Price alerts
Price drop alerts for the stores near you
CartLens price alerts tell you when an item you watch drops or jumps in price at a physical store near you. Alerts come from real receipt prices shared by shoppers nearby, need at least two shoppers to report the price, and arrive right away in the app and as a notification on your phone or computer, with a daily email summary.
What is a price drop alert?
A price drop alert is a message that tells you when something you want to buy gets cheaper. Most price alert tools watch online store pages: you paste a product link and get an email when the listed price changes.
CartLens watches in-store prices instead. When shoppers near you scan their receipts, their prices are added to a shared, anonymous price index. CartLens compares each new price with the usual price nearby and alerts you when an item you watch is a real deal, or suddenly costs much more.
How it works
- Tap the bell on an item: Watch any item from your basket or from Trending near you. CartLens watches it around your store or your location.
- Shoppers nearby report prices: Every receipt scanned near you adds real prices. CartLens checks each new price against the usual price in your area.
- Get the alert: You get the alert right away in the app and as a notification on your devices, even when CartLens is closed, plus a daily email listing every new alert.
What you get
- Real prices, confirmed: An alert needs at least two different shoppers reporting the price at that store, so one misread receipt can't send you on a trip.
- Drops and jumps: Get alerted when a price falls 10% under the usual price nearby, hits your target price or beats your Personal Best, or jumps 20% over the usual price.
- On your phone, in the app and by email: Alerts arrive right away as a notification on your devices and in the app. Email comes at most once a day and lists every new alert with the item's photo.
- Pro and Ultra: Pro watches up to 25 items and Ultra up to 200. Alerts never show who reported a price.
Who it's for
- Stock-up shoppers: Watch the items you buy in bulk, like coffee, detergent or diapers, and buy when the price is low.
- Families on a budget: Know when a weekly staple gets cheaper nearby, or when it jumps so you can buy it elsewhere.
- Anyone near several stores: Let shoppers nearby do the price checking, and only make the trip when it's worth it.
CartLens vs. online price alert tools
Online price alert tools and CartLens watch different prices. Use the one that matches where you shop.
| Online price alert tools | CartLens | |
|---|---|---|
| Prices watched | Listed prices on online store pages | Prices paid in physical stores near you, from real receipts |
| Stores covered | Mostly large online retailers | Any store near you, in any category |
| How a price is confirmed | One listed price | At least two shoppers reporting the price at that store |
| Price jumps | Rarely | Yes, when a price jumps 20% over the usual price nearby |
Which plan includes it
- FREE: $0, Not included
- PRO: $6.99/mo (or $5.83/mo billed yearly), Included
- ULTRA: $9.99/mo (or $8.33/mo billed yearly), Included
Common questions
How do CartLens price alerts work?
Tap the bell on an item in your basket or in Trending. When shoppers near you scan receipts, CartLens compares each new price with the usual price in your area and alerts you when the item drops or jumps in price, once at least two shoppers have reported it.
When will I get a price drop alert?
By default, when the price falls 10% under the usual price nearby. You can change the percentage, set a target price, or ask to be told only when it beats your Personal Best, the lowest price you've paid.
How fast do alerts arrive?
Right away: CartLens checks new prices every 30 minutes and sends each alert as a notification on the devices where you turned notifications on, and in the app. On iPhone and iPad, add CartLens to your Home Screen to get notifications. Email is a daily summary with each item's photo.
Which stores and items can I watch?
Any item that shoppers buy in physical stores near you, in any category: groceries, pharmacy, household, hardware and more. Alerts come from stores within your price search radius.
Are price alerts free?
Price alerts are part of Pro and Ultra. Pro watches up to 25 items and Ultra up to 200. Scanning receipts and comparing prices is free.
Can other shoppers see that I watch an item?
No. Your watches are private, and an alert never shows who reported a price or what time they shopped. CartLens saves the place you watch from rounded to about 1 km.
Further reading
- Price Alerts for In-Store Prices: Know When Prices Drop Nearby: Learn how price drop alerts work, why online trackers miss shelf prices, and how CartLens alerts you when items you buy drop or jump in price at stores near you.
- The Future of Price Tracking: From Price Alerts to Shopping Intelligence: Discover the future of price tracking, moving beyond online alerts to AI-powered shopping intelligence, receipts, local pricing, and basket optimization with CartLens.
- Stop Overpaying: Why Physical Retail Needs an AI Price Memory Layer: Uncover hidden inflation and stop overpaying in physical retail. CartLens uses AI to compare real store prices, helping you optimize grocery trips.
- How CartLens Could Become the Price Memory Layer for Physical Retail: CartLens revolutionizes physical retail shopping by building a price memory layer from your receipts, helping you understand local prices and avoid overpaying
Related features
- Price tracker: See how the prices of what you buy change over time, at every store.
- Price comparison: Plan the cheapest trip for your whole shopping list.
Know if it's a fair price. Free.
Scan a price tag or your next receipt and get a verdict in seconds. Any store, any category. No credit card needed.