Terms of use

Food safety comes first

Shelf Shepherd helps you keep track of food, but its dates and reminders are estimates. They come from general shelf-life guidance (based on the USDA FoodKeeper), dates read from labels, or what you enter. They aren’t a guarantee that food is safe to eat. Always check the package, how the food looks and smells, and official food safety guidance. When in doubt, throw it out.

Using the app

You may use Shelf Shepherd for your own personal, non-commercial use. Please don’t copy, resell, reverse-engineer or misuse the app.

Free plan, trial and Premium

Shelf Shepherd is free to use, with some limits: 5 receipt or Snap Food scans a month, the top 3 meal ideas, and the Use Soon widget. Premium removes those limits and adds more meal filters, extra widgets and, on Android, weekly automatic backups.

New users get a 30-day Premium trial with no payment details needed. When it ends you return to the free plan unless you buy Premium. Premium is available as:

• Premium Yearly: renews automatically each year until you cancel. Cancel at least 24 hours before the renewal date in your App Store or Google Play subscription settings.
• Premium Lifetime: a one-time purchase for as long as the app is offered.

Prices are shown in the app as set by the App Store or Google Play in your country. Purchases are processed by Apple or Google, and refunds follow their policies. Use “Restore purchases” to get Premium back on a new phone with the same store account. Some features, such as on-device AI, depend on your phone and operating system and may not be available on every device.

Meal ideas and links

Meal suggestions are ideas, not professional advice. Check ingredients for allergies and dietary needs. Scans, recognized food names, dates read from labels and product details from Open Food Facts can be wrong, so please check them. Links such as “Find recipe” and Instacart take you to services we don’t control, and we aren’t responsible for their content.

Using your own Claude API key

If you add your own Anthropic API key, your use of Anthropic’s service is under your agreement with Anthropic, and you’re responsible for any charges on your key. Keep your key private.

Your data

Your pantry information is stored only on your device, with no cloud sync, so you’re responsible for keeping it backed up, for example with your phone’s system backup or the export option in the app’s Settings. Our privacy policy explains what information is collected and how it’s used.

No warranty

The app is provided “as is.” We work to keep it accurate and running smoothly, but we can’t promise it will always be error-free or available.

Limitation of liability

To the extent the law allows, we aren’t liable for losses that come from using the app, including spoiled food, illness, or decisions made based on its reminders or suggestions.

Changes, governing law and contact

We may update these terms and will change the date above when we do. These terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, United States. Questions? Email [email protected].

Shelf Shepherd™ and the Shep mascot are trademarks of Sinden Labs LLC.