diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/auth/dependencies.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/auth/dependencies.py
index ac9e5fd..a3735eb 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/auth/dependencies.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/auth/dependencies.py
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ Sessions are verified by querying the shared sessions table directly.
 """
 
 from datetime import UTC, datetime
-from hashlib import sha256
-from uuid import UUID
 
 from fastapi import Cookie, Depends, Header, HTTPException, Request, status
 from fastapi.security import HTTPAuthorizationCredentials, HTTPBearer
@@ -28,17 +26,19 @@ SESSION_COOKIE_NAMES = [
 ]
 
 
-async def _validate_session_token(token: str, db: AsyncSession) -> UUID:
+async def _validate_session_token(token: str, db: AsyncSession) -> str:
     """Validate a Better-Auth session token against the sessions table.
 
-    Returns the user_id (as UUID) if the session is valid and not expired.
-    Better-Auth v1.5.6+ stores tokens as SHA-256 hashes, so we hash the
-    incoming raw token before querying.
+    Returns the user_id (as str) if the session is valid and not expired.
+    Better-Auth v1.5.6 stores raw tokens in the DB. The session cookie
+    is signed: ``rawToken.base64HMACSignature``. Strip the signature
+    before querying.
     """
-    hashed_token = sha256(token.encode("utf-8")).hexdigest()
+    # Signed cookie format: rawToken.hmacSignature — split and use only the token part
+    raw_token = token.split(".")[0] if "." in token else token
     result = await db.execute(
         text("SELECT user_id, expires_at FROM sessions WHERE token = :token"),
-        {"token": hashed_token},
+        {"token": raw_token},
     )
     row = result.first()
 
@@ -59,14 +59,14 @@ async def _validate_session_token(token: str, db: AsyncSession) -> UUID:
             detail="Session expired",
         )
 
-    return UUID(str(user_id))
+    return str(user_id)
 
 
 async def get_current_user(
     request: Request,
     credentials: HTTPAuthorizationCredentials | None = Depends(bearer_scheme),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
-) -> UUID:
+) -> str:
     """Extract and validate the session token from cookie or Authorization header.
 
     Checks in order:
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/auth/jwt.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/auth/jwt.py
index 100c77b..4e127bc 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/auth/jwt.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/auth/jwt.py
@@ -2,22 +2,21 @@
 
 from datetime import UTC, datetime, timedelta
 from typing import Any, cast
-from uuid import UUID
 
 from jose import JWTError, jwt
 
 from cartsnitch_api.config import settings
 
 
-def create_access_token(user_id: UUID) -> str:
+def create_access_token(user_id: str) -> str:
     expire = datetime.now(UTC) + timedelta(minutes=settings.jwt_access_token_expire_minutes)
-    payload = {"sub": str(user_id), "exp": expire, "type": "access"}
+    payload = {"sub": user_id, "exp": expire, "type": "access"}
     return cast(str, jwt.encode(payload, settings.jwt_secret_key, algorithm=settings.jwt_algorithm))
 
 
-def create_refresh_token(user_id: UUID) -> str:
+def create_refresh_token(user_id: str) -> str:
     expire = datetime.now(UTC) + timedelta(days=settings.jwt_refresh_token_expire_days)
-    payload = {"sub": str(user_id), "exp": expire, "type": "refresh"}
+    payload = {"sub": user_id, "exp": expire, "type": "refresh"}
     return cast(str, jwt.encode(payload, settings.jwt_secret_key, algorithm=settings.jwt_algorithm))
 
 
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/auth/routes.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/auth/routes.py
index 81cae2f..2c547a4 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/auth/routes.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/auth/routes.py
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ the Better-Auth service (auth/). This router provides user profile
 endpoints that query our own user data from the shared database.
 """
 
-from uuid import UUID
-
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, status
 from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
 
@@ -23,7 +21,7 @@ router = APIRouter(prefix="/auth", tags=["auth"])
 
 @router.get("/me", response_model=UserResponse)
 async def get_me(
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = AuthService(db)
@@ -38,7 +36,7 @@ async def get_me(
 @router.patch("/me", response_model=UserResponse)
 async def update_me(
     body: UpdateUserRequest,
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = AuthService(db)
@@ -54,7 +52,7 @@ async def update_me(
 
 @router.delete("/me", status_code=status.HTTP_204_NO_CONTENT)
 async def delete_me(
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = AuthService(db)
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/alerts.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/alerts.py
index 45ab33f..9b3fe8f 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/alerts.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/alerts.py
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 """Alert routes: list alerts, manage settings."""
 
-from uuid import UUID
-
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, status
 from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
 
@@ -15,7 +13,7 @@ router = APIRouter(prefix="/alerts", tags=["alerts"])
 
 @router.get("", response_model=list[AlertResponse])
 async def list_alerts(
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = AlertService(db)
@@ -24,7 +22,7 @@ async def list_alerts(
 
 @router.get("/settings", response_model=AlertSettingsResponse)
 async def get_alert_settings(
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = AlertService(db)
@@ -34,7 +32,7 @@ async def get_alert_settings(
 @router.put("/settings")
 async def update_alert_settings(
     body: AlertSettingsRequest,
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     raise HTTPException(
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/coupons.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/coupons.py
index d33d98a..9e43fbc 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/coupons.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/coupons.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ router = APIRouter(prefix="/coupons", tags=["coupons"])
 @router.get("", response_model=list[CouponResponse])
 async def list_coupons(
     store_id: UUID | None = Query(None),
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = CouponService(db)
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ async def list_coupons(
 
 @router.get("/relevant", response_model=list[CouponResponse])
 async def relevant_coupons(
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = CouponService(db)
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/prices.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/prices.py
index 487dd92..c39a1ce 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/prices.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/prices.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ router = APIRouter(prefix="/prices", tags=["prices"])
 
 @router.get("/trends", response_model=list[PriceTrendResponse])
 async def price_trends(
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     category: str | None = Query(None),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ async def price_trends(
 
 @router.get("/increases", response_model=list[PriceIncreaseResponse])
 async def price_increases(
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = PriceService(db)
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ async def price_increases(
 @router.get("/comparison", response_model=list[PriceComparisonResponse])
 async def price_comparison(
     product_ids: Annotated[list[UUID], Query()],
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = PriceService(db)
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/products.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/products.py
index 473cefe..84205e8 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/products.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/products.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ router = APIRouter(prefix="/products", tags=["products"])
 
 @router.get("", response_model=list[ProductResponse])
 async def list_products(
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     q: str | None = Query(None),
     category: str | None = Query(None),
     page: int = Query(1, ge=1),
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ async def list_products(
 @router.get("/{product_id}", response_model=ProductDetailResponse)
 async def get_product(
     product_id: UUID,
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = ProductService(db)
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ async def get_product(
 @router.get("/{product_id}/prices", response_model=PriceTrendResponse)
 async def get_product_prices(
     product_id: UUID,
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = ProductService(db)
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/purchases.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/purchases.py
index eba86ac..a337c8e 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/purchases.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/purchases.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ router = APIRouter(prefix="/purchases", tags=["purchases"])
 
 @router.get("", response_model=list[PurchaseResponse])
 async def list_purchases(
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     store_id: UUID | None = Query(None),
     page: int = Query(1, ge=1),
     page_size: int = Query(20, ge=1, le=100),
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ async def list_purchases(
 
 @router.get("/stats", response_model=PurchaseStatsResponse)
 async def purchase_stats(
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = PurchaseService(db)
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ async def purchase_stats(
 @router.get("/{purchase_id}", response_model=PurchaseDetailResponse)
 async def get_purchase(
     purchase_id: UUID,
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = PurchaseService(db)
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/scraping.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/scraping.py
index d8bbd5f..2804212 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/scraping.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/scraping.py
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 """Scraping routes: trigger sync, check status (proxy to ReceiptWitness)."""
 
-from uuid import UUID
-
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, status
 from httpx import HTTPStatusError, RequestError
 
@@ -13,7 +11,7 @@ router = APIRouter(prefix="/scraping", tags=["scraping"])
 
 
 @router.post("/{store_slug}/sync", response_model=SyncTriggerResponse)
-async def trigger_sync(store_slug: str, user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user)):
+async def trigger_sync(store_slug: str, user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user)):
     client = ReceiptWitnessClient()
     try:
         result = await client.trigger_sync(str(user_id), store_slug)
@@ -31,7 +29,7 @@ async def trigger_sync(store_slug: str, user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user
 
 
 @router.get("/status", response_model=list[SyncStatusResponse])
-async def sync_status(user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user)):
+async def sync_status(user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user)):
     client = ReceiptWitnessClient()
     try:
         return await client.get_sync_status(str(user_id))
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/shopping.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/shopping.py
index c64d5fd..f7c3d0e 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/shopping.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/shopping.py
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 """Shopping routes: optimize list, saved lists."""
 
-from uuid import UUID
-
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, status
 from httpx import HTTPStatusError, RequestError
 
@@ -13,7 +11,7 @@ router = APIRouter(prefix="/shopping", tags=["shopping"])
 
 
 @router.post("/optimize", response_model=OptimizeResponse)
-async def optimize_shopping(body: OptimizeRequest, user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user)):
+async def optimize_shopping(body: OptimizeRequest, user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user)):
     client = ClipArtistClient()
     try:
         result = await client.optimize(
@@ -37,7 +35,7 @@ async def optimize_shopping(body: OptimizeRequest, user_id: UUID = Depends(get_c
 
 
 @router.get("/lists", response_model=list[ShoppingListResponse])
-async def list_shopping_lists(user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user)):
+async def list_shopping_lists(user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user)):
     client = ClipArtistClient()
     try:
         return await client.get_shopping_lists(str(user_id))
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/stores.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/stores.py
index 1ab7947..1525933 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/stores.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/routes/stores.py
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 """Store routes: list stores, manage user store connections."""
 
-from uuid import UUID
-
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, status
 from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
 
@@ -21,7 +19,7 @@ async def list_stores(db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db)):
 
 @router.get("/me/stores", response_model=list[StoreAccountResponse])
 async def list_user_stores(
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = StoreService(db)
@@ -36,7 +34,7 @@ async def list_user_stores(
 async def connect_store(
     store_slug: str,
     body: ConnectStoreRequest,
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = StoreService(db)
@@ -51,7 +49,7 @@ async def connect_store(
 @router.delete("/me/stores/{store_slug}", status_code=status.HTTP_204_NO_CONTENT)
 async def disconnect_store(
     store_slug: str,
-    user_id: UUID = Depends(get_current_user),
+    user_id: str = Depends(get_current_user),
     db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_db),
 ):
     svc = StoreService(db)
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/alerts.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/alerts.py
index fc3ddd4..cc03d60 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/alerts.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/alerts.py
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ Alerts are generated by StickerShock and ShrinkRay services and written to the D
 This service reads them for the API gateway.
 """
 
-from uuid import UUID
-
 from sqlalchemy import select
 from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
 from sqlalchemy.orm import selectinload
@@ -15,7 +13,7 @@ class AlertService:
     def __init__(self, db: AsyncSession) -> None:
         self.db = db
 
-    async def list_alerts(self, user_id: UUID) -> list[dict]:
+    async def list_alerts(self, user_id: str) -> list[dict]:
         """List shrinkflation events for products the user has purchased."""
         from cartsnitch_api.models import Purchase, PurchaseItem, ShrinkflationEvent
 
@@ -57,7 +55,7 @@ class AlertService:
             for e in events
         ]
 
-    async def get_settings(self, user_id: UUID) -> dict:
+    async def get_settings(self, user_id: str) -> dict:
         # Alert settings would be stored in a user_settings table.
         # For now, return defaults since the table doesn't exist yet in common lib.
         return {
@@ -66,7 +64,7 @@ class AlertService:
             "email_notifications": False,
         }
 
-    async def update_settings(self, user_id: UUID, **fields) -> dict:
+    async def update_settings(self, user_id: str, **fields) -> dict:
         # Would update user_settings table. Return merged defaults for now.
         current = await self.get_settings(user_id)
         for k, v in fields.items():
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/auth.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/auth.py
index 91724af..4894150 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/auth.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/auth.py
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ handled by the Better-Auth service (auth/). This service provides
 user lookup and profile update operations for the API gateway.
 """
 
-from uuid import UUID
-
 from sqlalchemy import select
 from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
 
@@ -15,7 +13,7 @@ class AuthService:
     def __init__(self, db: AsyncSession) -> None:
         self.db = db
 
-    async def get_user(self, user_id: UUID) -> dict:
+    async def get_user(self, user_id: str) -> dict:
         from cartsnitch_api.models import User
 
         result = await self.db.execute(select(User).where(User.id == user_id))
@@ -30,7 +28,7 @@ class AuthService:
             "created_at": user.created_at,
         }
 
-    async def update_user(self, user_id: UUID, **fields) -> dict:
+    async def update_user(self, user_id: str, **fields) -> dict:
         from cartsnitch_api.models import User
 
         result = await self.db.execute(select(User).where(User.id == user_id))
@@ -58,7 +56,7 @@ class AuthService:
             "created_at": user.created_at,
         }
 
-    async def delete_user(self, user_id: UUID) -> None:
+    async def delete_user(self, user_id: str) -> None:
         from cartsnitch_api.models import User
 
         result = await self.db.execute(select(User).where(User.id == user_id))
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/coupons.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/coupons.py
index 9b1543e..a5b8a2c 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/coupons.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/coupons.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class CouponService:
         coupons = result.scalars().all()
         return [self._to_dict(c) for c in coupons]
 
-    async def relevant_coupons(self, user_id: UUID) -> list[dict]:
+    async def relevant_coupons(self, user_id: str) -> list[dict]:
         """Coupons for products the user has purchased."""
         from cartsnitch_api.models import Coupon, PurchaseItem
 
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/purchases.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/purchases.py
index 41776f4..10ca0a4 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/purchases.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/purchases.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class PurchaseService:
 
     async def list_purchases(
         self,
-        user_id: UUID,
+        user_id: str,
         store_id: UUID | None = None,
         page: int = 1,
         page_size: int = 20,
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class PurchaseService:
             for p, item_count, store_name in result.all()
         ]
 
-    async def get_purchase(self, purchase_id: UUID, user_id: UUID) -> dict:
+    async def get_purchase(self, purchase_id: UUID, user_id: str) -> dict:
         from cartsnitch_api.models import Purchase
 
         result = await self.db.execute(
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class PurchaseService:
             ],
         }
 
-    async def get_stats(self, user_id: UUID) -> dict:
+    async def get_stats(self, user_id: str) -> dict:
         from cartsnitch_api.models import Purchase
 
         result = await self.db.execute(
diff --git a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/stores.py b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/stores.py
index 610f47e..c7d43ec 100644
--- a/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/stores.py
+++ b/api/src/cartsnitch_api/services/stores.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 """Store service — list stores, manage user store account connections."""
 
 import json
-from uuid import UUID
 
 from cryptography.fernet import Fernet
 from sqlalchemy import select
@@ -35,7 +34,7 @@ class StoreService:
             for s in stores
         ]
 
-    async def list_user_stores(self, user_id: UUID) -> list[dict]:
+    async def list_user_stores(self, user_id: str) -> list[dict]:
         from cartsnitch_api.models import UserStoreAccount
 
         result = await self.db.execute(
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ class StoreService:
             for a in accounts
         ]
 
-    async def connect_store(self, user_id: UUID, store_slug: str, credentials: dict | None) -> dict:
+    async def connect_store(self, user_id: str, store_slug: str, credentials: dict | None) -> dict:
         from cartsnitch_api.models import Store, UserStoreAccount
 
         result = await self.db.execute(select(Store).where(Store.slug == store_slug))
@@ -107,7 +106,7 @@ class StoreService:
             "sync_status": "active",
         }
 
-    async def disconnect_store(self, user_id: UUID, store_slug: str) -> None:
+    async def disconnect_store(self, user_id: str, store_slug: str) -> None:
         from cartsnitch_api.models import Store, UserStoreAccount
 
         result = await self.db.execute(select(Store).where(Store.slug == store_slug))
diff --git a/scripts/seed-dev-job.yaml b/scripts/seed-dev-job.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d5cc86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/seed-dev-job.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+# seed-dev-job.yaml
+# K8s Job to run the CartSnitch seed runner against the dev database.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   kubectl apply -f seed-dev-job.yaml -n cartsnitch-dev
+#
+# To view logs:
+#   kubectl logs -n cartsnitch-dev job/seed-dev -f
+#
+# To re-run after fixing issues:
+#   kubectl delete -f seed-dev-job.yaml -n cartsnitch-dev && kubectl apply -f seed-dev-job.yaml -n cartsnitch-dev
+#
+apiVersion: batch/v1
+kind: Job
+metadata:
+  name: seed-dev
+  namespace: cartsnitch-dev
+  labels:
+    app: cartsnitch
+    component: seed
+    environment: dev
+  annotations:
+    description: "Runs cartsnitch-common seed runner to populate dev database with realistic test data."
+spec:
+  # Prevent retries — a failed seed run should be investigated, not auto-repeated.
+  backoffLimit: 0
+  # Do not run concurrently; sequential runs are safer for truncate+reseed.
+  concurrencyPolicy: Forbid
+  template:
+    metadata:
+      labels:
+        app: cartsnitch
+        component: seed
+        environment: dev
+    spec:
+      restartPolicy: Never
+      containers:
+        - name: seed
+          # Use slim Python image with the cartsnitch-common package installed from git.
+          # The common repo is public; no additional secret is needed for the pip install.
+          image: python:3.12-slim
+          command:
+            - sh
+            - -c
+            - |
+              pip install --no-cache-dir "cartsnitch-common @ git+https://github.com/cartsnitch/common.git@main" && \
+              python -m cartsnitch_common.seed --database-url "$${DATABASE_URL}"
+          env:
+            - name: DATABASE_URL
+              valueFrom:
+                secretKeyRef:
+                  name: cartsnitch-secrets
+                  key: database-url-pg
+                  optional: false
+          resources:
+            requests:
+              cpu: 100m
+              memory: 256Mi
+            limits:
+              cpu: 500m
+              memory: 512Mi
diff --git a/scripts/seed-dev.sh b/scripts/seed-dev.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..a478015
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/seed-dev.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# =============================================================================
+# seed-dev.sh — Run the CartSnitch seed runner against the dev database.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ./seed-dev.sh              Run full seed against dev
+#   ./seed-dev.sh --dry-run    Show planned record counts without writing
+#   ./seed-dev.sh --help       Show this help
+#
+# Prerequisites:
+#   - kubectl configured for the cartsnitch-dev cluster
+#   - Namespace cartsnitch-dev exists (CNPG Postgres must be running)
+#
+# What it does:
+#   1. Starts a background port-forward to cartsnitch-pg-rw:5432
+#   2. Waits for the tunnel to be ready
+#   3. Runs python -m cartsnitch_common.seed with --database-url pointing
+#      to localhost:<forwarded-port>/cartsnitch
+#   4. Cleans up the port-forward on exit (normal, interrupt, or error)
+# =============================================================================
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# --- Config -------------------------------------------------------------------
+readonly NAMESPACE="cartsnitch-dev"
+readonly SVC_NAME="cartsnitch-pg-rw"
+readonly LOCAL_PORT="5433"          # use a non-privileged port to avoid conflicts
+readonly DB_NAME="cartsnitch"
+readonly PG_USER="cartsnitch"
+# Retrieve password from the CNPG credentials secret
+readonly PG_PASSWORD="$(
+  kubectl get secret cartsnitch-pg-credentials \
+    -n "$NAMESPACE" \
+    -o jsonpath='{.data.password}' \
+  | base64 -d
+)"
+readonly DB_URL="postgresql://${PG_USER}:${PG_PASSWORD}@localhost:${LOCAL_PORT}/${DB_NAME}"
+
+# --- Helpers ------------------------------------------------------------------
+log()  { echo "[seed-dev] $*"; }
+fail() { log "ERROR: $*" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+# Cleanup port-forward and exit.
+cleanup() {
+  if [[ -n "${PF_PID:-}" ]]; then
+    log "Stopping port-forward (PID $PF_PID)..."
+    kill "$PF_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+    wait "$PF_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+  fi
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+# --- Args ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+DRY_RUN=""
+HELP_FLAG=""
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    --dry-run)  DRY_RUN="--dry-run"; shift ;;
+    --help)     HELP_FLAG="1"; shift ;;
+    *)          fail "Unknown argument: $1";;
+  esac
+done
+
+if [[ -n "$HELP_FLAG" ]]; then
+  sed -n '3,/^# ---/p' "$0" | head -n -1 | sed 's/^# //'
+  echo ""
+  echo "Additional arguments are passed through to the seed runner."
+  echo "Common seed-runner options:"
+  echo "  --dry-run          Show planned record counts without writing"
+  echo "  --seed N           Set random seed (default: 42)"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# --- Prerequisites ------------------------------------------------------------
+if ! command -v kubectl &>/dev/null; then
+  fail "kubectl not found — must be installed and configured."
+fi
+
+# --- Port-forward -------------------------------------------------------------
+log "Starting port-forward ${SVC_NAME}:5432 -> localhost:${LOCAL_PORT} ..."
+kubectl port-forward \
+  -n "$NAMESPACE" \
+  svc/"$SVC_NAME" \
+  "${LOCAL_PORT}:5432" \
+  &>/dev/null &
+PF_PID=$!
+
+# Give the tunnel a moment to establish
+sleep 2
+
+# Verify the tunnel is up
+if ! kill -0 "$PF_PID" 2>/dev/null; then
+  fail "Port-forward failed to start."
+fi
+log "Port-forward active (PID $PF_PID) on localhost:${LOCAL_PORT}"
+
+# --- Seed --------------------------------------------------------------------
+log "Running seed against dev database..."
+set -x
+python -m cartsnitch_common.seed --database-url "$DB_URL" $DRY_RUN
+set +x
+
+log "Done."