$5 sign-up offer!
- Use my referral code, CHRIWAMP when you sign up for Flashfood, and we’ll each receive an $5 credit when you make your first purchase of at least $10.
- Once registered, you can share your own referral code and earn $5 per referral!
How to save a bundle on groceries (and help our planet)
If you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for easy ways to save money on groceries. After all, food is one of the big three expenses in our lives (and it’s typically the easiest of the three to control).
So… what if I told you there’s a fun and easy way to reduce your food costs and help our planet? It’s called Flashfood, and it’s amazing!
An intro to Flashfood
What is Flashfood?
Flashfood is an app that allows you to find and purchase groceries that are nearing their best-before dates—at steep discounts (50% off or more).
By partnering with Flashfood, grocery retailers can recover some of their costs while reducing their carbon footprint. And by shopping through Flashfood, you save money while also helping the planet. Everyone wins!
Bonus: you won’t have to do any dumpster diving to get these deals! (But this article by Laura at Triple Bottom Line FI sure makes dumpster diving appealing: From Diplomat to Dumpster Diver—Waste Stream Diversion Part I. You may also find, like me, that you’ll be extra-inspired to do more about food waste after reading her article.)
How much can I save?
In my experience, you’ll always save at least 50% on groceries purchased through Flashfood. To give you an idea of the potential savings, here are some of the items I’ve purchased through Flashfood:
| Item | Regular price | Flashfood price | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schneiders bacon | $5.44 | $2.44 | 55% |
| Organic strawberries | $2.97 | $0.99 | 67% |
| 4-pack of zucchini | $3.98 | $0.99 | 76% |
| 5-pack of sweet corn | $3.98 | $1.47 | 63% |
| Chayote squash | $2.97 | $0.80 | 73% |
| 4-pack of sweet bell peppers | $5.48 | $2.49 | 55% |
Total savings
The total for the above groceries would have been $24.82 at regular price, but I paid only $9.13 using the Flashfood app! That’s an average savings of 63%!
My mother-in-law (who’s a Flashfood ninja) regularly purchases nice cuts of pork and chicken legs at well below $2/lb—usually around $1.30/lb.
As someone who loves feeding others, Flashfood has been a huge money saver for her!
Related: For even more ways to save money on groceries see my post, How to Save Money on Groceries (36 Valuable Tips)
Getting started
Are you intrigued and ready to start saving on your groceries? Great—let’s start by downloading and installing the app:
- Download and install the Flashfood app.
- Use my referral code, CHRIWAMP when you sign up for Flashfood, and we’ll each receive a $5 credit when you make your first purchase of at least $10.
- Open the app and create an account.
- Tap the profile icon at the top left of the screen then go to ‘Payments’ and add a credit card.
- Search for stores in your area.
- On the map, click on the store you’d like to shop at.
- Browse the deals and place your order.
The in-store pickup process
The Flashfood app doesn’t offer much in the way of details for the in-store pickup process. Because of this, it was a little nerve-wracking for me when I did my first pick up: Where do I go? Do I pay for this stuff at the cashier? Do they need to scan it? How do they know I’ve paid?
I’ve now experienced the process many times and can confidently say it’s no big deal! Here’s how it works:
- Go to Customer Service and tell the associate you have Flashfood items.
- They’ll ask for your name then look you up on their Flashfood device.
- You may need to show them your order verification, so have your phone and Flashfood app ready, just in case.
- The customer service associate will walk you over to the locked Flashfood fridge and help you find your items.
- Collect your items, and take them home to enjoy!
Note: The pickup process may be slightly different at each store.
FAQs
Feel free to leave a comment if you have other questions, and I’ll add them to this section. You can also visit Flashfood’s support page for more info.
Is Flashfood legit?
I know—it seems too good to be true! But Flashfood is definitely not a scam. It’s a fun and legitimate way to save money on your groceries.
Will the groceries be moldy or spoiled?
Sometimes, produce items may be moldy or soft. But meat and dairy are always still fresh. Most items are very close to their best-before dates, but some are still quite far from them.
Do I have to pay through the app?
Yes, the payment process is handled completely in the app. You can’t pay at the register in-store.
Does Flashfood accept EBT (electronic benefit transfer)?
No, unfortunately, they don’t at this time, but they hope to in the future.
How do I request a Flashfood refund?
Unfortunately, you can’t request refunds through the app at this time. You’ll need to visit this request form on Flashfood’s site to submit your request. Here are Flashfood’s refund policies, in case you’d like more details.
How do I get or use my $5 referral credit?
If you enter a referral code after you install the Flashfood app, you can receive a $5 credit after your first $10 purchase. To check your credits in the app, go to Menu > Rewards. Note that it sometimes takes a few days for this credit to appear in your account.
To use your credits, all you have to do is place and pay for an order. The app will deduct from your credit balance first, then charge the remainder to your credit card on file.
What types of groceries are on offer through Flashfood?
It could be any food item that the store sells: produce, meat, dairy, bread, snacks, etc. The offers are always changing, so it’s worth checking the app often (and definitely every time you’re in-store)!
Can I buy multiples of one item?
Yes, as long as there’s stock, you can! In my experience, there are no item limits.
Can I go to any store to purchase Flashfood items?
No, you can only go to the stores that are shown in your app.
Which stores are part of the program?
All ten provinces and one territory have at least one store participating in Flashfood. In the Vancouver area (where I live) Real Canadian Superstores and some Loblaws City Markets participate in Flashfood. Check this page to see what’s available in your area.
Can Americans use Flashfood too?
Yes! Flashfood is quickly expanding across the US. See the Flashfood locations page to check if there’s a Flashfood near you.
Summary
- Flashfood is an easy, feel-good way to save big on groceries and leave a lighter footprint on our planet. (Food waste is a huge contributor to the climate crisis.)
- You’ll typically save at least 50% (and often, far more) when purchasing food through Flashfood.
- The items on offer are good quality and generally still very fresh.
- The app is easy to use, and the pickup process is simple and straightforward.
- Flashfood is a lot of fun! You may find, as I have, that you’ll start to compare notes with family and friends about your Flashfood purchases (swapping recipes and tipping each other off on good deals).
- I’ve tried lots of new foods that I didn’t previously know about, or didn’t want to pay full price for. ($3 for a block of aged Irish cheddar? Sure—why not?)
- If you’re interested in trying Flashfood, below is my $5 sign-up offer again.
$5 sign-up offer!
- Use my referral code, CHRIWAMP when you sign up for Flashfood, and we’ll each receive an $5 credit when you make your first purchase of at least $10.
- Once registered, you can share your own referral code and earn $5 per referral!
Got questions?
If you have questions about Flashfood, leave me a comment below. Also, if you know of other services like Flashfood (in or outside of Canada) please share in the comments below!
Other excellent Flashfood reviews
- If you’d prefer to listen to a review of Flashfood, check out Podcast #15—The Rise of the Side Hustle from my friends over at the FI Garage podcast!
- My blogging friend GYM over at Gen Y Money also wrote a full review of Flashfood (with some extra background info on how Flashfood got its start—super interesting!)
Support this blog
If you liked this article and want more content like this, please support this blog by sharing it! Not only does it help spread the FIRE, but it lets me know what content you find most useful. (Which encourages me to write more of it!)
You can also support this blog by visiting my recommendations page and purchasing through the links. Note that not every link is an affiliate link—some are just favourite products and services that I want to share. 🙂
As always, however you show your support for this blog—THANK YOU!
73 Comments
Joe
September 16, 2019 at 10:54 amThis sounds like a great app. But I don’t want to spend time at the customer service line. That’s too much waiting around. I would try it if it comes to town. It’s interesting that the flash products are in the regular area. Maybe they’re just trying to bring you into the store, like a coupon sale.
Chrissy
September 16, 2019 at 9:52 pmIt’s true—there’s sometimes a wait at customer service. But I’m such a frugalist; saving THAT much makes it fun and worth it for me! Still, I get it. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Thanks for sharing your two cents Joe!
Susan Dang
September 4, 2023 at 5:07 amI don’t have app on my cell phone. I’d like to know if I can download Flash Food app on my computer, order items, and pay. Then, I use my tablet to take pictures of the items and the receipt and show the store customer service to pick the items. Would the store accept that?
Chrissy
September 11, 2023 at 10:49 amHi Susan—it doesn’t look like Flashfood is available in a desktop version. However, you mention you have a tablet, so you should be able to install it on that!
I’ve never had to show my phone or proof of purchase to customer service. All they ever ask for is my name. So I would suggest you bring your tablet just in case, but it’s very unlikely you’ll need to show photos or receipts.
I hope that helps!
Shannon
February 12, 2020 at 3:45 pmThe 5 minutes at customer service is well worth the wait. I’ve saved over $1000 so far. Plus, it would take longer to go around the store and gather the items than just waiting at the desk.
Chrissy
February 13, 2020 at 10:08 amShannon—my jaw dropped when I read you comment. $1,000 in savings?! That’s incredible. Good for you!
GYM
September 16, 2019 at 11:52 amI downloaded it a while ago but there weren’t that many stores available in Vancouver. Maybe that’s changed now. The inventory didn’t look very good too but again maybe that has changed. Good idea not to buy until you are in the store though.
Chrissy
September 16, 2019 at 9:54 pmMy Superstore seems to have the smallest selection of items on offer, but it’s still a decent selection and it seems to be growing all the time. Other Superstores have endless lists of items! I scroll and scroll and the list just keeps going. Might be worth checking out again, especially since you do shop at Superstore.
Abigail @ipickuppennies
September 16, 2019 at 12:04 pmToo bad they don’t have this in the U.S. I don’t buy a ton of groceries, but I’d definitely check it out. Congrats on all of the savings!
Chrissy
September 16, 2019 at 10:00 pmIf you ever visit that group of FI bloggers at their cabooses in Wisconsin, you can try out the app there! (Or as Marla Tanner and Ms. Mazuma call them—’cabeese’!) Here’s more about those ‘cabeese’ in case you’re curious: https://missmazuma.com/2018/12/18/want-to-check-out-my-caboose/
Modern Fimily
September 16, 2019 at 1:11 pmAh I just checked and my town outside Calgary isn’t on the list (we don’t have a Superstore and looks like that’s the only store so far supporting it). Hopefully their sister store, No Frills, will be part of the action soon and we will jump on it. Love the concept of this program and thanks for sharing!
Chrissy
September 16, 2019 at 10:02 pmIt’s too bad, but yes—hopefully Fast Food will eventually be offered at No Frills. Thanks for the comment Court!
Erik @ The Mastermind Within
September 16, 2019 at 1:52 pmThanks for linking my link in your article! I’m interested in checking out Flash Food – definitely a nice resource here.
Chrissy
September 16, 2019 at 10:04 pmHi Erik! I was happy to link to your article—it’s excellent (hence why it’s near the top of Google’s search results)! BTW, I’d forgotten to tag you in my social posts to let you know I’d linked to your article… so how in the world did you find out so quickly? I’d like to know for my own knowledge as a blogger!
Penny
December 1, 2019 at 5:35 pmI went to pick up my order only to find that they gave me a store 40 min away. I asked for a refund from my store and they said go on line. Can’t find any way to get hold of someone
Chrissy
December 3, 2019 at 11:01 pmHi Penny, I’m sorry to hear you’re having a hard time contacting Flash Food.
I found their instructions for your exact issue here: https://support.flashfood.com/en/file-an-issue
Sounds like you can only email them. There’s no phone line. Good luck getting your refund.
Shaidah
September 17, 2019 at 8:54 am“Where do I go? Do I pay for this stuff at the cashier? Do they need to scan it? How do they know I’ve paid?” This was me yesterday when I was Superstore!
Chrissy
September 17, 2019 at 9:29 amOh no! Too bad my post didn’t make it to your inbox! I hope your pick-up went okay anyway. 🙂
Shaidah
September 17, 2019 at 10:57 amThe Richmond Superstore has a Flash Food section. I had gone through the store and collected my items. Upon checkout, they called customer service as the teller had no idea about flash food. The clerk took my items away and told me I needed to get the items from the Flash Food fridge/cupboard at the front of the store and then go to customer service. The best before dates on the flash food items were the same as the dates on the items I had picked! I saved $11!
Chrissy
September 18, 2019 at 10:05 pmThanks so much for the update on the pickup process, Shaidah. It sounds like the process is much smoother with the dedicated Flash Food section. I’ve updated my post to reflect your notes here. Thanks again!
Maria @ Handful of Thoughts
September 17, 2019 at 3:26 pmI love this. Have never heard of it before but am definitely going to download the app to see if there are any stores in my area. Thanks for the great tip. Can’t wait to save mora at the grocery store.
Chrissy
September 18, 2019 at 10:06 pmHi Maria—I only found out about it recently, and was thrilled to find it available in my area! Fingers crossed that it’ll work out for you too.
Ana
September 18, 2019 at 7:24 amThis app sounds wonderful! I’d definitely give it a try if it made it to Florida. Really love the idea of reducing food waste.
Chrissy
September 18, 2019 at 10:08 pmI bet you have even better apps in Florida, and with more stores participating. Americans typically have far more selection with services like these! Let us know if you ever find one—I’d be happy to mention it here so American readers can benefit too!
Kris
September 18, 2019 at 2:32 pmReally sounds like a great app, hopefully they will expand to more states in the US, I’m guessing Wisconsin is the guinea pig to see if it would work here in the states.
I like concept of it where you can find groceries at a discounted rate on your app. And like you said, it will cut down on food waste. Thanks for spreading the awareness of this and great job on the saving.
Chrissy
September 18, 2019 at 10:11 pmI also hope it spreads—if only to help reduce food waste at more grocery stores. Imagine the difference a single app like this can make! And of course, the savings to consumers is a very nice perk on top of that. 🙂
I’d be surprised if nothing like this exists in southern California. There must be something!
Kathleen
September 19, 2019 at 5:23 pmHi Chrissy,
Great article, thanks for the review! I’m definitely considering using the app if I’m ever at Superstore. I have a question about stores without a Flashfood section… the food is in the regular section, right? Is it marked as Flashfood there or could you pick up any of that item that has the same best before date. For example, if I’m buying blueberry yogurt best before Sept. 20, do I just pick out any blueberry yogurt with that date in the yogurt section? I assume the stores with a Flashfood section are easy to figure out which items are for you 🙂
Sorry if this is a silly question! Just nervous about the potential pain and hassle if I pick out the wrong items, haha!
Thanks again for the great content!
Chrissy
September 19, 2019 at 8:24 pmHi Kathleen—it’s not at all a silly question! In my experience, the Fast Food items were the exact same items in the exact same sections as the regular food. They’re not marked as Flash Food. They were no different from regular items (which is so puzzling to me)! I didn’t pay attention to best before dates, and neither did the staff.
However, it seems like things are changing quickly in-store, so just be prepared that your experience may differ!
I’d love it if you could report back on how things go for you! That would be so helpful for everyone here. 🙂
Kathleen
September 19, 2019 at 8:52 pmOkay sounds good, I’m looking forward to trying it! I usually go to my Safeway only 3 blocks away so I just need to get up the motivation to travel to the outer reaches, haha! Totally baffling to me too that it’s the same products, however maybe it’s the stuff the store already knows it can’t get rid of before the date? Thanks again for your help 🙂
Chrissy
September 22, 2019 at 9:58 amI have to admit—I love the savings that I gain from shopping at Superstore, but I find shopping there to be a chore!
Being able to take advantage of Flash Food savings definitely makes my trips there more tolerable. 😆
I hope all goes well when you finally try Flash Food!
Kathleen
June 10, 2020 at 5:07 pmHi Chrissy,
Just wanted to check back in and say a Superstore finally opened near me and I had a chance to try the app! It was great and super easy – got two packages of meat each for 50% off. Thanks so much again for bringing this to my attention!
Chrissy
June 12, 2020 at 3:34 pmHi Kathleen—that’s wonderful news! I’m so happy to hear you had a good first experience. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Tanya
September 19, 2019 at 8:03 pmIn the North Vancouver RCSS, the section is between the Lotto booth and the online order pickup area. There is a fridge with Flashfood splashed across it for perishables and a stand next to it with the non-perishables. It was definitely worth it! Example: a bag of overripe bananas sold for 46 cents a pound but if you get same thing from Flashfood, the entire bag was only 20 cents! I bought Kind bars that were 1/3 price and the best before date was September 22, 2020! A tray of chicken breast priced $23.98 was only $11.00 so I bought and froze them individually for future meals. As the customer service ladies get more familiar with the service, it will be easier. It is really fun way to shop!
Chrissy
September 19, 2019 at 8:32 pmThanks for taking the time to share this very helpful info Tanya! Hopefully they’ll get all the kinks ironed out soon and it’ll be a clear, straightforward process at every store.
Kathleen
September 19, 2019 at 8:51 pmOkay sounds good, I’m looking forward to trying it! I usually go to my Safeway only 3 blocks away so I just need to get up the motivation to travel to the outer reaches, haha! Totally baffling to me too that it’s the same products, however maybe it’s the stuff the store already knows it can’t get rid of before the date? Thanks again for your help 🙂
Triple Bottom Line FI
December 18, 2019 at 6:02 amThanks for the shout-out in this updated version of your Flashfood review. I continue to dumpster dive and encourage others to consider doing so as well primarily for the environmental benefits, but also for financial reasons as well. If you haven’t watched it before the documentary Wasted: The Story of Food Waste (http://www.wastedfilm.com) tells the story of a dumpster diving couple in Canada.
Initiatives like Flashfood are a great step in the right direction and offer a far better long-term solution to food waste than dumpster diving. It’s heartening to think we’ll see more of this type of effort to link food (and other products) that are still edible/usable with people who can use them. Even if efforts like this begin to proliferate though, there will still be products in open or broken containers that need to be discarded so efforts will need to be strengthened to ensure that grocery stores at least divert this waste to programs that feed it to animals or compost it instead of putting it in the waste stream. And of course solving food waste goes well beyond tackling grocery store surplus, but articles like this that even raise awareness of the issue help move us forward on the path to addressing it.
Chrissy
December 19, 2019 at 11:45 amI love your blog, and hope that others might discover more of your content. Thanks for mentioning “Wasted”. I didn’t realize it was about a Canadian couple! I’ll add it to my list to watch sometime.
You’re so informed about the hidden environmental costs behind our groceries. I never considered the waste that occurs behind the scenes. But now that you mention it, a friend who used to work at a grocery warehouse told us about some of the crazy things that happen—like discarding an entire pallet of milk just because one jug leaked and dripped milk on other jugs. He said the reasoning was, even if you cleaned the jugs, some of the milk could have seeped under the lids. You can’t clean the threads under the lids, and there’s potential for bacteria to grow. So the whole darned pallet had to be tossed. How awful is that?
I don’t want to think about all the other forms of waste that we aren’t even aware of! It can get so depressing. But I’ll keep learning, fighting the green fight, and helping to teach others.
Mary
January 5, 2020 at 6:30 amHi – thanks so much for this valuable information! One question though – are you able to buy multiples of the same item? Or just ‘one per customer ‘?
Thanks!
Chrissy
January 6, 2020 at 4:46 pmHi Mary, you can absolutely buy multiples of Flashfood items! As far as I know, the only limit is the availability of the item when you purchase. Have fun scoring some awesome deals!
Joe
February 5, 2020 at 5:16 pmIt’s a SCAM.
Stores are miss-advertising selling items and no live customer service in FlashFood, makes it impossible to resolve issues.
Ones you pay for your order, no refund.
Lots of product such a bad quality and they have to be garbaged. Instead, Loblaws invented mobile app without customer service to sell garbage.
Shame on Loblaws and FlashFood.
Chrissy
February 5, 2020 at 5:27 pmJoe—I’m sorry to hear you’ve had such a terrible experience with Flashfood. In my experience and that of my family and friends, shopping through Flashfood has been a wonderful experience.
True, the food is sometimes not great.
That’s why I recommend that people not purchase from Flashfood until they get to the store and can see the items for sale.
That said, I’ve found that 95% of the items are still in excellent, very fresh condition. It’s really only produce that might be iffy.
You’re also correct that the customer service isn’t live. But my family and I have never had issues getting our issues resolved—including getting refunds. (Though it does sometimes take a day or more.)
Overall, our experience has been very good and I’m saddened to hear yours hasn’t been. If you have the time and energy, may I suggest that you try contacting Flashfood again with your concerns? I’ve always found them to be friendly and helpful.
PS I don’t believe that Loblaws invented Flashfood. It’s an independent startup (as far as I know).
Joe
February 5, 2020 at 6:02 pmHi Chrissy,
Thank you for your comment.
There’s no such thing as a successful independent start-up.
Always look at who is benefiting from this? Obviously it’s a Loblaws. With this app and no access to live customer service, they can get away of any possible medical issues (and benefiting financially – as not so many people want to go for such a pailful experience as dealing with customer service behind the wall) that may arise after selling items with best fore date.
Why Metro is not part of this “wonderful” app? Because, it’s a Loblaws “start-up”.
By the way, let me remind you, that a few years ago Loblaws was already punished for manipulating bread cost.
I can not believe that this criminals are still not in jail.
Chrissy
February 5, 2020 at 8:36 pmJoe—you may be right about Flashfood and I agree that the bread price fixing that Loblaws engaged in was very wrong.
But as far as who created Flashfood, I’m really not so sure that it was Loblaws! Flashfood is currently in non-Loblaws grocery stores in the US and will soon be partnered with Longo’s and Sobeys (who are Loblaws’ competitors). Flashfood is also running trials at Target and Hy-Vee.
You can read more about Flashfood partnerships in this article (as well as others): https://www.supermarketnews.com/build-better-operation/loblaw-steps-rollout-flashfood
I don’t intend to question you so I hope you don’t take it the wrong way! I just want to refer to known facts and not paint Flashfood in a bad light with unproven info.
I’m again really sorry you’ve had such a bad experience with Flashfood. I hope they’ll be able to improve things to win back customers like you.
As a passionate environmentalist, I really want to see initiatives like Flashfood succeed. I would hate to see them fail. As a planet, we all lose when sustainable options like this get shut down.
Kim
May 19, 2020 at 2:56 pmI just started using this and got a $5.00 credit from a referral but I can’t figure out how to use the credit. Does it automatically come off the next order I make or do I get to preview my order/payment before I hit checkout with an option to use it? THanks.
Chrissy
May 19, 2020 at 3:01 pmHi Kim—the credit should automatically be applied to your order the next time you check out. I hope that helps!
Kim
May 19, 2020 at 3:04 pmOkay, great. Thank you!
Chrissy
May 21, 2020 at 3:59 pmYou’re welcome!
Baby Boomer Super Saver
May 22, 2020 at 8:00 pmThis is an interesting concept. It’s not available where I live, but I’m all for initiatives that encourage people to save money and reduce food waste! Thank you for reporting on this, Chrissy!
Chrissy
May 22, 2020 at 8:45 pmHi Kathy—Canada is usually the one that’s behind on cool initiatives like this! I’m honestly surprised that this doesn’t yet exist in the US, especially in California. It seems it would be a natural fit there! I hope Flashfood and other companies like it continue to expand. Thanks for the comment!
James Allen
January 11, 2021 at 5:52 pmHi,
thank for the great article, i am not sure you can help but my RCSS in Toronto only use to sell meat or items which can only fit in fridge (no fruits vegetables breads etc.) the real issue is they don’t let you see anything before purchase so you can check the quality and quantity, often they post items on flashflood without original product pics and size/Wight details so you never know exactly what are you getting and the biggest issue is they sometimes they sell spoiled/rotten item specially fish , it has now happened twice to me that first I don’t have any idea what is the quantity of the item I am buying and when I get them it was a huge disappointment as they were rotten and smelling very bad, so my question is can we force customer service to let is see items before purchase as they literally refuse to show it before purchase and even after purchase they don’t let you choose if there is multiple item available
Chrissy
January 11, 2021 at 6:17 pmHi James—I’m very sorry to hear this. My family and I have fortunately never had this issue in our Vancouver-area RCSS stores.
As far as I understood, they’re not supposed to put out spoiled food—close to expiry, but not spoiled or rotten.
Unfortunately, I don’t have the power to do much on my end. However, I would highly suggest that you contact Flashfood directly to share your complaints (which I feel are very valid and important for them to know). If you go to this page: https://help.flashfood.com/hc/en-us look for the purple help icon at the bottom right.
Click on it and it’ll open a window for you to send a message to Flashfood. In my past experience, they’re relatively responsive. I hope you get some resolutions and improvements through them. Good luck!
James Allen
January 11, 2021 at 6:25 pmThanks for quick reply and suggestion
JP
May 14, 2021 at 5:47 pmHi Chrissy! I’ve recently started using FlashFood, as I mentioned in the Choose FI group, and I tried entering my Momentum Visa card as my payment option. I was worried they wouldn’t accept it, as you stated in your review, but I wanted to test it out first. To my pleasant surprise, Scotia accepts it as a grocery purchase.
Thanks for the great content,
JP
Chrissy
May 16, 2021 at 6:13 pmHi JP—thanks so much for reading and letting me know about the change! I haven’t shopped through Flash Food in a while as I’m trying not to go in-store, so wasn’t aware of this.
I guess they managed to get Scotia or Visa to code them as a grocery expense now! Can you please confirm that you do, in fact, see it as a 4% cashback category on your statement?
If so, I’ll update my post. Thanks so much for reading and sharing your experience!
Conny Bannowsky
July 10, 2021 at 1:24 pmIt doesn’t seem like a good deal, if the images are accurate. I can buy produce in those amounts and a lot fresher and mold free for less at my usual grocery store.
Chrissy
July 10, 2021 at 11:47 pmHi Conny—I generally agree with you on the produce. It can be iffy! However, the savings on meat, dairy and bakery items can be significant and very worthwhile.
Bonnie Holt
August 28, 2021 at 12:16 pmDo you have to pay through the app or can you pay at the register. Also do they take ebt
Chrissy
August 29, 2021 at 9:48 pmHi Bonnie—thanks for the great questions. Yes, you have to pay through the app. Regarding EBT, this is their answer (no, they don’t accept it, but hopefully soon).
Bonnie Holt
August 30, 2021 at 4:13 amOk ty very much
David @ Filled With Money
September 14, 2021 at 6:56 pmNo way, this sounds like a phenomenal app!! I can’t wait until they have it available in Texas!!
Chrissy
September 14, 2021 at 10:41 pmHi David—isn’t it amazing?! It’s spreading so quickly across the US; I wouldn’t be surprised if it shows up in Texas soon. 👍
Kate
March 22, 2022 at 8:23 amGood morning,
I am wondering, if you see the sale price on the app, are you able to just shop and buy it in store too or does the purchase need to be completed on the app? are you able to search specific food items on the app and be notified when they are on sale? I am more interested in meat sales, beef/chicken, hamburgers and smokies/hot dogs. or just keep checking daily? thank you!
Chrissy
March 23, 2022 at 11:40 pmHello Kate—unfortunately, all Flashfood purchases must be completed in the app. You can place your order in the store if you’d like, but it still has to be through the app.
It sure would be nice if there was a way to be notified of sales on specific items, but there currently isn’t. I would suggest that you contact Flashfood to request this feature!
For now, the only way to catch Flashfood discounts on your desired items is to check daily (or even multiple times a day).
You may want to try and determine if your local store uploads new Flashfood items on a regular schedule (e.g. every morning at 7). That may be your best chance at snagging the items you’re looking for.
Dan
October 7, 2022 at 8:44 amThis seems like a great idea, until you purchase something and when you get there it isn’t there. ZERO customer service. We saved some money in the beginning. only to lose that money because of missing items and NO REFUND. Pay at your own risk. There is no way to actually talk to anyone, I would not recommend this for anyone!!! Rip off waiting to happen.
Chrissy
October 7, 2022 at 7:48 pmHi Dan—I’m really sorry to hear you’ve had such a terrible experience with Flashfood. In my experience and that of friends and family, we’ve also experienced missing items.
It’s frustrating and annoying when it happens, but for us, it’s fortunately been exceedingly rare (maybe once in every 30+ orders, if that).
Also, anytime this has happened to me or anyone I know, we reach out to Flashfood through the app and get a reply and refund within days.
It’s very unfortunate that you’ve had the exact opposite experience. I can see why you’d be frustrated. I wish I could be of more help, but all I can suggest is for you to try contacting customer service through the app again. Perhaps they’ll escalate it if you let them know you didn’t get a reply the first time.
George Williams
November 13, 2022 at 7:58 amFlashfood – great idea but horrible experience. Three out of three times part of my order was not available. Getting s refund is time consuming as Flashfood has horrible customer service. Had to dispute the charge with my credit card company the last time.
Chrissy
November 14, 2022 at 7:42 pmHi George—I’m really sorry to hear this. I’ve also experienced the inconvenience of missing items and can’t believe this has happened to you with all three of your orders.
It’s also frustrating to hear about your experience with Flashfood’s customer service. I’ve been fortunate in that they’ve always been very quick to reply and rectify any issues I’ve had. It’s really too bad you haven’t had the same experience.
I would also be upset if I had to escalate it to my credit card company. Sorry that I can’t offer much other than my empathy and an outlet for your frustrations.
If you haven’t already, I hope you share your feedback with Flashfood as I think they need to hear about issues like the ones you’ve experienced.
John
December 8, 2022 at 6:13 pmFlashfood is a great concept.
I just don’t like the way Flashfood customers are treated at place of pick-up. They are treated as if they are freeloaders.
The staff at place of pick up have to understand that the flashfood customer is also their customer.
We do pay for what we pick up.
Chrissy
December 8, 2022 at 9:11 pmHi John—it’s terrible that your store treats you this way. You should definitely let Flashfood know. Even though it’s not their fault (the stores operate independently from them) they should know when their partnered stores aren’t providing friendly service.
The Flashfood locations I use are all in Real Canadian Superstores, which are not known for their customer service! Even so, I have never once been treated as anything less than one of their regular customers. What you’ve experienced at your store is unacceptable and bad business practice. If you weren’t already a customer, they should be trying to woo you and win you over as one. The way they’ve treated you certainly isn’t helping!
Ron C
December 3, 2023 at 6:17 pmI’m wondering if you’ve noticed a change in the FlashFood pricing as I have. 50% off is still standard at the Superstore (though not at No Frills). But It used to be that there would be occasional great deals (75%+). I still seem them now and then but not anywhere near as often as I used to.
Chrissy
December 4, 2023 at 12:06 amHi Ron—I would have to agree with you that 50% is the standard discount on most items now. Generally, meat on FlashFood isn’t a great deal even at 50% off. If we wait for sales, we can get fresh meat much cheaper. However, we find that nice bread and other baked goods are outliers that often go for 75% off or more. I’ve yet to come across a No Frills in the Vancouver area that offers FlashFood! But we do have FF at City Markets, which are pricier to start with, so the FF items are also pricier. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Kathy
February 7, 2024 at 2:41 amChris, if there is a better than $3 referrals code, share now and I’ll go in and download the app with your code. I’m in Indiana and just noticed this program at Meijers grocery, 10 minutes from my home. I googled it, and your blog popped up. Always happy to help support savings with others
Chrissy
February 13, 2024 at 7:51 pmHi Kathy—very sorry for my late reply. I unfortunately don’t have a better code. I’m quite sure that any you see out there with a better offer are just old and not updated. As far as I know, $3 is the maximum right now. Thanks for considering me, but I totally understand if you decided to sign up through someone else.