Refreshi is South Africa's first food rescue app. We partner with local restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets and cafés to sell their daily surplus food as Surprise Bags — at up to 50% off the original retail price. You download the app, browse stores near you, pay in-app, and collect your bag during the store's collection window. It's good for your wallet, good for the planet, and always delicious.

Refreshi is currently live in Cape Town (including Stellenbosch and surrounding areas), Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), and George. We're expanding rapidly — follow us on @refreshi.za to get notified when we launch in your city.

Search for "Refreshi" in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or visit https://onelink.to/refreshiapp. The app is free to download and takes under a minute to set up. Available on iOS and Android.

Yes, completely free. You only pay for the Surprise Bags you order — there are no subscription fees, membership costs, or hidden charges. The price you see in the app is the price you pay.

A Surprise Bag is a collection of surplus food from a partner store — food that's perfectly good but didn't sell before closing time. The bag is a 'surprise' because the exact contents depend on what the store has left that day. You'll know the store, the food category (bakery, hot meals, groceries, etc.), and the collection window — but not the exact items until you open it. That's half the fun.

Refreshi isn't a delivery app — it's a food rescue platform. You collect your bag directly from the store during a specified window. There are no delivery fees because there's no delivery. The food is surplus that would otherwise go to waste, so prices are significantly lower than normal retail prices. Think of it as a win for you, a win for the store, and a win for the planet.

Open the Refreshi app and allow location access. The home screen shows all available stores near you with their Surprise Bag types, prices, and collection windows. You can browse by category (bakery, meals, groceries) or search by store name. Each listing shows how many bags are left so you can act fast.

Each store sets their own availability window. Bakeries typically list bags from mid-morning, restaurants from early evening, and supermarkets closer to closing time. Check the app regularly or enable notifications for your favourite stores — you'll get an alert the moment bags drop.

The short answer is no — that's what makes it a Surprise Bag. However, you'll always know the store and food category before ordering. If a bakery near you lists a Surprise Bag, you know it'll be baked goods. If it's a restaurant, expect prepared meals. Specific dietary or allergen info can be requested directly with the store at collection.

Yes, many stores allow you to book ahead. Once a bag appears in the app, you can reserve it immediately and collect during the listed window — even if that window is later in the day. You won't be charged until the order is confirmed.

Add a store to your favourites using the heart icon on its listing, then you can choose whether to receive alerts when that store adds new bags. Manage this and any other notification permissions under Profile → Permissions in the app.

We're growing fast across South Africa. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @refreshi.za — we announce new city launches there first. You can also email us at support@refreshi.co.za to express interest in your city, which helps us prioritise expansion.

All payments are made in-app before collection. We accept major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard), as well as supported digital wallets. Your card details are stored securely and you'll never need to pay at the store.

No — all Refreshi transactions happen in the app before you collect. This is to protect both you and the store partner, and to ensure your bag is reserved and ready when you arrive. We do not support cash payments.

Payment failures are usually due to insufficient funds, an expired card, or a bank security block on new online merchants. Try a different card, ensure your billing details are correct, or contact your bank to authorise the transaction. If the issue persists, email support@refreshi.co.za.

If your order was cancelled by the store, you'll receive an automatic full refund within 24–72 hours to your original payment method. If you had a problem with your bag (missing items, food safety concern), contact us at support@refreshi.co.za within 24 hours of collection with your order details and we'll investigate promptly. If a refund hasn't arrived after that window, contact support@refreshi.co.za with your order number so the team can follow it up directly in the system.

None. The price listed in the app is exactly what you pay. No service fees, no delivery charges, no tips. Ever.

Just open your Refreshi app and show the store your confirmed order screen — it includes a unique order code. You don't need to print anything or bring a physical receipt. The store will tick off your order and hand over your bag.

Unfortunately we're unable to offer refunds for missed collections — the store has already set aside your food and can't resell it after the window closes. If you know you'll be late, contact the store directly if possible. We recommend setting a reminder in your phone when you book.

This is rare but it happens. If a store is closed during your collection window, take a photo of the closed store with a timestamp and email it to support@refreshi.co.za with your order number. We'll issue a full refund and flag the store for review.

Yes — the app has a Share Collection feature that lets you share your order's collection link with someone else, so they can collect on your behalf using their own device. This works for family members, friends, donating a bag to someone in need, or arranging pickup for someone in another city entirely. Look for the share/collection link option within your order details in the app.

You can cancel an order via the app up to 2 hours before your collection window begins — go to "My Orders" and tap "Cancel Order." After that point, cancellations are no longer possible and the order is not refundable if not collected. If you're unable to collect and it's past the point where cancellation is possible, you have two options — share your collection link with someone else to collect on your behalf (see the Share Collection feature), or contact the store directly to see if they can offer an alternative arrangement.

This shouldn't happen, but if a store runs out before all bags are collected, email support@refreshi.co.za with your order details within 24 hours. We'll issue a full refund and follow up with the store to prevent it happening again.

Yes, absolutely. All food in Surprise Bags is collected and sold on the same day it would otherwise be discarded. It hasn't expired — it simply didn't sell before closing time. Every Refreshi partner store signs our Food Safety Guidelines before going live on the platform. If you ever have a safety concern, contact us immediately.

It depends on the store type. Bakeries typically include bread, pastries, cakes and savouries. Restaurants include prepared meals and sides. Supermarkets include fresh produce, dairy, deli items and packaged goods. Cafés include sandwiches, wraps and snacks. Every bag is a reflection of that store's surplus for the day.

"Use by" dates are about food safety — do not eat food past this date. "Best before" dates are about quality — food is still safe after this date but may not be at its best. Most surplus food on Refreshi has either not yet reached its "best before" date, or is within a safe consumption period. When in doubt, use your senses: if it smells and looks fine, it almost certainly is.

Yes, but with care. Because the bag contents are a surprise, we recommend checking the store's listed food category before ordering. At collection, you can ask the store for allergen information on specific items. Refreshi is working on allergen filtering features in the app — watch this space. If you have severe allergies, always ask the store before accepting any item.

Do not eat the food. Contact us immediately at support@refreshi.co.za with your order number, a description of the concern, and photos if possible. We take every food safety report seriously and investigate within 24 hours.

Because they genuinely don't know until the end of the day which items will be left unsold. The whole point of surplus food is that it's unpredictable — a bakery might sell out of croissants but have plenty of rye loaves. That unpredictability is exactly what we're working with. It's part of the charm, and part of why the price is so good.

Go to Profile → Permissions in the app to manage your notification preferences, including alerts for favourited stores and general bag alerts. Also make sure your phone's system-level notification permissions for Refreshi are enabled in your device settings (Settings → Apps → Refreshi → Notifications on Android, or Settings → Notifications → Refreshi on iOS).

Make sure your App Store region is set to South Africa. On iPhone: go to your Apple ID → Media & Purchases → Country/Region. On Android: open Google Play → Account → Country and profiles. If you're still having trouble, visit https://onelink.to/refreshiapp on your phone's browser — it will route you to the correct store.

Go to Settings in the Refreshi app → Account → Delete Account. This will permanently remove your profile and order history. Alternatively, email support@refreshi.co.za from your registered email address requesting account deletion and we'll process it within 2 business days in line with POPIA requirements.

We're sorry to hear that. Please email support@refreshi.co.za with your order number and a description of what happened. We review every complaint, follow up with the store involved, and use your feedback to improve the platform. Your experience matters to us.

Our support team responds within 1 business day (Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm SAST). If it's been longer than that, please check your spam folder or try resending your email to support@refreshi.co.za. During periods of high volume, response times may extend slightly — we appreciate your patience.

Yes — your Refreshi account is tied to your email address, not your device. Log in on any device using your credentials and your orders, favourites and payment methods will sync automatically.