Goods and bads. We use them in my area:
1) thermal paper is generally more expensive than regular paper. (That used to be more true than it is today—there are so many receipt printers nowadays that the price has come down.) However, dot matrix printers need to have ribbons changed from time to time, so it may equal out.
2) thermal printers are MUCH quieter than others.
3) as @johnpowell noted, in heat or excessive light, the printing disappears. (Although I disagree with John – I have a receipt on my bulletin board, above my desk, which is at least 3 years old, and the printing has never faded)
4) I have printed text, graphics, QR codes, etc – on receipts, and they are all perfectly readable. I don’t know of anything that it can’t do.
What is run about receipt printers is when you try and print something sized for 8.5×11” on a 3 inch printer….. ugly.