# Shopper Assist — Know what you're really buying

> Scan products and carts for political spending, safety, nutrition, and ownership data. (iPhone/iPad app by Helen Ots.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shopper-assist/id6812126121 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Helen Ots](https://appshunter.io/developer/6812126123)
- Category: Shopping, Reference
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 3 App Store ratings · 1 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.4 · 58 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-09-23
- Data updated: 2026-10-11
- Monetization: subscription
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shopper-assist/id6812126121/reviews.md

## What is Shopper Assist?

Shopper Assist shows you who is behind what you buy. Scan any barcode and see:

• Political spending: the maker's corporate PAC giving, lobbying and super PAC money, with the party split, from public federal filings and campaign-finance records in 45 states. Every number links to its source.
• Safety: a score built from government recalls and public ingredient watch lists, read against the actual ingredient list.
• Nutrition: measured against your own targets, not a generic label.
• Ownership: veteran-owned, woman-owned and Black-owned makers and small businesses, from public records.
• Better alternatives: products in the same category that rate better on the scores you care about.

Check a whole cart: screenshot your Instacart, DoorDash, Amazon or Walmart cart and see every item's scores at once. Fresh produce and basic foods like meat, eggs and milk are covered too, with or without a barcode. Mark what you bought and My Shopping Impact shows where the makers' political money went.

Look up companies you can't scan, such as airlines, banks, insurers, phone carriers and gas stations. The Political tab shows which officials and candidates take corporate PAC money, at federal, state and local level, and where each corporate PAC's money goes.

No account, no ads, no tracking. One subscription unlocks everything, with a 7-day free trial.
Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Privacy Policy: https://shopper-assist-api.fly.dev/privacy

DISCLAIMER: Shopper Assist is an independent app made by Shopper Assist, LLC. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representing any government agency. It presents public records as published by their sources and is not an official source of that information.

SOURCES OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION:
• Federal Election Commission (campaign finance): https://www.fec.gov
• U.S. Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act database: https://lda.senate.gov
• State campaign-finance agencies, listed with links in the app under Candidates
• SAM.gov entity registrations (ownership): https://sam.gov
• openFDA and the FDA (drug labels, recalls): https://open.fda.gov and https://www.fda.gov
• USDA FoodData Central (nutrition): https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
• USDA FSIS recalls: https://www.fsis.usda.gov
• Consumer Product Safety Commission recalls: https://www.cpsc.gov
• NHTSA vehicle recalls: https://www.nhtsa.gov
• SEC EDGAR (company filings): https://www.sec.gov
• IRS Form 8872 political organization filings: https://www.irs.gov
• California Proposition 65 list: https://oehha.ca.gov
Non-government sources: Open Food Facts (https://world.openfoodfacts.org), Wikidata, IARC, EU CosIng, Health Canada and ECHA ingredient lists.

## Key features

- Barcode scanning
- Cart screenshot analysis
- Political spending data
- Product safety scores
- Personalized nutrition tracking
- Ownership information
- Alternative product suggestions

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Annual | $39.99 | per year |


## Is Shopper Assist safe?

Not enough ratings yet to assess Shopper Assist.

## Is Shopper Assist legit?

Shopper Assist has limited verification signals. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Shopper Assist is 58 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

## Recent user reviews (1 of 1)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shopper-assist/id6812126121/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Good to keep informed

*2026-09-28*

It makes it easy to learn about the company behind the products
Highly recommend

**Developer response:** Thank you! That is exactly what it is for: a quick look at who makes the product and what they do with their money. If there is a product or company you scan that comes up short, use "Take photos of the packaging" and I'll look at it.

## Frequently asked questions about Shopper Assist

### What information does Shopper Assist provide when I scan a product?

Shopper Assist provides details on the maker's political spending, a safety score based on recalls and ingredients, personalized nutrition information, and ownership details like veteran-owned or woman-owned businesses. Every data point links to its original source for verification.

### Can Shopper Assist analyze my entire shopping cart?

Yes, Shopper Assist can analyze screenshots of your carts from platforms like Instacart, DoorDash, Amazon, or Walmart. It will then provide scores for every item in your cart, including fresh produce and basic food items.

### Does Shopper Assist track my personal information?

No, the app explicitly states that it does not use accounts, ads, or tracking. Your privacy is maintained as you use the service to understand your purchases.

### How does Shopper Assist determine product safety scores?

Safety scores are calculated using data from government recalls and public ingredient watch lists, which are then compared against the actual ingredient list of the product. This provides a comprehensive safety assessment.

### What are the subscription options for Shopper Assist?

Shopper Assist offers both monthly and annual subscription plans. The monthly plan costs $5.99 per month, and the annual plan is $39.99 per year. Both plans include a 7-day free trial.

### Can I use Shopper Assist for companies I can't scan, like airlines or banks?

Yes, you can look up information on companies you cannot scan, such as airlines, banks, insurers, phone carriers, and gas stations. The Political tab specifically details which officials and candidates receive corporate PAC money.

### Is Shopper Assist available on all devices?

Based on the provided data, Shopper Assist is currently supported on iPhones. Information regarding availability on other devices like Android or desktop is not specified.

### How often is Shopper Assist updated?

The app was last updated on October 11, 2026, with version 1.0.7 (56). This indicates a recent update, suggesting ongoing development and maintenance.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.0.7 (56) — 2026-10-11

Check a cart now reads Amazon search results correctly, skipping sponsored tags, prices and ratings so only the product names are checked.
State political data now covers 46 states and cities, with Maine and Montana added and Oregon's 2024 election totals filled in.

### 1.0.6 (55) — 2026-10-10

• Candidates who took no corporate PAC money now say so, on the list and on their page. State and local races show "No corporate money on file."
• Small brands with no public filings now read as what they are: a small private business, not a gap in the data.
• Thousands more state and local candidates added, with what each campaign raised, now covering 44 states.
• Small fixes and faster loading.

### 1.0.5 (54) — 2026-10-07

Political tab: candidates who raised real money and took none of it from corporate PACs are now marked "No corporate PAC money".
Product pages read more clearly when a brand has no public filings.

### 1.0.4 — 2026-10-01

Check a cart starts fresh each time you open it, so an old cart never lingers.
Store and personal-care brands like Playtex, Gillette and Cortizone now resolve to their maker when the product itself isn't on file.
Reset link on My Shopping Impact to start your count over from today.
Political tab: every candidate for state and local office in 13 states and DC now has a page showing what the campaign raised this cycle, and candidates raising money appear under 2026 Ballot. The Serving Now and 2026 Ballot filters now include state and local officials, and lists load more on request.
New York City candidates show their public matching funds, with the publicly financed share.
Scanning is smoother: the camera now runs only while Discover is on screen, and zoom and focus reset after each photo.

### 1.0.3 — 2026-09-29

Check a cart: screenshot your Instacart, DoorDash, Amazon or Walmart cart and see every item's four scores at once. The picture is read on your phone and never uploaded.

My Shopping Impact: answer "Purchased?" on any product and see where the makers of what you bought send their political money, and what you steered away from. Reset any time.

Political tab: officials and candidates at every level, including sitting state and local officeholders, plus corporate PACs with where their money goes and how much comes from foreign-owned companies. Flag countries you want highlighted.

Fresh produce and basic foods: fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, dairy and staples now have nutrition facts from USDA data and their own recall check, with or without a barcode.

Recalls: notices are matched to the exact brand and product, so a recall for something that merely shares a word no longer lands on your groceries.

Also: product photos in search results, better alternatives that follow your preferences, a clearer safety summary, and updated Terms and Privacy Policy.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-11.*