximity payments through cellular phones and handheld personal digital assistants. Customers who use digital receipts have a more efficient method for storing and retrieving receipts for future returns and warrantee processing, updating personal finance and small business accounting systems, and for using a cellular phone and PDAs to make proximity payments.

In addition, the digital receipt provides manufacturers and third parties with a standard method to obtain sales information for making production and promotion cycle adjustments, streamlining warrantee and rebate claim processing, and assists in the efficient resolution of credit card purchase disputes between retailers and banks. The benefits of the digital receipt are maximized by the IXRetail schema. This standard creates a single data interface for all systems serving retailers, consumers, manufacturers and third parties.

"The Infrared Data Association (IrDA) is incorporating the IXRetail digital receipt into its soon to be published global "Point and Pay" Proximity Payment Standard for payments made by digital credit card, with check or cash, and using PDAs, cellular phones or other hand held devices," said Ron Brown, Executive Director of IrDA. "This payment standard will be implemented this year in Asia, Europe and the U.S. using infrared technology as the data transport mechanism between the handheld and the POS terminal."

The IXRetail digital receipt standard is the result of a two-year effort by retail and technology industry leaders. The Digital Receipt Alliance -- whose members included Office Depot, Home Depot, VISA, NCR, HP-Verifone, Intuit, Microsoft, Anerican Online, and Valicert -- initiated work on this effort.

"Our group is dedicated to providing the best possible solution for this critical XML schema," said Eric Hawthorne, CTO of Sales Management Systems for QuickSell Commerce and Chair of the Digital Receipt Development Group. "The tremendous participation of industry leaders in this working group affirms the need for practical technology standards that simplify application integration and reduce costs. The next step for the digital receipt schema is public review and comment, a process that is beginning right now."

ARTS and the Digital Receipt Development Group invite those interested in providing comment on the digital receipt schema to download the specification from the ARTS web site at www.nrf-arts.org, under the "What's New" menu option.

About ARTS

The Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS), a division of the National Retail Federation, is a retailer-driven membership organization dedicated to creating an international, barrier-free technology environment for retailers. ARTS was established in 1993 to ensure that technology works to enhance a retailer's ability to develop store level business solutions and avoid situations that limit a retailers' ability to implement change while providing industry standards designed to provide greater value at lower costs. For more information about ARTS and how to become a member, visit www.nrf-arts.org.

About NRF

The National Retail Federation (NRF) is the world's largest retail trade association with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet and independent stores. NRF members represent an industry that encompasses more than 1.4 million U.S. retail establishments, employs more than 20 million people -- about 1 in 5 American workers -- and registered 2000 sales of $3.4 trillion. NRF's international members operate stores in more than 50 nations. In its role as the retail industry's umbrella group, NRF also represents 32 national and 50 state associations in the U.S. as well as 36 international associations representing retailers abroad.

For more information about NRF, visit www.nrf.com.

Contact

Scott Krugman/Sarah Scheuer
Tel: +1 (202) 783-7971
Email: krugmans@nrf.com or scheuers@nrf.com

Richard Mader
Executive Director
National Retail Federation
WWW: arts@nrf.com

Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. See the 2002-01 news item and "ARTS IXRetail."

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The availability of this electronic verification standard is a major step for traditional retailers toward doing business online in an efficient, cost-effective manner. "We are extremely pleased that the value of the IXRetail digital receipt has been immediately recognized," said Richard Mader, Executive Director of ARTS. "AfterBOT, a member of the Digital Receipt Development Group, has announced the first implementation. In the point-of-sale and retail management areas, Sales Management Systems (SMS) has made a digital receipt feature available in its QuickSell Commerce software." The AfterBOT ReceiptPLUS web-service solution has been implemented at Smart & Final Stores, a 233-store warehouse grocery retailer based in Commerce, CA. AfterBOT's Receipt solution, which is the first digital receipt implementation based on the IXRetail digital receipt ARTS standard, provides retailers the ability to create, deliver and archive digital receipts using in-store point-of-sale transaction data. "Superior customer service is the cornerstone of our success," said Bob Graham, Vice President of Store Systems at Smart & Final. "Once fully implemented, AfterBOT's innovative ReceiptsPLUS solution will give our customers the ability to securely view their receipt details and related purchase information on our web site, a unique service we are proud to be the first to provide." Digital receipts provide benefits to all parties in a sales transaction. They provide retailers a new method of communicating with customers for marketing and targeted promotions, help reduce third party credit charge backs and fraudulent returns, and enable proximity payments through cellular phones and handheld personal digital assistants. Customers who use digital receipts have a more efficient method for storing and retrieving receipts for future returns and warrantee processing, updating personal finance and small business accounting systems, and for using a cellular phone and PDAs to make proximity payments. In addition, the digital receipt provides manufacturers and third parties with a standard method to obtain sales information for making production and promotion cycle adjustments, streamlining warrantee and rebate claim processing, and assists in the efficient resolution of credit card purchase disputes between retailers and banks. The benefits of the digital receipt are maximized by the IXRetail schema. This standard creates a single data interface for all systems serving retailers, consumers, manufacturers and third parties. "The Infrared Data Association (IrDA) is incorporating the IXRetail digital receipt into its soon to be published global "Point and Pay" Proximity Payment Standard for payments made by digital credit card, with check or cash, and using PDAs, cellular phones or other hand held devices," said Ron Brown, Executive Director of IrDA. "This payment standard will be implemented this year in Asia, Europe and the U.S. using infrared technology as the data transport mechanism between the handheld and the POS terminal." The IXRetail digital receipt standard is the result of a two-year effort by retail and technology industry leaders. The Digital Receipt Alliance -- whose members included Office Depot, Home Depot, VISA, NCR, HP-Verifone, Intuit, Microsoft, Anerican Online, and Valicert -- initiated work on this effort. "Our group is dedicated to providing the best possible solution for this critical XML schema," said Eric Hawthorne, CTO of Sales Management Systems for QuickSell Commerce and Chair of the Digital Receipt Development Group. "The tremendous participation of industry leaders in this working group affirms the need for practical technology standards that simplify application integration and reduce costs. The next step for the digital receipt schema is public review and comment, a process that is beginning right now." ARTS and the Digital Receipt Development Group invite those interested in providing comment on the digital receipt schema to download the specification from the ARTS web site at www.nrf-arts.org, under the "What's New" menu option. About ARTS The Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS), a division of the National Retail Federation, is a retailer-driven membership organization dedicated to creating an international, barrier-free technology environment for retailers. ARTS was established in 1993 to ensure that technology works to enhance a retailer's ability to develop store level business solutions and avoid situations that limit a retailers' ability to implement change while providing industry standards designed to provide greater value at lower costs. For more information about ARTS and how to become a member, visit www.nrf-arts.org. About NRF The National Retail Federation (NRF) is the world's largest retail trade association with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet and independent stores. NRF members represent an industry that encompasses more than 1.4 million U.S. retail establishments, employs more than 20 million people -- about 1 in 5 American workers -- and registered 2000 sales of $3.4 trillion. NRF's international members operate stores in more than 50 nations. In its role as the retail industry's umbrella group, NRF also represents 32 national and 50 state associations in the U.S. as well as 36 international associations representing retailers abroad. For more information about NRF, visit www.nrf.com. Contact Scott Krugman/Sarah Scheuer Tel: +1 (202) 783-7971 Email: krugmans@nrf.com or scheuers@nrf.com Richard Mader Executive Director National Retail Federation WWW: arts@nrf.com Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. See the 2002-01 news item and "ARTS IXRetail."