Can a Shop Force You to Give Your Mobile Number for a Bill?

You are buying clothes, groceries or a pair of shoes when the cashier asks for your mobile number. You decline, but the reply is familiar: “The system cannot generate a bill without it.”

For an ordinary retail purchase, sharing your mobile number should not be a compulsory condition for completing the sale. The Central Government reiterated this position in Parliament on 11 February 2026. A retailer may request your number, but the government’s advice requires express consent. LSUSQ No. 1928

The explanation becomes more specific when you choose an electronic receipt, join a loyalty programme or arrange home delivery.

What Has the Government Actually Said?

In its answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1928, the Ministry of Communications confirmed that the Department of Consumer Affairs had issued an advisory through industry associations on 26 May 2023.

The advisory said retailers should obtain consumers’ express consent before collecting their mobile numbers during a sale. Providing a number should not become a mandatory precondition for buying goods or services.

This is an administrative advisory explaining the government’s position. It should not be described as a separate Act of Parliament or a Supreme Court judgment. LSUSQ No. 1928

How Does Consumer Law Protect the Buyer?

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 addresses unfair conditions and practices in consumer transactions.

Section 2(46)(vi) includes, within the definition of an unfair contract, an unreasonable charge, obligation or condition that disadvantages the consumer.

Separately, Section 2(47)(vii) identifies failure to issue a bill, cash memo or receipt in the prescribed manner as an unfair trade practice.

These provisions explain why a shop’s internal billing policy does not settle whether its demand is lawful. The actual condition imposed, the transaction and the applicable requirements matter. consumeraffairs.gov.in

A useful distinction is between asking for information and refusing to proceed unless the customer supplies it. A polite request can still become compulsory in practice if saying “no” stops the purchase.

Does GST Require Your Mobile Number on the Bill?

The ordinary tax-invoice particulars under Rule 46 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017 do not list the buyer’s mobile number as a standard mandatory field.

Other customer details can be required. For example, the rules address the recipient’s name, address and GST registration details in specified circumstances. An unregistered customer’s details may also be required depending on the transaction’s value and nature. cbic-gst.gov.in

Therefore, declining to provide your phone number does not mean you can refuse every legally required billing detail.

If the cashier says “GST requires it”, ask which requirement applies to your purchase.

What If the Billing Software Demands a Number?

A compulsory field in a computer programme does not, by itself, establish a legal obligation for the customer.

As a practical response, ask the cashier or manager whether the store has a guest-checkout option or another billing process. The government’s position on voluntary collection would serve little purpose if a retailer could bypass it simply by configuring its software differently.

Hypothetical example: Meera buys a shirt and asks for a receipt. She does not want membership benefits or promotional messages. The cashier says every buyer must first create a customer profile. Meera can ask the manager to explain why that profile is necessary and request a way to complete the purchase without joining it.

Avoid giving someone else’s number merely to move the queue along. It can send your purchase information and future messages to an unrelated person.

Also Read: Section 71 BSA: Proof of Document Not Required by Law to Be Attested

What About Electronic Receipts, Loyalty Points and Delivery?

These situations involve different purposes, so ask exactly what you are agreeing to.

Situation	What to clarify
Receipt by SMS or WhatsApp	Whether you want that delivery method and what alternative receipt is available
Loyalty programme	Whether membership is optional and what information its terms require
Home delivery or installation	Why a contact number is needed and how it will be used
Promotional offers	Whether you are separately agreeing to marketing messages

Choosing an SMS receipt naturally requires a number to which it can be sent. Similarly, arranging delivery may involve a genuine need for contact details.

However, the need to contact you about a delivery does not explain every additional use of that information. Ask whether the same number will also be added to a promotional database.

This article concerns ordinary retail billing. Transactions governed by separate identification or verification requirements need to be examined under those particular rules.

Also Check: Can Your Vehicle Be Used in an Election Without Your Consent in India?

Does Sharing Your Number Mean Agreeing to Marketing?

Receiving a receipt and receiving promotional messages are different purposes.

TRAI describes consent for commercial communications as voluntary permission relating to a specific purpose, product or service. Its consumer guidance also explains that subscribers can manage and revoke consent through their telecom service provider’s arrangements. Government of India

Before sharing an OTP at a billing counter, read the message. Check whether it verifies receipt delivery, enrols you in a programme or authorises promotional communication.

Consumer law also addresses disclosure. Section 2(47)(ix) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 covers disclosure to another person of personal information given in confidence, unless the disclosure complies with applicable law. This provision concerns disclosure; it should not be presented as a blanket prohibition on every request for a phone number. consumeraffairs.gov.in

What Can You Do If the Store Insists?

Start with a clear request:

“I do not wish to share my mobile number. Please issue the bill through an alternative process.”

If the cashier cannot help, speak to the manager. Ask whether the demand comes from a legal requirement, a membership condition or the store’s software.

If the issue remains unresolved, preserve useful evidence:

• The store’s name, branch, date and approximate time.
• The product and purchase amount.
• Any payment confirmation or receipt already available.
• Written messages explaining the refusal.
• Screenshots of compulsory fields or relevant terms.

Write to the retailer’s customer-support team. Describe what happened and request a specific response, such as issuing the receipt, explaining the compulsory field or correcting an unwanted enrolment. A written complaint also creates a clearer record than an argument at the counter.

Where Can You Complain?

You can register a grievance with the National Consumer Helpline by calling 1915 or using consumerhelpline.gov.in. NCH provides a route for resolving grievances before litigation; registering a grievance is different from obtaining a consumer commission’s order. consumeraffairs.gov.in

Where formal adjudication is necessary and the complaint is maintainable, consumers can approach the appropriate consumer commission. The government’s e-Jagriti portal supports the consumer-dispute process. Any relief or compensation depends on the complaint, evidence and applicable law. consumeraffairs.gov.in

In your complaint, explain precisely whether the retailer refused the sale, withheld a receipt after payment, or enrolled you in a scheme you had declined. That detail helps identify the conduct you want corrected.