How to check a price by barcode inside the shop
The decision whether to buy something is made at the shelf, not at home. So the check worth having is the one that takes three seconds: scan the barcode, see what it costs elsewhere.
The steps
- Open the scanner in the app and point it at the barcode on the packaging.
- The camera recognises it on its own — nothing to press.
- The product appears with its price at the chains we read.
- If it is worth buying, add it to your list from that screen.
What matters
The barcode is the key. Two chains can call the same cheese two different things, but its barcode is identical — so comparing by barcode compares exactly the same product rather than something similar. It is also why we do not compare products without a barcode: without it there is no certain identity.
The prices shown are what the chains published, not something we set. That publication updates daily, but a one-off promotion in the shop can be newer than it. Where the screen and the shelf disagree, the shelf price is the one that counts — the law requires a price to be marked on every product.
When nothing comes back
Sometimes a scan returns nothing. Usually that means the product is not in the chains' publication: something new, something local, or an item weighed at the till with no standard barcode. In that case the app says it has no price rather than guessing.
Why the barcode and not the product name?
Every chain writes product names differently. The barcode is identical everywhere, so it is the only way to be sure you are comparing exactly the same item.
Can I scan without an internet connection?
The scan itself happens on the device, but showing prices needs a connection. Offline you can still add the item to your list and check the price later.
