Convenience Store ATM Transaction Receipts and Personal Information | Explaining What’s Included, Misuse Risks, and Safe Disposal Methods

Convenience store ATMs are a convenient financial infrastructure essential to our daily lives. However, have you ever given much thought to how you handle the “transaction receipts” you casually receive when using them?

This single piece of paper contains important information that can be linked to your personal data, and improper management or disposal can lead to unexpected risks.

This article provides a comprehensive guide, covering everything from the details of the information printed on convenience store ATM receipts to potential misuse risks and safe storage and disposal methods that anyone can practice. Arm yourself with the right knowledge to protect your information.

What Personal Information is on a Convenience Store ATM Transaction Receipt?

First, it is important to accurately understand what kind of information is printed on the transaction receipt.

List of Main Information on a Receipt (Transaction Date/Time, Amount, ATM Location, Post-Transaction Balance, etc.)

Although there are slight differences depending on the financial institution and the type of transaction, the following information is generally included:

• Transaction Date and Time: Year, month, day, hour, minute
• Financial Institution and Branch Name: The name and branch of the financial institution that issued the cash card used
• Transaction Type: Deposit, withdrawal, transfer, balance inquiry, etc.
• Transaction Amount: The amount withdrawn or deposited
• Fee: The fee charged for using the ATM
• Post-Transaction Balance: The account balance after the transaction was completed
• ATM Information Used: The location of the ATM (e.g., “Seven Bank Shinjuku XX Store”) and the ATM number

How Much of the Account or Card Number is Displayed? (Partial Hiding/Masking is Standard)

To prevent misuse, crucial identifying information such as account numbers and cash card numbers is subjected to “masking,” where parts of the numbers are obscured with characters like asterisks (*). For example, it might appear as “Account No. ****123.” It is standard practice that the full number is never displayed.

Information Not Printed on the Receipt (e.g., Full Name of Account Holder)

On the other hand, some information is not printed on the receipt. Most importantly, personal information such as the account holder’s full name, address, or phone number is not included. This reduces the risk of an individual being immediately identified from the receipt alone.

Why is Issuing a Transaction Receipt Important? (As Proof and for Confirmation of the Transaction)

A transaction receipt is an official “voucher” that proves a transaction was completed correctly. In the unlikely event of a problem, such as an ATM system error or a double withdrawal, it serves as crucial evidence to prove the facts of the transaction. It is also useful for accurately tracking expenses for household budgeting.

The Potential for Personal Information Leaks and Misuse from Transaction Receipts

Since information like your full name is not on the receipt, the likelihood of suffering significant damage from a single receipt is low, but the risk is not zero.

A Single Receipt is Unlikely to Lead to Direct Financial Damage

As mentioned earlier, since account numbers are masked, the possibility of a third party who finds the receipt using that information alone to fraudulently withdraw funds is extremely low.

The Danger When Combined with Other Information (It Becomes Material for Speculation)

The risk increases when a transaction receipt is linked with other personal information.

Guessing Transaction Patterns and Approximate Financial Status

From the regular transaction dates and amounts, as well as the post-transaction balance, someone could potentially infer the timing of your payday, your lifestyle cycle, and your approximate financial situation. This information could be used by criminals, such as burglars, when selecting targets.

The Risk When Linked with Other Personal Information like Your Name

If the receipt is thrown away with other documents that contain your name and address, such as utility bills, it becomes easy to identify you. This creates a risk of your information being misused for creating lists for scams like “special fraud.”

Information Leaks from “Dumpster Diving” (Trashing) Due to Careless Disposal

Simply throwing a receipt into the trash is risky. “Dumpster diving,” where malicious third parties search through garbage collection sites for personal information, is an old-fashioned but still existing method of information gathering.

Misuse Scenarios if Lost or Stolen

If your entire wallet is stolen, your cash card and transaction receipts could end up in the hands of a third party. While direct misuse may be difficult, it could lead to indirect risks, such as them gaining an understanding of your financial situation as mentioned above.

Safe Storage and Disposal Methods for Convenience Store ATM Transaction Receipts

To avoid these risks, proper management and disposal of transaction receipts are essential.

The General Rule: Keep It Until You Have Verified the Transaction with Your Own Records (Passbook or Online Banking)

Instead of throwing the receipt away on the spot, you should take it home. The basic practice is to keep it until you can later verify it against your passbook entries or online banking transaction history to confirm that the transaction was correct. If you keep a household budget, keep it until you have recorded the transaction.

Safe Disposal Method 1: Use a Shredder

The safest and most reliable method is to physically shred the receipt with a shredder. A cross-cut shredder, which makes it difficult to reassemble the pieces, is especially recommended for the parts where numbers are printed.

Safe Disposal Method 2: Tear It into Small Pieces by Hand (Especially the Account Number and Balance Sections)

If you don’t have a shredder, tear it into the smallest pieces possible by hand. It is particularly important to thoroughly tear up the sections with the account number, transaction amount, and balance until the characters are illegible. Disposing of the torn pieces in multiple trash bags further increases security.

Safe Disposal Method 3: Black It Out with a Privacy Protection Stamp or a Black Marker

Using a privacy protection stamp that prints a special pattern over the numbers and letters to obscure them, or blacking them out with a permanent black marker, are also effective methods. You can enhance security by tearing up the receipt after blacking out the information.

Disposal Methods to Avoid (Throwing in the Trash As-Is, Crumpling, etc.)

You should absolutely avoid throwing the transaction receipt in the trash as-is or simply crumpling it up, as this carries a very high risk of information leakage.

What to Do If You Didn’t Receive or Lost a Transaction Receipt

There’s no need to panic if you selected “No Receipt” or if you’ve lost the receipt you received.

How to Check if a Transaction Was Processed Correctly

Check Your Transaction History via Online Banking or an App

The easiest and quickest way to check is to log in to your financial institution’s online banking service or official smartphone app and view your transaction history. You can check deposit and withdrawal records in real time.

Confirmation by Updating Your Passbook Later

If you don’t use online banking, you can accurately confirm the transaction details later by updating your passbook at one of your financial institution’s ATMs.

Who to Contact If You Have Questions About a Transaction (Your Financial Institution)

If you check your transaction history and find a transaction you don’t recognize, you should promptly contact the customer service center or a branch of the financial institution that issued your cash card, not the convenience store or security company that manages the ATM.

Where to Get Advice If You’re Worried About a Lost Receipt Being Misused

If you’ve lost a receipt and are worried about potential misuse, first consult with your financial institution. They can provide appropriate advice based on your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A) about ATM Receipts and Personal Information

Q1. Is it safe to select “No Receipt” on the ATM screen?

A1. Yes, there are no security issues with this choice. For those who have a habit of checking their transactions immediately via online banking, it is an eco-friendly option that reduces paper waste. However, if you prefer to have a paper record to check later or want to keep it as proof in case of a problem, we recommend having one issued.

Q2. Are there any convenience store ATMs that support electronic receipts (paperless)?

A2. As of 2025, services that directly send convenience store ATM transaction details as electronic receipts to a personal smartphone app are not common. Checking transaction history is typically done using the online banking or app provided by each financial institution.

Q3. Are there any precautions when disposing of a receipt for a family member or another person?

A3. Since this is information related to another person’s privacy, it requires even more careful handling than your own receipt. Without unnecessarily viewing the contents, dispose of it using a secure method described in this article, such as shredding.

Q4. Should I hide personal information when submitting a receipt for an expense report?

A4. The top priority is to follow your company’s internal rules. Generally, the information needed for expense reimbursement is the “transaction date/time,” “amount,” and “transaction type.” It may be considered more thoughtful to submit the receipt after taking measures to hide personal information not relevant to the business, such as the post-transaction balance, by blacking it out with a marker.

Q5. What kind of information is recorded by convenience store ATM security cameras?

A5. Security cameras primarily record the ATM user’s face, their actions at the machine, and the surrounding area. This is for crime prevention and for use in investigations should an incident occur. While account information printed on the receipt is not directly recorded on video, the footage serves as important evidence of who operated the ATM and when.

Q6. How should I handle a receipt from a bank transfer that includes the recipient’s account information?

A6. A receipt for a bank transfer contains not only your own information but also the recipient’s financial institution name, branch name, part of their account number, and their name (in Katakana). Since this includes the other party’s personal information, it requires even stricter management and disposal than your own receipts. When disposing of it, make sure to render it completely illegible, such as by using a shredder.

Last updated: August 28, 2025