Pricing and Availability Notice

This notice explains where the prices in SpendPilot come from, what they mean, and what they do not mean. It forms part of our Terms of Service.

1. Where our prices come from

SpendPilot is an independent price comparison and planning tool. We do not have data feeds, partnerships or agreements with any supermarket.

When you build a list or ask for a comparison, SpendPilot searches the public websites of the supermarkets we cover and collects the prices they display at that moment, using automated tools. We currently cover Tesco, Sainsbury's, ASDA, Morrisons and Waitrose. The list of supermarkets may change, and a supermarket may disappear from comparisons if its website changes in a way that stops us collecting prices.

Because we collect prices from what a website shows to the public, we see what an ordinary shopper would see. We do not see your loyalty card prices, personalised offers, or prices that depend on a delivery slot or a specific store unless the website shows them publicly.

2. What "live" means

Prices are fetched at the time you make a request. They are not taken from a cached database that could be days old. But a price fetched at 10:02 can change at 10:03, and the price you pay is always the one the supermarket charges at checkout.

Where a basket is saved, the prices in it are a snapshot of the moment it was built. Refresh the basket to see current prices.

3. Prices are estimates

Every price and every basket total in SpendPilot is an estimate. It can differ from what you pay because of:

• local and store pricing. Some supermarkets charge different prices in different stores or areas, and convenience formats often cost more than large stores;
• loyalty and multibuy conditions. Clubcard, Nectar, More Card and similar prices apply only if you have the card and meet the conditions. Multibuy offers apply only if you buy the qualifying quantity;
• stock and substitutions. An item may be out of stock, and a substitute may cost more;
• delivery, collection, minimum spend and bag charges, which are not included in our totals;
• timing. Promotions start and end;
• product matching. We match the items in your plan to supermarket products. Pack sizes, brands and quantities may not correspond exactly to a recipe;
• collection errors. Automated collection is not perfect. A website change can cause a wrong price to be collected.

4. The price buffer

To reduce checkout surprises, SpendPilot adds a small allowance to basket totals to absorb ordinary price movements. The current allowance is [BUFFER PERCENTAGE OR METHOD TO BE INSERTED]. The buffer is shown separately in your basket so you can see the difference between the collected prices and the figure we suggest you plan around. The buffer does not guarantee that your shop will cost what SpendPilot shows.

5. Savings figures

Where SpendPilot shows a saving, it compares the estimated cost of a list at one supermarket with the estimated cost of the same or a swapped list at another, using the prices collected at that time. Savings are estimates, depend on the products we matched, and do not account for the factors in section 3. Past savings shown in your insights are based on the prices collected at the time and the spend you recorded, not on your receipts.

6. Availability by postcode

We use your postcode to show which supermarkets and stores serve your area and to check product availability where a website shows it. Availability is indicative. Only the supermarket can confirm what is in stock for delivery or in a particular store.

7. Links to supermarkets

When you tap through to a supermarket, SpendPilot opens the supermarket's own search page for the item or list. From that point you are on the supermarket's website or app, under its terms and privacy policy. SpendPilot does not add items to a supermarket basket, place orders or take payment. Any purchase is a contract between you and the supermarket.

8. Commercial independence

• We are not owned by, partnered with, sponsored by or affiliated with any supermarket, brand or manufacturer.
• We do not currently earn commission, referral fees or any other payment when you buy from a supermarket. If we join an affiliate programme in future we will publish an affiliate disclosure, mark affected links clearly, and tell you before the change takes effect.
• No supermarket or brand pays to appear in comparisons, to be ranked higher, or to be suggested as a swap. Swaps are chosen on price, your dietary selections and product similarity only.
• Supermarket names and logos are the trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify them.

9. Reporting a price or product error

If you find a wrong price, a mismatched product or an item that is no longer available, use Report a problem on the item in the app, or email [email protected] with the subject line "Price error". We review reports and correct matching rules where we can.

10. Contact

[email protected]