Australian-built price comparison platform, Zyft has introduced a new in-app barcode scanner, allowing shoppers to scan an item before they buy it, instantly comparing prices for the same product sold at other retailers.

Zyft covers millions of products across more than 50,000 Australian retailers including JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys.

In development for over a year and launching in time for the holiday shopping season, Zyft’s barcode scanner provides unbiased and instant price comparisons for products across multiple categories including appliances, technology and more.

By simply scanning a product’s barcode, shoppers can check if there are lower prices at other retailers, saving them time tab surfing or travelling between stores.

Zyft founder, Damien Waller (pictured below) said, “Looking up prices on your phone while you’re in a shop is standard behaviour these days, but even if you’re savvy enough to do that, you may not be shown all retailers or the lowest prices. Most shoppers will see retailers who are paying for advertising, not a cross-section of retailers, which means you’re almost certainly going to overpay.

“Fake deals and ad-boosted search results are on the rise, so it’s more important for customers to be vigilant and informed. With the likes of Temu and Etsy monopolising consumer choice by paying to play online, and big retailers offering flashy and fluctuating pricing in-stores, consumers are understandably confused. 

“Our barcode scanner will give Australians a better ability to shop around and get that lower price if it’s out there. Our goal is to put the power of transparency back into the hands of shoppers. In the lead up to Christmas and the peak sales season, this will be a total game-changer and money saver.”During beta testing, Zyft’s barcode scanner helped users save an average of 30% on the purchases they searched for.

The Zyft app is available for free and can be downloaded on both iOS and Android devices. Zyft already has around 200,000 users, making over 100,000 product searches a day.