An Allergy Card in the Local Language, Ready Before You Sit Down
Plate Pass turns what you can't eat into a big, clear card in the language of the country you are eating in, with a picture for each item. You hand over your phone instead of explaining out loud.
Read this guide in: English · Español · Português · Bahasa Indonesia · Tiếng Việt · Français · Deutsch · Italiano · 日本語 · 中文 · 한국어 · ไทย · Filipino · हिन्दी · العربية
The problem
Explaining a serious allergy or coeliac disease to a kitchen that does not share your language is stressful, and asking loudly at the table feels awkward. Printed translation cards exist, but many are sold one language at a time. Most people just want to tick what they avoid, choose the country, and show a card that says it politely: that a tiny amount matters, that shared pans and fryer oil matter, and that a picture can settle any doubt.
How Plate Pass (Allergy Card) works
- Tick what you must avoid from 14 common allergens and 6 diets, and choose how serious each one is: a serious allergy, something you can't digest, or something you simply don't eat.
- Choose the country where you are eating. Plate Pass picks the card language and the local emergency number.
- Tap Show card and hand over your phone. The card is full screen with big text and a crossed-out picture for each item.
- If staff are unsure, they can tap Yes, No or Not sure on the quick-question screen, and you see the answer in your own language.
What you get
- Pictures to confirmEvery item has a pictogram, and the card asks staff to point at the pictures: tick for safe, cross for not safe. The wording was written by the studio and has not been checked by native speakers, so the pictures are there to confirm.
- Fifteen languages, offlineAll the card sentences are inside the page, so it works with no signal once you have opened it once with internet before your trip.
- An emergency cardOne tap shows a red card in the local language with the local emergency number you can call yourself, and where your adrenaline pen is if you carry one. The app never calls or sends anything for you.
- Pro for $1, oncePro adds profiles for the whole family, your own sentences (shown exactly as you type them), printable two-sided cards as 85×54 mm PDF (long lists or longer languages print as several numbered cards), every language in one .zip, and images with no 1usd.life badge.
Private by design
Plate Pass has no account and no server. Your list of allergies is health information, so it stays in your browser on your phone: no analytics, nothing uploaded, no location. Plate Pass only uses the network in two cases you start yourself: checking a Pro key when you enter one, and the 💬 Feedback button, which sends only the text you type in it (with the app name and your language), and only when you tap Send. Plate Pass is not medical advice and cannot guarantee what a kitchen does: always carry your medicine or adrenaline pen, and if anyone is unsure, choose something else.
Free vs Pro
FAQ
Is Plate Pass free?
Yes. All allergens, all 15 languages, the show-the-staff screen, quick questions, the emergency card and a saved image are free forever. Pro is $1 once, not a subscription, with a 7-day refund.
Were the translations checked by native speakers?
No. The sentences were written by the studio and have not been checked by native speakers, so they can contain mistakes. That is why every card asks staff to point at the pictures, and why the app tells you so on screen.
Does it work without internet?
Yes. Open it once with internet before your trip, and then the card, the quick questions, the emergency card and image export all work offline. Only entering a Pro key needs a connection.
Is the emergency number right for where I am?
It comes from a built-in list, so check it for where you are. For countries not on the list you can type the number yourself. The app never dials: you tap the number if you want to call.
Can it guarantee my food is safe?
No. It is not medical advice and no card can guarantee what a kitchen does. Staff may misread it, ingredients can be hidden and cross-contact can happen. Always carry your medicine or adrenaline pen.