How long to keep receipts in Switzerland: warranty, returns and fading thermal paper

The short answer: private individuals in Switzerland have no general duty to keep receipts, but without proof of purchase it is harder to claim under a warranty, exchange an item or get a till error corrected. How long to keep a receipt depends on the claim it proves. For durable goods, the two-year statutory warranty from delivery applies (art. 210 of the Code of Obligations, CO); for insured valuables and costs you deduct in your tax return, you need the receipts for longer. The statutory warranty is the seller’s liability for defects in the goods sold (art. 197 ff. CO); a manufacturer’s guarantee is a separate, voluntary promise on top.

Updated October 2026. Sources: Swiss Code of Obligations (CO, as of 1 October 2026) and Federal Act on Direct Federal Taxation (DFTA, as of 2 September 2026); Stiftung für Konsumentenschutz, SRF Kassensturz Espresso 2016 and 2024, Beobachter and K-Tipp; the tax offices of the cantons of Zurich, Bern, Vaud and Fribourg (viewed on 8 October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

How long do receipts need to be kept?

One rule for everything? The Swiss consumer magazine Beobachter (30 April 2026) suggests ten years for durable items of some value, because many claims are time-barred by then, and advises never throwing away receipts for expensive purchases. For groceries, what matters is checking the receipt before you leave the shop, as the guide to receipt errors and your rights at the till explains.

Lost receipt: do you still have a warranty?

Losing the receipt does not mean losing the warranty. You do have to prove when and where you bought the item (SRF Kassensturz Espresso, the consumer programme of the Swiss public broadcaster, 1 February 2024), because whoever relies on a right must prove the facts behind it (art. 8 of the Swiss Civil Code, CC). Usually a card or bank debit showing the date and the shop, a digital receipt or the history in your customer account (see digital receipts in Switzerland), a stamped warranty card or an order confirmation will do. With no proof at all, it is up to the shop’s goodwill.

Two rules always apply: whoever pays may ask for a receipt (art. 88 CO), and you must report a defect as soon as you find it, or the goods count as accepted (art. 201 CO). Exchanging an item without a defect, on the other hand, is not a right (Stiftung für Konsumentenschutz, the Swiss consumer protection foundation, 24 February 2026), so ask the shop to write its exchange terms on the receipt. For food, see returning groceries at Swiss supermarkets.

Is a photo or PDF of a receipt valid?

As a rule, yes. According to SRF Kassensturz Espresso (15 December 2016) and Beobachter (30 April 2026), a seller must in principle accept a photo or a scan that shows beyond doubt which item was bought and when. These are consumer-advice columns, not court rulings. Photograph the whole receipt with shop, date, item and total legible, and keep the original of expensive purchases too. The guide on how to scan receipts shows how to capture a long one.

Faded receipt: why does it happen and what can you do?

Receipts are usually printed on thermal paper: the text is made by heat, not ink, and according to Beobachter (30 April 2026) the paper also reacts to light and to plasticisers in plastic.

1. Photograph it on the day, while it is legible.
2. Keep the original in a paper envelope, in the dark, away from heat and plastic.
3. If it has already faded, show a bank statement with the date, and ask the shop in any case, as SRF (2024) recommends.

What thermal paper contains is explained in the guide Are receipts toxic? Thermal paper and BPA.

How to keep receipts organised: paper, photo, app

1. At the till: ask for the receipt for anything you might exchange, return or insure, and for groceries if you keep a budget.
2. The same day: check prices and promotions, then photograph or record the receipt.
3. One envelope per year for the originals you keep: warranties, valuables, tax deductions.
4. One digital folder for photos and digital receipts, with date and shop in the file name.
5. Once a year, with your tax return: file the tax receipts and throw out receipts whose warranty has expired, unless they are for valuables or deductions.

To use grocery receipts in your budget, see the guide to tracking grocery spending in Switzerland, which compares the methods.

Which receipts do you need for your tax return, and for how long?

Ten years is how long after the tax period the tax office can still open supplementary tax proceedings (art. 152 DFTA); 15 years also covers the longest statutory limit. Your cantonal tax office has the final word.

How to keep your grocery receipts in Rappn, starting today

Start with this week’s grocery receipts: in Rappn you photograph a receipt, upload it from your gallery or enter a purchase by hand. The app sorts your purchases into categories, shows your spending by month next to your own monthly average, and lets you export your receipts as PDF or CSV. Rappn is a free Swiss app (iOS and Android) that compares the current promotions of seven Swiss retailers and turns receipts into a spending overview. It is built for groceries: the receipt for the washing machine stays in your warranty envelope.

If you would rather not depend on paper alone, the free Rappn app imports the receipts of three big Swiss supermarkets’ loyalty programmes, up to 12 months back, and you add the others by photo; it then shows your spending by category and by month. You need a Rappn account and must be an adult; the programmes’ terms still apply and the operator can restrict the link (how linking works).