Key takeaways
- A flash deal is a short deal a restaurant posts right now, usually for an hour or two, because it has a quiet spell.
- The timer is set by the restaurant and it's real: when it ends, the deal is gone.
- Live flash deals stand out on the map and on Home, with their timer, and the Flash deals filter shows only them.
- A claimed flash deal works until the timer ends, then it expires. Expired claims never count against you.
- Restaurants post one in seconds, with an optional cap.
The short answer
A flash deal is a short restaurant deal posted on the spot, because the restaurant has empty tables right now. It runs for a set time, usually an hour or two, with a real countdown. Claim it while it's live, head over, and show your code before the timer ends.
Everyday deals vs flash deals
| Everyday deal | Flash deal | |
|---|---|---|
| When it's posted | In advance | Right now |
| When it runs | Chosen days and hours, every week, once, or until a date | From now until the timer ends |
| Why | Hours that are usually quiet | A surprise quiet spell: rain, a cancellation, a slow lunch |
| Your claim | Works whenever the deal runs | Works until the timer ends |
| Where you see it | Home, the map, the restaurant's page | Top of Search, the map, the restaurant's page |
How to catch one
Live flash deals stand out on the map and on Home, with their timer, and the Flash deals filter shows only them. Because they're short, the best way to catch them is to check FIG when you're already thinking about food, the same moment you'd open a group chat to ask "where should we eat?".
Claim it, then go
- Tap the flash deal and Claim it. It's on your Deals page with the time left.
- Head over. A claim doesn't need you to be anywhere in particular: you can claim from home.
- At the counter, tap Show QR and let staff scan it, or scan the restaurant's counter code.
Your code keeps changing on screen, so a screenshot can't be reused. If the timer runs out before you get there, the claim expires. It shows as Expired on your Deals page for a day, and it never counts against you.
Are flash deals real?
Yes, and it's worth saying why. On FIG, the timer is the restaurant's own: the owner chose the deal and how long it runs, because they actually have the space. FIG doesn't invent urgency, and a flash deal isn't a fake countdown that resets tomorrow.
For restaurant owners
Posting a flash deal takes a few seconds: pick the deal (a percentage off, a dollar amount off, 2-for-1 or something free), the length and an optional cap. There's no fee per deal or per scan. Good flash deals are:
- Simple. One dish or one clear discount, readable at a glance.
- Short. Long enough for someone nearby to get there, short enough to stay special.
- Capped. So a sudden rush can't overwhelm the kitchen.
- Real. Post one when you genuinely have room, and diners learn to trust them.
Check the math before you post: in a quiet spell, a deal only has to cover its food cost to add money. Slow-hour deal math · How FIG works for restaurants
The life of a flash deal
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| 2:40 pm | A restaurant has a quiet afternoon and posts "$4 off any noodle bowl, for 90 minutes, 15 available". |
| 2:41 pm | It stands out on the map and on Home, and shows on the restaurant's page, with the time left. |
| 2:45 to 4:10 pm | Diners nearby claim it and head over. Each claim waits on their Deals page. |
| At the counter | Staff scan each diner's code, or diners scan the restaurant's counter code. $4 comes off. |
| 4:10 pm | The timer ends. The deal disappears, and any unused claims expire. If all 15 had been used first, it would have ended then. |
An example timeline: every restaurant chooses its own deal, length and cap.
Why restaurants have surprise quiet spells
A dining room can go quiet for reasons nobody planned: a downpour, a cancelled group booking, a slow day after a holiday weekend, a road closure out front. The kitchen is staffed and the food is prepped either way. A flash deal turns that spare capacity into diners, and because it's short and capped, it doesn't train people to wait for discounts.
Flash deal etiquette for diners
- Claim it when you mean to go. Caps are small, and an unused claim may keep someone else out.
- Go promptly. The deal ends with the timer, wherever you are.
- Check dine-in or takeout before you set off.
- Like the deal afterwards if it was good: it tells the restaurant, and other diners, that it worked.
Everyday or flash? For owners
| Use an everyday deal when | Use a flash deal when |
|---|---|
| The same hours are quiet every week | Today is unexpectedly quiet |
| You want regulars to know when to come | You want diners who are nearby right now |
| You can plan the dish and the staffing | You have food and staff ready but empty seats |
A $15 bowl with a food cost of $4.50 still leaves $6.50 with $4 off. In an hour where those seats would sit empty, fifteen of them add up to $97.50 toward the shift's wages and rent, before any drinks. Use your own numbers. The full slow-hour math.
Questions
How long do flash deals last?
The restaurant sets the length, usually an hour or two. The timer you see in the app is the real one.
What happens if my flash deal runs out before I arrive?
The claim expires when the timer ends. It shows as Expired on your Deals page for a day, then leaves the list, and it never counts against you.
Will FIG message me about flash deals?
Not on its own. Check the map or Home, or turn on the Flash deals filter to see only them.
Do I have to be nearby to claim a flash deal?
No. Deals are never locked to your location. Just make sure you can get there before the timer ends.
Can a restaurant post a flash deal for takeout?
A restaurant chooses whether each deal is dine-in only or also takeout.
Do flash deals cost restaurants anything?
Not on top of the plan. Posting deals and scanning diners are included in FIG's flat monthly plan, with no fee per deal or per diner.
