Manitoba man creates new price comparison app
SPENCER MYERS, CONTRIBUTER
Pricerazzi works in three steps: download the app, take a picture of your receipt and let the phone find the price comparison. Pricerazzi is available for Android and Apple users. THE PROJECTOR/Spencer Myers
There’s a new app that wants to help you save money this holiday season.
Pricerazzi has recently launched their mobile app after a year of online service. With the touch of a screen it’s now easier than ever for customers to bargain hunt effortlessly.
Pricerazzi is a price comparison app. It searches to compare an item’s paid price with other stores that have a price match policy. The app works in three easy steps: download the free app, take a picture of your item’s receipt and let your phone do the rest.
Price comparison is nothing new to students and other people on a budget. Some students already use their phones to help save them money.
“I’ll look for stuff on sale or buy no-name brands,” said Angela Maxwell, a recent University of Manitoba graduate and program facilitator for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg. “I also used an app that helped me budget.”
Pricerazzi co-founder and president Declan McDonald takes a break at the Winnipeg News Café, minutes away from his company’s office in the Exchange. THE PROJECTOR/Spencer Myers
Even with the help of price comparison and budgeting apps, some students are still struggling with money.
“I’m always thinking about where I can save money. Sometimes it’s as simple as bringing a coffee from home,” said Krissy Wieler, a Red River College business administration student. “I find even just keeping track of my receipts goes a long way.”
Students are already willing to manually search to make sure they’re getting the best price, especially on bigger purchases like textbooks and laptops.
The app contains an algorithm that does the searching for the customer, leaving them stress-free when buying. If the app discovers savings, it notifies the user and they can choose to accept the deal. If the user accepts, Pricerazzi then takes their fee—15 per cent of the savings that were discovered.
Customers are getting an average of $100 back with each use of the app and Pricerazzi has counted 6,000 downloads since its launch in October 2015.
Co-founder and CEO of Pricerazzi Declan McDonald brainstormed the idea for the app after doing a price comparison for his home renovations, where he saved himself over $1,000. His idea of saving customers the hassle of researching drove him to turn his idea into an app. McDonald is thrilled with the company’s early success.
“We’re going to keep building,” said McDonald. “Our goal is to become part of the shopping experience. You can buy your products worry-free and then search Pricerazzi to see if there’s a deal for you.”
