Adverts
Why has Olio launched ads?
Unfortunately, Olio is still a loss-making company, as the revenues we generate by charging businesses for our Food Waste Heroes Programme only cover a fraction of our operating costs. In order to continue with our mission of reducing waste, and to keep supporting so many people and local communities, it’s critical we generate enough revenues to cover our costs. Running ads in the app generates some revenue from the ads. However, we hope that many Olio-ers will instead choose to become an Olio Supporter - because becoming a Supporter generates the same amount of revenue as watching approximately 1000 ads per month and so will go a lot further in terms of helping us become sustainable and cover our costs.
How do I stop the ads?
If you don’t want to see ads then please consider becoming an Olio Supporter
How much does it cost to become an Olio Supporter?
Becoming an Olio Supporter costs £4.99 per month or £29.99 per year (which equates to £2.50 per month). Existing Supporter prices won’t change for now (see below). Some of you will be aware that previously we ran some pricing tests, however, we have now stopped these.
Does Olio make money when the ads are shown to users?
Yes, Olio makes a very small amount of money every time an ad is shown. However, our main motive for displaying ads is to encourage users to become Supporters.
What kind of ads will be on Olio?
We use a 3rd party ad platform called AdMob by Google to show ads in the app, as we cannot build and run an advertising platform ourselves. Thousands of companies across hundreds of categories and industries have the ability to bid between themselves to show ads on Olio, via AdMob. This is not something we have strict control over or are able to predict, however, we are able to block entire categories (e.g. gambling) or to block a specific advert, but only once it’s been shown in the app.
Why do you ask to store my data and what are you doing with it?
This is a new Google requirement which all apps who use Google ads are required to follow and is related to personalised ads. You are free to opt out of it should you wish to. Olio is not storing or selling this data.
How do I retract my consent once I’ve given it?
If you want to turn off ad personalisation, you can do so by clicking the 'X' on the banners and you will get a tiny "Ad Choices" view (in the space taken up by the banner), from there you are able to disable ad personalisation. Google will store your choices for the allowed time and then ask again.
If Olio exists to reduce waste, why are you advertising things that contribute to environmental destruction?
The ads displayed in the app are run using a 3rd party ad platform. We’ve gone through their settings to try and ensure that the ads that are shown don’t go against our mission or values (e.g. we’ve blocked the women’s fashion category because we know many of those ads are likely to be for fast fashion). However, it’s not possible to know exactly what ads are in which category, so this is a work in progress.
How can I report an advert if it’s against Olio's values?
If you see an ad that you particularly don’t think we should show, please go to 'Help centre' in the menu bar of the Olio app and click 'Submit feedback --> Contact Olio support'. Please make sure to either take a screenshot of the offensive ad or record the name of the business you would like us to block, so we can quickly investigate the issue.
Why can I see ads but others can’t see them?
Adverts are shown based on how an individual uses Olio, so some users might see more adverts than others. Users who are Olio Supporters will never see ads.
Is there a limit to the number of ads I will see?
No. And the number of ads seen will vary from person to person.