iOS App of the Day: RedLaser Barcode Scanner and QR Code Reader

Did you know that you could turn your iPhone into a comparison shopping guru with the help of the right barcode scanner app? For example, you’re out at Best Buy and your shopping for a new laptop, wouldn’t it be great to know what that same product is priced at other retailers? Investing money into big or small purchases should be done with as much information as possible to ensure that you are getting the best deal out there. Thanks to the super cool app called RedLaser Barcode Scanner and QR Code Reader, you can simply scan a product’s barcode and pull up the item’s name, description, and a list of online retailers with their purchase prices. RedLaser empowers you with the ability to show the retailer cheaper prices for a possible price match, or if that doesn’t work you can simply purchase the product directly through the app. It only took a few shopping trips with RedLaser for me to become absolutely hooked on it, and now I can’t imagine purchasing anything without RedLaser.

Pros:

  • Scan all major retail barcodes (including UPC, EAN, UPC-E, and EAN-8) and QR codes
  • Search for prices from thousands of online retailers for millions of products
  • Search hundreds of local retailers to compare prices, find the nearest locations, and even check out books at the library
  • See all your local results and stores on a map
  • Keyword, Voice, and Image recognition search to find the best deal, even when you don’t have a barcode handy
  • Purchase products with your American Express Membership Rewards points
  • Purchase more online and local products directly in the app
  • View additional content and reviews for groceries and household items
  • See local results in a map view
  • Get product descriptions, reviews, and nutritional information to help you make the right decision
  • Create personalized QR codes with your info, contacts, website’s URL, geolocation and more with our powerful QR code engine
  • Create shopping, wish, and gift lists to share with friends and family via Facebook, email, or SMS.
  • Ideal for archiving your book, CD, DVD, and even your wine collection!

Cons:

  • Load time is slow when you tap on an individual product listing to view more details or buy it directly
  • Sometimes app comes back with product description but no pricing

How it works:

  • Download the app
  • Agree to privacy terms
  • Tap the scan button to get started
  • Align barcodes edges with arrows
  • App will capture barcode automatically
  • Product results will instantly appear
  • Swipe right to left to view online, local, details, and reviews
  • Scroll up or down to view all listings
  • Tap on a listing to buy it now
  • Tap options to share the listing via email, sms, or Facebook or add to list
  • To save item to list tap the + to add
  • Create a customized name for the list and select a product category, hit save
  • You can repeat the same process using a QR code or you can search manually for a product under Search

Conclusion:

In summary, out of all of the barcode scanner apps that I have tried out on my iPhone, RedLaser simply blows the other apps out of the water. The interface offers a no-frills way to instantly scan a barcode or a QR code with ease. The app automatically captures the code and almost always comes up with a full description and pricing for the item. I love that I can quickly confirm that the retailer either has the best deal in front of me, or if I should take my business somewhere else. I have successfully used RedLaser to obtain a price match on the spot from quite a few retailers, which is always a huge plus. If comparison shopping is an important part of your purchasing process, then the RedLaser app is a must have. It’s free, easy to use, and will save you money in the long run. What more could you ask for?

RedLaser Barcode Scanner and QR Code Reader is available for free in the iTunes Store. Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch (4th generation), iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad (3rd generation) and iPad Wi-Fi + 4G.Requires iOS 4.1 or later.  iTunes Link

This is part of our iOS App of the Day series. We take our favorite app for iOS for each day and post it here for you to check out. Feel free to check out all of our App of the Day posts here.

 

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