Olio has a one-account-per-person policy, which you can read more about here.
We understand that sometimes Olio-ers have multiple accounts for innocent reasons, such as if you’ve had trouble logging in, or if you have forgotten you previously set up an account.
However, in the instances where we gather evidence indicating a malicious violation of our one-account-per-person policy, all associated accounts will be permanently banned from the Olio app. This is necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of our users, as well as to maintain the fair sharing of listings on the app.
How do I know if my account has been banned for managing multiple accounts?
If you're unable to access your account, it may have been banned. You should have received an email titled “Banned from Olio - Multiple accounts” at each email address we have banned. Remember to check your spam folder if you can’t find any email from Olio in your inbox.
How does Olio detect violations?
We employ various methods to identify users maliciously creating multiple accounts, including:
Our systems detecting evidence of malicious use of multiple accounts
Reports submitted by the Olio community
Manual monitoring of users’ behaviour and sharing patterns
Our detection systems analyse various factors, including:
Location details
Sharing patterns
Account information
App usage
Data collected in accordance with our Privacy Policy
If we detect that a user actively manages multiple accounts, we will ban all associated accounts.
I might have accidentally created more than one account. Will I be banned?
No. We know users might forget passwords or login information and create multiple accounts by mistake. As long as you are not actively using multiple accounts at the same time, you have nothing to worry about.
Will logging in on different devices cause the system to flag my account for multiple account usage?
No, we do not penalise users for logging in on different devices using their unique Olio account. You are welcome to access your account from multiple devices. As long as there is no evidence of malicious use or multiple accounts, you can log in without any issues.
How can I ensure my account isn’t incorrectly flagged by Olio’s system?
To minimise the risk of being flagged for managing multiple accounts, please ensure:
You don’t share your account details with others
You access and use only your account
You avoid interacting with individuals within your household on the app
❗ Please note:
It’s absolutely fine for people in the same household to each have their own Olio account.
However, Food Waste Heroes (FWHs) must not share food with people in their own household, since they already receive 10% of each collection.
✅ Don’t worry - our system has been thoroughly tested, so normal situations (like neighbours sharing or users in the same building) will not trigger bans by mistake.
Can I appeal if my Olio account is banned?
Yes. Bans are only applied after a thorough review and usually involve clear evidence of malicious use, in line with our Terms and Conditions.
If you believe your account was banned in error, you can submit an appeal form. The link was included in the penalty notice, sent by Olio’s Little Helper or by email.
Why doesn’t Olio share the specific evidence used to link multiple accounts to the same user?
We understand the desire for clarification regarding why your account has been banned. However, disclosing specific evidence could potentially be used by bad actors to bypass our security controls in the future.
Forum Information Awareness
When reading the forum about banned multiple accounts, it's important to be mindful that those posts often provide only one perspective, lack complete details, or are recounting information second-hand, and so are not necessarily representative of what has actually happened. While community feedback is valuable, we recommend taking some stories with a pinch of salt. If you come across concerning information on the forum or have questions about your account status, please reach out to our support team for assistance and clarification.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we strive to maintain a safe and supportive environment for all users on Olio.