Privacy Policy
Last updated: 26 August 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how PriceLens UK ("PriceLens UK", "we", "us", "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you use pricelens.co.uk and our mobile apps (together, the "Service"). By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.
1. Who we are
PriceLens UK is currently operated by Charlie Dobson as a sole trader. PriceLens UK has not yet been incorporated as a limited company; this section will be updated with company registration details if and when that changes.
We are the data controller for the personal information described in this policy.
Contact: privacy@pricelens.co.uk
2. Information we collect
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Account information | Name, email address, and password (stored only as a secure hash) |
| Sign-in provider information | If you sign in with Google, GitHub, or Microsoft, we receive your name and email address from that provider to create or match your account |
| Location information | Postcode or town you set, used to personalise prices and, on the app, your approximate device location (with your permission) to show your nearest branch |
| Usage information | Search queries and search history, products you view, save, or select |
| Household shopping information | Shopping lists, favourite products, budgets, receipt items, retailer, purchase date, quantities, prices, spend categories and the corrections you make to imported information |
| Receipt items | When you scan a receipt, the photo is read on your device to extract the items and totals — the image itself is not uploaded to us. We store the items and totals you choose to save (see "Household shopping information" above) |
| Barcode scans | The barcode number you scan, used to look up the product (see Section 5). Camera access on the app is used only to read the barcode or capture a receipt and images are not stored except where you save a receipt. |
| PriceLens AI information | Questions you ask, answers returned and the compact calculated household summary needed to produce an answer |
| Subscription information | Membership status, plan, renewal state and payment-provider references. We do not store full payment-card details. |
| Technical information | IP address, device/browser type, app version, cookies, local storage and similar technologies |
We collect this information when you create an account, use our search and comparison tools, save items to a list, or otherwise interact with the Service.
3. How we use your information
- Create and manage your account
- Provide grocery price comparison results, including personalising results based on your postcode
- Maintain your search history and saved products so you can return to them
- Build automatic shopping lists, compare baskets, track favourite products and provide price-history and buy-or-wait guidance
- Extract items and totals from receipt photos, which are read on your device (the image is not uploaded to us)
- Look up products you scan by barcode, using the OpenFoodFacts database where the barcode is not already in our catalogue
- Categorise reviewed receipt items, calculate household analytics, forecast budgets and explain changes in grocery spending
- Answer questions you choose to ask through PriceLens AI using a minimised household summary
- Administer a paid PriceLens Budget subscription, whether purchased on the website or through an app store
- Send you service-related communications (e.g. account, security, and transactional emails)
- Send you marketing communications, where you have opted in
- Monitor, secure, and improve the Service
4. Legal basis for processing (UK GDPR)
| Processing activity | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Creating and operating your account (name, email) | Performance of a contract with you |
| Providing PriceLens Budget lists, budgets, analytics, favourites, receipt records and recommendations | Performance of a contract with you |
| Processing subscription status and payment references | Performance of a contract and legal obligation |
| Looking up scanned barcodes, when you use that feature | Performance of a contract when you choose to use the feature |
| Responding to a question through PriceLens AI | Performance of a contract when you choose to use the feature |
| Signing you in through Google, GitHub, or Microsoft | Performance of a contract when you choose that sign-in method |
| Postcode- and location-based personalisation | Consent |
| Marketing emails | Consent |
| Basic security and fraud prevention | Legitimate interests |
Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
5. Sharing your information
We do not sell your personal information. Aside from the advertising and analytics cookies you can accept or reject in our cookie banner (see Section 7 and our Cookie Policy), we do not share your information with third parties for their own marketing, research, or commercial purposes.
We share personal information only with the service providers that help us operate the Service, and only as far as each needs to perform its function. These are:
- Hosting and infrastructure providers that store and serve your data as part of running the Service.
- Email delivery providers that send account, security, transactional, and (where you have opted in) marketing emails.
- Payment providers. Website subscriptions are processed by Stripe; app-store subscriptions are processed by Apple or Google and reconciled through our subscriptions provider (RevenueCat). They tell us whether a membership is active and handle your payment details under their own privacy information — we do not receive or store your full card details.
- Our AI inference provider when you use PriceLens AI. We send your question and a compact calculated household summary — not raw receipt images or your complete purchase history.
- OpenFoodFacts when you scan a barcode that is not already in our catalogue. Only the barcode number is sent — never your name, account, or location.
- Sign-in providers (Google, GitHub, Microsoft) if you choose to sign in with them, to authenticate you.
- Regulators, law enforcement, or other parties where we are required to by law.
Each service provider is bound by a contract that restricts its use of your data to providing its service to us. If we are ever involved in a business sale or reorganisation, information may be transferred as part of that, subject to the protections in this policy.
6. International transfers
Some of our service providers — including our AI inference, payment, and email providers — may process information outside the UK or European Economic Area. Where they do, we rely on appropriate safeguards, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or adequacy regulations, to protect your information.
7. Cookies and similar technologies
We use essential cookies to operate the Service (for example, your browsing session and keeping you signed in), and we store some information — such as your shopping list and cookie choice — in your browser's local storage. If you accept non-essential cookies in our cookie banner, we also load advertising partners (Adsterra and Google AdSense, to show ads) and Google Analytics (to measure how the Service is used). These receive information such as your IP address and an advertising/cookie identifier and process it under their own privacy policies. None is loaded unless you accept. See our Cookie Policy for the full list and how to manage them.
8. Data retention
We retain your personal information for as long as your account remains active, and for 24 months afterwards, in order to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. You can request earlier deletion of your data — see Section 9.
9. Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate information
- Request erasure of your information
- Restrict or object to certain processing
- Receive your data in a portable format
- Withdraw consent at any time
- Complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you believe we have not handled your information properly
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@pricelens.co.uk.
10. Children's privacy
The Service is not directed at, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from, individuals under the age of 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.
11. Security
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting a notice on the Service and, for significant changes, emailing registered users, and update the "Last updated" date above.
13. Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, contact us at:
As PriceLens UK is currently a sole trader business without a registered company address, email is the best way to reach us. A postal address will be added here if that changes.