Flashfood adds 99-cent service fee unless shoppers spend $12, and some users say it's no longer worth it

When a discount grocery app adds a fee to small orders, it can quickly undercut the very promise that drew shoppers in. That is the frustration driving complaints about Flashfood after users in a Reddit thread said the app adds a 99-cent minimum service fee plus tax unless an order exceeds $12 — a change that some shoppers say makes many low-cost pickups no longer worth it.

Here's what to know

The original poster described the issue, writing, "The .99 cents minimum 'service fee' charge is atrocious for throwaway items."

According to the post, the problem goes beyond the extra charge itself. The user said some produce is already "fit for garbage," that shoppers sometimes arrive only to find an item missing, and that "you need to buy more than $12 to bypass the minimum fee." Other commenters said the charge adds to wider concerns about transparency on the platform.

One commenter wrote, "They fudged the best before date which is fine because is frozen but they should make it more apparent." Another commenter added, "The stores only show the weight of the meat packages maybe 50% of the time, and sometimes it appears the meat is barely discounted, or not discounted at all!"

More background

Flashfood and similar apps are meant to solve two problems at once: helping stores sell surplus food while allowing shoppers to buy groceries at lower prices. When a junk-fee-style charge is attached to small orders, the model can start pushing people to spend more than they originally planned.

For shoppers who use the app for a single meal, commenters suggested that the extra fee changes the math. One person said they often buy just one dinner item there, while another argued, "This is why I refuse to do anything that won't let me avoid the surcharge. The store is betting that you'll come in, buy a bunch of random tiny items that are less than $12, and bounce."

The thread also surfaced a broader debate about food waste.

One commenter wrote, "Good. This stuff used to get donated to the food pantry, then it was given away for free." Another pushed back, saying, "They won't go back to giving it away. They'll go back to throwing it away."

A separate complaint involved who is responsible for those issues. One commenter said that after raising concerns with Flashfood, the company ultimately told them to "complain to the store, not us." The original poster put it this way: "Lost the appeal. Keep it and let it rot."

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