How To Take Part
It's easy to use the Food On The Go app to submit the purchase of a snacks, drinks or meals. There's just a few simple, self-explanatory steps. On this page you can find a flowchart giving a quick overview of the process, the answers to some questions that you may have and examples showing how you would enter a few different common purchases. For help with any general queries regarding the app, please consult the FAQ page.
Remember, by snacks and drinks we mean all of the following:
- Chocolate, cereal bars, sweets & gum
- Crisps, savoury snacks & nuts
- Cakes, pastries & buns
- Sandwiches, rolls, pies, pasties, salads, sushi etc.
- Fruit – single pieces or small packs of ready to eat fruit / fruit salads
- Yoghurts and ready to eat desserts in pots
- Cold soft drinks, mineral water
- Hot drinks such as tea and coffee
How To Answer
- How do I tell you where I bought the item from?
- How do I scan a barcode?
- What if the barcode won't scan?
- What if my item doesn't have a barcode?
- What if I had a meal?
- What if my item was bought for somebody else?
- How do I know what size drink to select?
- What if my item was on offer or part of a meal deal?
- What if I bought more than one item?
- What if I bought more than one of the same item?
- How do I know whether my purchases have been submitted successfully?
- Example: Chocolate Bar
- Example: Meal in a Restaurant
- Example: Meal Deal (Sandwich and a Drink)
How do I tell you where I bought the item from?
To start the process, select 'Food On The Go' from the first screen that you see when you open the app. Then, from the list of shop types on the following screen, please select the type of shop at which you bought your snack, drink or meal. If you are unsure, select 'Search All'.
Now, from the list of shops on the following page, select the shop where you made your purchase. To find the shop you want, either scroll down through the list or start typing the name of the shop into the box at the top of the screen to filter the answer options.
How do I scan a barcode?
If you have purchased an item with a barcode then, when you get taken to the screen that uses your phone camera, simply position the item so that its barcode is in the white rectangle on the screen and the app will scan the barcode automatically.
What if the barcode won't scan?
If the app is having difficulty reading the barcode, try making sure the packaging of the item is as flat as possible, ideally pressed against a flat surface.If you are somewhere with low lighting then press the 'flashlight' icon to turn on your phone's torch.
If neither of these steps work then press the 'Type' button at the top of the screen and enter the barcode manually.
What if my item doesn't have a barcode?
If the item that you bought doesn't have a barcode (e.g. a snack from a fast food place or a soft drink in a restaurant) then just press the 'No Barcode' button at the bottom of the barcode-scanning screen and select the most appropriate options from the following lists. Remember, only use this option if there is no barcode on the item.
What if I had a meal?
If you made your purchase from a location such as a restaurant or a pub, then you will be automatically asked if you purchased a meal. If you purchased any meals please tell us just the total cost that you paid, then select what kind of meal it was from the list on the following page. You will be prompted, but please remember that we also want to hear about any non-alcoholic beverages that you had with your meal.
What if my item was bought for somebody else?
After telling us what you bought - either by scanning the item or by selecting it from a list - you will be taken to a screen where you can tell us whether the item was bought for yourself or for somebody else.
Remember: we want to hear about any items that you bought for yourself or for somebody else, but not any items that were bought for you or that you got for free.
How do I know what size drink to select?
Please use the following size guide for non-barcoded drinks:
- Small: Up to the size of a can (330ml)
- Medium: Up the size of a bottle (500ml)
- Large: A pint or larger (>500ml)
What if my item was on offer or part of a meal deal?
After telling us who the item was bought for, you'll be asked how much the item cost, how many you bought and whether it was bought as part of a meal deal or some other promotion (click here for the definition of a meal deal). Please ensure that you tell us the price of the item as it appears on your receipt. Please note that you must record at least two items as part of a meal deal. See here for an example of how you would submit a meal deal.
What if I bought more than one item?
At the end of the process you will be taken to a 'Trip Summary' page, where you can check that what you have entered so far is correct. If you purchased more than one item, choose the 'Add' option to tell us about it.
If you told us that you bought an item on a meal deal you must record at least two items as being bought on meal deal in order to submit.
Finally, when you have entered every item that you bought on your trip, press 'Submit Purchases' and you're done!
What if I bought more than one of the same item?
On the 'Item Details' page, there is a box where you can enter how many of that particular item you bought. Please note that if you bought one for yourself and one for somebody else then you should record these as separate items within the same purchase.
How do I know whether my purchases have been submitted successfully?
Once you have entered your purchasing, you need to press the 'Submit Purchases' button. You will be prompted to press Next to submit your data, and the 'Sending Survey' message will be displayed as shown below. When this has finished and your purchases have been successfully submitted you will be taken back to the main screen.
Below there are some step-by-step showing you how you would enter a few different types of purchases:
- Example: Chocolate Bar
As a simple example, let's say that you bought a chocolate bar (with a barcode) at a convenience store. Here is how you would enter this purchase using the app:
- Example: Meal in Restaurant
Now let's look at how you would submit your purchases if you'd just been to a restaurant for a meal.
- Example: Meal Deal (Sandwich and a Drink)
Finally, let's look at how you would use the app to submit a purchase consisting of a sandwich and a drink, both purchased as part of a meal deal. We are assuming that our sandwich is a cheese & ham baguette and that it doesn't have a barcode, but that our drink does have a barcode.
