The Casual Saver: Pay-As-You-Go Credits for Occasional Too Good To Go Bags

TL;DR: If you only want a Too Good To Go bag here and there, PAYG is the right tier. $5 buys 5 credits, credits last 12 months, and the 30-day bag guarantee refunds you if BagRescue doesn't land a single bag in the first month. No subscription, no commitment.

Not everyone wants to subscribe to another thing. If you tried Too Good To Go once, liked it, and just want help grabbing the occasional bag without setting a calendar reminder, this is your tier.

What is PAYG and how does it work?

PAYG (pay-as-you-go) credits are a one-time purchase. As of May 2026:

• $5 = 5 credits
• Credits are consumed only when BagRescue successfully reserves a bag for you
• 1 credit per bag at most stores
• 2 credits per Whole Foods bag (because the retail value is higher)
• Credits expire 12 months after purchase

So $5 gets you 5 regular bags, or 2 Whole Foods bags plus 1 regular, or some mix in between. If you only get one bag a month, $5 is enough to coast nearly half a year.

Why not just use the free tier?

The free tier lets you monitor one store and sends you alerts when bags appear. You still have to open the Too Good To Go app and reserve manually — which means you're racing against everyone else in your zip code. For popular stores (looking at you, Whole Foods), bags sell out in under a minute.

PAYG adds auto-purchase: BagRescue watches the store and reserves the moment a bag opens, before you even know it dropped. You get a confirmation email and just show up at the pickup window.

If the bag is going to sell out in 30 seconds and you have a job, free tier won't cut it.

What does the 30-day bag guarantee mean?

This is the part that makes PAYG risk-free.

If you buy a credit pack and zero bags get successfully reserved within 30 days, you can refund all unused credits. Full refund back to your card via Stripe.

Why this matters: maybe your nearest Whole Foods is one of the rare ones that never posts. Maybe you only have a bakery in range that gets snapped up by night-owl regulars. Maybe BagRescue genuinely can't get you anything. In that case, you get your money back. No "store credit," no hoops.

See 30-day bag guarantee for the full mechanics.

How do I get started?

1. Sign up at bagrescue.com.
2. Link your Too Good To Go account (email + PIN, takes 30 seconds).
3. Buy a $5 credit pack from your dashboard.
4. Add one or two stores you actually want bags from.
5. Enable auto-purchase on each store.

That's it. Now go live your life. When a bag opens, BagRescue grabs it and emails you the pickup details.

When should I switch to Pro?

The break-even math:

• Pro is $9.99/mo (monthly only, no annual plan)
• At 1 credit per bag, Pro is cheaper at 10+ bags per month
• At 2 credits per Whole Foods bag, Pro is cheaper at 5+ Whole Foods bags per month

A clean rule of thumb: if you're getting 3 or more bags every month consistently for a couple of months, switch to Pro. You'll save money and you'll unlock multi-store monitoring (free and PAYG users are capped at 1 store).

See Pro vs PAYG credits for the full comparison.

What kinds of bags should I expect?

A quick reality check on what $1-2 in credits actually buys:

Store type	Bag cost	Retail value	Credits
Bakery	$4-6	$18-30	1
Whole Foods	$4.50	$14-18	2
Other grocery	$4-6	$14-18	1
Restaurant	$5-8	$14-24	1
Cafe	$3-5	$10-15	1

Bakeries deliver the best ratio. If you're maximizing your $5 pack, prioritize bakery monitoring.

Tips for casual mode

• Pick one store you actually want food from. Don't monitor a place "just in case" — you'll resent the random pickup.
• Add a target time once you know it. After 1-2 successful reserves you'll see when the store typically drops. Add it as a target time and BagRescue is more precise.
• Skip Whole Foods if a bakery is in range. Better value per credit and easier hit rate.
• Use specific dates if you only want a bag for a specific occasion. See Schedule bags for a specific pickup date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do credits really expire after 12 months? Yes. Buy what you'll plausibly use in a year. For most casual users, one $5 pack lasts the year.

What if BagRescue reserves a bag I can't pick up? You can cancel it from the Too Good To Go app before the pickup window. If you cancel before the bag is consumed, the credit is refunded.

Can I buy more than one pack at a time? Yes, you can top up any time from your dashboard. Each pack is its own 12-month clock.

Does the 30-day guarantee work for top-ups? The guarantee is tied to your first pack — if you got zero bags in the first 30 days of being a PAYG user, you can refund all unused credits. After you've successfully gotten a bag, you're past the guarantee window.

What payment methods do you accept? Standard Stripe checkout: all major credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay.

In one line

For the occasional Too Good To Go bag, buy a $5 PAYG pack and let BagRescue do the watching — refundable if it doesn't deliver in 30 days.