Best-Selling Receipt Rolls: Thermal Paper Rolls Explained (80 mm and 57 mm)

Behind every smoothly running POS printer is one crucial consumable — thermal paper. The wrong paper can cause faded print, paper jams and even premature wear of the print head. That is why most businesses stick to the two most common and dependable sizes: 80 mm and 57 mm thermal paper.

80 mm thermal paper — the POS standard

80 mm thermal paper is today the most widely used size in restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies and larger retail chains.

Advantages:

• More room for logos, VAT details and promotional text
• Clearer, more professional receipts
• Suited to high-turnover checkouts

Typical specifications:

• Width: 80 mm
• Length: 60 m – 80 m
• Core: 12.7 mm
• Compatibility: Epson, Citizen, Star, Birch, Bixolon POS printers

💡 80 mm thermal paper is Scanshop.ee's best-selling POS paper category.

57 mm thermal paper — compact and cost-effective

57 mm thermal paper is ideal for smaller POS printers, mobile tills and workplaces with limited space.

Advantages:

• Takes up less space
• More affordable
• Ideal for mobile and compact devices

Where it is used:

• Small cafés
• Mobile POS systems
• Taxis and field sales teams

Specifications:

• Width: 57 mm
• Length: 40 m – 50 m
• Core: 12.7 mm
• Compatibility: compact Epson and Citizen printers and mobile POS printers

Which businesses use thermal paper the most?

Thermal paper is an everyday essential across many sectors that use POS systems and receipt printers. 80 mm and 57 mm thermal paper turn up most often in retail, hospitality and service businesses.

In retail — grocery stores, pharmacies and clothing shops — 80 mm thermal paper dominates, because a wider receipt can display more information: product names, VAT details and promotional messages. The same size is common in hotels and accommodation, where bills are longer and more detailed.

In restaurants and cafés, 80 mm is likewise the standard, especially at high-turnover tills. Smaller cafés, takeaway spots and food trucks often prefer 57 mm thermal paper, as their POS devices are more compact and space is limited.

In the transport and service sector — taxis, courier services and mobile sales points — 57 mm thermal paper is the most popular, pairing perfectly with mobile POS printers. Beauty salons, car services and repair businesses use both sizes, depending on the POS system and workload.

Thermal paper is also widely used in pharmacies and healthcare facilities, where 80 mm rolls are preferred to ensure clear, legible information about medicines, services and payments.

In short, thermal paper is used in almost every business that takes payments. The choice between 80 mm and 57 mm comes down primarily to your POS printer, your transaction volume and the space you have available.