Palo
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How it works

How Palo works

Four steps, from something you have spare to a neighbour who can use it. It’s free, it’s local, and you stay in control of every part of it.

  1. A woman in an apron photographing a big pot of cooked food on her kitchen bench, with herbs and vegetables around her.

    Post

    Share the food you won’t be using.

    You’ve cooked more than you can eat, or the tree out the back has been generous again. Take a photo, say what it is and when you made or opened it, and post it. It takes about a minute.

  2. A woman in a front garden looking at a listing on her phone while a neighbour waves to her over the fence.

    Connect

    A neighbour nearby shows interest.

    People close to you — roughly within 5 km — see what you’ve posted. If someone would like it, they say so. You decide who to reply to, and someone showing interest doesn’t commit you to anything.

  3. Two neighbours chatting on a leafy street with a golden dog beside them, one carrying a bag of vegetables.

    Arrange

    Chat in the app and choose a pickup time.

    Sort out the details in chat: a time that suits you both, and a spot you’re comfortable with. This is the point where you’d share your exact address, if that’s how you want to do it — never before.

  4. A woman handing a covered dish across a garden fence to an older neighbour standing on her porch.

    Pass it on

    Hand it over and make someone’s day.

    They come by at the agreed time and you hand it over. Nothing changes hands but the food itself — and more often than not, you’ll have met someone who lives two streets away.

What you need

  • To be 18 or over.
  • Your street name — never your house number. Your exact pickup address is only ever shared by you, in chat, once you’ve agreed to meet.
  • Something worth passing on, and a neighbour close enough to come and get it.

Close to home

Palo works over roughly 5 km, so a pickup is a short walk or drive.

Free, and private by design

Palo is free to use and everything on it is given away.

You choose

Reply to who you want, and use the reporting and blocking tools any time.

Before you arrange anything

Two things are worth being plain about. Collectors complete a one-off identity check before their first request, but givers do not, and a check is not a character reference. And nobody at Palo ever sees or handles the food — everything passes directly between neighbours.

The safety page covers what that means in practice — choosing a spot you’re happy with, what to tell people about what you’re offering, and what to do if something goes wrong.

Coming soon to selected Brisbane suburbs. Questions? Email help@palo.life.

Coming soonSafety and privacy