How to use Cart & Card

One shared grocery list for your whole family, sorted by store and aisle, with everyone's rewards cards in the same place.

• Getting started
• Your list
• Item details
• Shopping Mode
• Rewards cards
• Family & settings
• Troubleshooting
• Questions

Getting started

1. Add the app to your home screen

Cart & Card isn't in the App Store or Google Play. You add it from its website, and then it works like any other app.

Then open Cart & Card from the new icon. It works even with no signal in the store, and your changes sync when you're back online.

2. Sign in

Use Continue with Google, or create an account with your email and a password.

3. Join or start your family

• Joining: open the invite link someone sent you, sign in, and tap Join. Or paste the invite code from their Settings.
• Starting fresh: tap Start a new family list, then invite everyone from Settings → Invite your family.

Everything in a family is shared: the list, stores, favorites, and rewards cards.

Your list

Adding items

• Type an item in the box at the top and tap Add. Cart & Card guesses the aisle (milk goes to Dairy & Eggs).
• Pick a store and category under the box if you want to set them yourself. "Any store" means it can come from anywhere.
• Quick re-add: start typing and things your family has bought before pop up, with their store, aisle, and brand already filled in.
• Favorites: tap the ★ next to the box for your family's usual items, and tap Add on any of them. Star an item from its edit screen or from a suggestion.
• The same item can be on the list once per store, like bread from Dollar Tree and different bread from Publix.

Seeing what you need

• The buttons across the top filter the list: All, one store, Any store, or Flagged. A store's view also includes "any store" items.
• Items are grouped by aisle, in the order set in Settings → Categories. Arrange it to match how you walk your store.
• Items show who added them, like "added by Mom."

"I'll grab it"

• Tap an item, then 🙋 I'll grab it. Everyone sees "you're grabbing it" (or "Mom's grabbing it"), so nobody buys it twice.
• Changed your mind? Tap the item again and choose Not anymore.

Checking things off

• Tap the box next to an item. It moves to In the cart and shows who checked it off and when.
• Checked items clear themselves after 48 hours. Uncheck one to keep it, or tap Clear checked to remove them now.
• Tap an item's name to edit or delete it.
• Made a mistake? Right after checking off, deleting, or clearing, tap Undo at the bottom of the screen.

Item details

Tap + Quantity, brand, photo, flag, private under the add box, or tap an item to edit it.

• Quantity: type anything ("2", "3 lb", "1 gal") or use − +. The unit stays put, so 2 lb becomes 3 lb.
• Brand: remembered for next time.
• Photo: snap or pick a picture of exactly what you want. Tap the little picture on the list to see it big.
• Flags: mark something Urgent or For an event, with a short note like "party is Saturday." Make your own flags with any name and color. Flagged items sit at the top of their aisle.
• Price: add a price, and Cart & Card remembers it ("last $3.12 at Aldi").

Private items and gifts

• Tap 🔒 Private under the add box (or on an item's edit screen) to hide an item.
• Choose Whole family to keep it to yourself, or tap just the people to hide it from. Everyone you don't hide it from can see it and check it off, so you can plan a surprise together.
• Tap 🎁 It's a gift and add who it's for. The 🎁 Gifts button at the top shows only your gift items.
• Hidden items are kept private by the app's server, not just tucked out of sight. They never show up in anyone else's suggestions, favorites, or remembered prices.
• Only the person who added a private item can change who sees it. People who join the family later won't see existing private items.

Shopping Mode

Tap Shop at the top of the list when you're at the store.

• The list gets bigger and easier to tap, and your screen stays on.
• Your phone gives a little buzz each time you check something off.
• Tap $ on an item to enter its price. The green bar shows In cart (what you've priced and checked off) and an Est. total for the whole trip, using remembered prices for the rest.
• A price is "each": a quantity of 3 at $1.25 counts as $3.75. Quantities like "2 lb" aren't multiplied.
• Pick a store and its rewards card shows up as a small button at the top, one tap from the barcode.
• Tap End when you're done to see how many items you got, how long it took, and what you spent.

Rewards cards

• Go to Cards → Add card. Pick the store and whose card it is.
• Tap Scan to read the barcode with your camera, or type the number.
• Add the phone or email on the account for stores that look you up that way.
• At checkout, tap the card to show its barcode full screen. Turn your brightness up if the scanner struggles.
• Renewal reminders: add a renewal date (like a Costco membership) and the family gets a heads-up before it expires.

Family & settings

• Your nickname (Settings → Family) is what everyone sees, like "added by JuneBug."
• Invite your family shares a link or code to join.
• Kid accounts: under Members, tap Make kid account next to a child. Anything they add shows up under Requests at the top of the list until someone taps OK (or No thanks). Kids see their requests waiting until then.
• Stores, Categories, and Flags can be added, renamed, recolored, reordered, or removed. Changes apply to the whole family.
• Appearance lets you pick Light, Dark, or Match phone.
• Leave this family takes you out of the family. You'll need an invite to rejoin.

Updates

When there's a new version, you'll see Update available. Tap Update, and afterward a short What's new card explains the changes. See past updates any time in Settings → About.

Troubleshooting

Questions

How do I suggest an idea?

Tap Suggest an idea in Settings → About, or email support@tommyandco.app.

Is it free?

Yes.

Who can see my list and cards?

Only the people in your family.

Does it work without signal?

Yes. The app opens and you can check things off in the store. Changes sync when you're back online.