Thought that I would add my own experience in this area...
I had been using the receipts features for several years now. I had been using a conventional inkjet printer (an inexpensive HP that I got at Target for about $30 at the time) to print out receipt cards. This method served me well, but I suppose the drawback was that I needed to replace the ink cartridges after a time, and that would get expensive.
I found this thread recently, and when my ink ran out yet again, I finally decided to go the thermal route. I know the other posters here use the Epson TM-T20II, which is a great printer, but I found an inexpensive generic-type printer on Amazon for $35 with free shipping, which is probably less than I would have paid for the ink on the other printer (you might even be able to get the same printer on Ebay for less). The receipts it prints are smaller in width than what the Epson prints, at 2 1/4 inches, but it's adequate for what I'm using them for. I used the included receipt template and modified it slightly.
I already use a barcode scanner, and I give my members cards with a barcode on the back that I scan (the Gold cards are for charter members; the blue for everyone else). The printer then prints the receipts with the table and seat info, and we're good to go.
As the OP mentioned, if you are on the fence regarding instituting this type of setup for your game, you should indeed go for it; even if you don't want to go the barcode scanner route, just having the printer with the table and seat info is helpful by eliminating the "What table am I at?" questions.