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Retail
Offline Retail
POS
DPDPA Compliance for Retail Sector
Offline retail stores collecting phone numbers at billing counters need to be careful. The digital law applies to digitized offline data too.
Consently Team
24 January 2026
4 min read
The Billing Counter Dilemma
We've all seen it: "Sir, what is your phone number?" at the cash counter. Retailers often make this mandatory for billing.
Is it Legal?
Under DPDPA, you cannot deny a service (selling a product) just because a user refuses to give consent for non-necessary data. A phone number is NOT necessary to sell a shirt for cash.
Digital Receipts
If you collect numbers for digital receipts, you must effectively limit usage to just sending the receipt, unless the user explicitly opts in for loyalty marketing.