McDonald’s Takes Over Phone Wallpapers To Replace Paper Receipts At Cashiers

While it’s common to simply toss receipts in the garbage can once back from the store, residents in Taiwan often hold onto the scraps of paper. Rather than for ease of accounting, this is because receipts double up as tickets to the national lottery.

Yup, every shopping receipt grants residents entry to the national sweepstake scheme, which offers prizes ranging from NT$200 (US$6.55) to NT$10,000,000 (US$327,000)—so it’s no wonder many don’t throw the pieces of paper away.

Interestingly, there’s a movement among the Gen Z population in the country that contributes these receipts towards a greater good; where many people leave the scraps in donation boxes in retail outlets across the country.

For example, receipts that are left behind in McDonald’s restaurants that end up winning a prize will go towards the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which is a unique yet simple way of allowing the public to give back.

However, with the increased ease of digital payments, receipts are slowly but surely becoming a thing of the past. How then can this habit of donating lottery receipts continue in Taiwan?

That’s why Leo Burnett Taiwan has come up with the Donation Wallpaper—a concept involving 35 smartphone designs from up-and-coming artists that features a barcode.

Upon presenting the wallpaper to any cashier when paying for an item, the barcode automatically sends the receipt (and its lottery ticket) to the chain’s charities, saving residents the time of having a paper receipt printed and then donated.

As Creative Review noted, this simple—yet effective—way McDonald’s has “hijacked” something as commonplace as a phone wallpaper has seen a rise in donations in recent months.

The brand plans on unveiling more wallpaper designs throughout the year. And who knows, maybe other companies could jump in to make donating as easy as a barcode scan.

[via Creative Review and Campaign Brief Asia, images via Leo Burnett Taiwan]