If you run a restaurant, diner, bar, or any food service operation, you rely on receipt paper every single day — and running out or ordering the wrong type can grind your POS system to a halt. This guide covers everything you need to know about restaurant receipt paper, from choosing the right type to ordering smart.

What Type of Receipt Paper Do Restaurants Use?

Most modern restaurants use one of two types of paper in their POS systems:

1. Thermal Receipt Paper (Guest Check Printers & POS Terminals)

The most common receipt paper in restaurants is thermal paper — used in front-of-house POS receipt printers (Epson, Star, Bixolon, etc.) to print guest checks and customer receipts. No ink required; the printer uses heat to create the image.

Standard size: 3 1/8" x 230' or 3 1/8" x 273' (for high-volume locations)

BPA-free option: Available — important if your staff handles receipts frequently.

2. Bond Paper (Kitchen Printers)

Kitchen impact printers — used to print order tickets for the line — require bond paper rolls, not thermal. Bond paper is used with an ink ribbon and withstands the heat and humidity of kitchen environments that would destroy a thermal print.

Standard size: 3" x 165' (most kitchen impact printers)

Key tip: Never load thermal paper in a kitchen impact printer. It won't print and can damage the print head.

3. Carbonless Paper (Duplicate Order Tickets)

Some restaurants still use manual or impact-printed carbonless paper (NCR) for kitchen order tickets or delivery receipts that require a copy. 2-ply (white/canary) is most common; 3-ply (white/canary/pink) is used when a third copy is needed.

Restaurant Receipt Paper Sizes: Quick Reference

How Much Receipt Paper Does a Restaurant Go Through?

This depends heavily on volume. A busy full-service restaurant printing guest checks for every table may go through 2-4 rolls per day per terminal. High-volume QSRs with self-service kiosks can go through even more. Plan for case-quantity purchasing (50 rolls/case) to reduce per-unit cost and avoid running out.

BPA-Free Receipt Paper for Restaurants

There's growing concern — supported by peer-reviewed research — that BPA from thermal receipt paper can be absorbed through skin contact. Restaurants where staff handles hundreds of receipts daily should consider switching to BPA-free thermal paper or our phenol-free rolls, which eliminate phenolic compounds entirely.

Order Restaurant Receipt Paper in Bulk

Paper Roll Products supplies restaurants, hospitality groups, and food service distributors nationwide with thermal, bond, and carbonless paper rolls. We offer:

• Same-day shipping on stock orders
• Volume discounts for restaurants and chains
• BPA-free and phenol-free thermal options
• All standard kitchen printer sizes
• Net 30 / Net 60 payment terms for approved accounts

See our restaurant paper solutions →