diff --git a/frontend/src/app/self-service/page.tsx b/frontend/src/app/self-service/page.tsx
index 45af3c9..db16625 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/self-service/page.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/self-service/page.tsx
@@ -85,6 +85,13 @@ function fmtCurrency(val: number) {
   return val === 0 ? "Free" : `R${val.toFixed(2)}`;
 }
 
+// Loose "does this look like a mobile number" check — covers 0821234567 (10, leading 0),
+// 821234567 (9, no leading 0), and 27821234567 / +27821234567 (11 digits, country code).
+function looksLikePhone(s: string): boolean {
+  const digits = s.replace(/\D/g, "");
+  return digits.length >= 9 && digits.length <= 11;
+}
+
 // ─── Kiosk Page ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 export default function SelfServicePage() {
   const [screen, setScreen] = useState<Screen>("setup");
@@ -450,8 +457,9 @@ export default function SelfServicePage() {
       // Classify the query as email- or phone-shaped and send it as only that param —
       // sending the same raw string as both could let digits embedded in an email
       // (e.g. a numeric local-part) get misread as an unrelated phone number.
+      const isEmailLike = q.includes("@");
       const params = new URLSearchParams();
-      if (q.includes("@")) params.set("email", q);
+      if (isEmailLike) params.set("email", q);
       else params.set("phone", q);
       const data = await apiFetch<{
         exists: boolean;
@@ -466,7 +474,21 @@ export default function SelfServicePage() {
         setAccountExists(true);
         setLookupMessage("Account found — details filled in below.");
       } else {
+        // No match — still save the retype: carry the query into whichever field it
+        // resembles, and leave everything else blank for a fresh entry.
         setAccountExists(false);
+        setVisitorName("");
+        setNotificationPref("email");
+        if (isEmailLike) {
+          setVisitorEmail(q);
+          setVisitorPhone("");
+        } else if (looksLikePhone(q)) {
+          setVisitorPhone(q);
+          setVisitorEmail("");
+        } else {
+          setVisitorEmail("");
+          setVisitorPhone("");
+        }
         setLookupMessage("No matching account found.");
       }
     } catch {