How do I use PriceGoose?
Follow the complete PriceGoose workflow from installing the app and setting your area to scanning a product and reading the local prices.
Short answer
Install the PriceGoose app on your iPhone, sign in, and set the area you shop in. Android access is currently in beta. Then point your camera at the barcode on any packaged grocery product. PriceGoose looks that exact product up at grocery stores near you and lists what each one charges, cheapest first.
PriceGoose reports prices that retailers publish. It does not set them, and it does not buy anything or contact a store on your behalf. Confirm a price at the shelf before you rely on it.
When to use this article
Use this walkthrough the first time you open PriceGoose, or whenever you want to review the whole process from install to reading a result.
Use PriceGoose step by step
- Install PriceGoose from the App Store on your iPhone. Android access is currently in beta.
- Create an account or sign in. New accounts must open the verification link sent by email before signing in.
- Work through the short onboarding screens.
- Grant camera access when prompted. Scanning needs it.
- Grant location access, or skip it and enter the postal code for the area where you shop instead. Both give the same results.
- Open the Scan tab and hold your camera over the barcode on a packaged grocery product.
- Wait while results stream in. Each nearby store is checked in turn, so the list fills as it goes.
- Read the result. The cheapest local price is highlighted, and each row names the store and how far away it is.
- Tap a result to see the product detail and confirm it matches what you are holding — brand, size, count, and format.
- Check the History tab any time to see what you scanned before and what it cost.
- No barcode handy? Use the Search tab to find a product by name, brand, or barcode number.
To change your location or how far PriceGoose looks for stores, tap the settings button at the top of the Scan tab.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Scanning the wrong code on the package, such as a recycling or promotional code rather than the product barcode
- Expecting loose produce, deli-counter, or in-store bakery items to scan — most have no national barcode
- Assuming a price is current at the shelf; retailer listings can lag, especially early in a flyer week
- Assuming a similar product is the same product when the size or count differs
- Expecting PriceGoose to buy the item, reserve it, or contact the store for you
What to do next
If nothing comes back from a scan, see Why was my barcode not recognized?. If the product was found but no store prices appeared, see Why did no prices show up near me?.