Show more screenshots »

Groupon offers users a whole new way to save money in their local area. Rather than offering low discount coupons that can be found everywhere, Groupon adds a step by pulling together groups of people to improve discounts. Each day, a local discount is offered through Groupon. If a set minimum number of users register to purchase the deal, then it is activated and everyone who signed up can use it. If the number of registrations falls short, then the deal is missed. The idea is that by pooling users together and having them commit to taking advantage of the deal, Groupon can negotiate better discounts with local businesses.

Ever since its launch in 2008, Groupon has been supplying daily deals to its users. Although coupons are available in many major cities across the United States and Canada, the company headquarters can be found in Chicago. Here, over 300 employees as well as additional employees at the Groupon Pal Alto, California office, work hard to find the best discounts for users. The Groupon mission focuses on customer service as well as savings. Rather than throw any coupon at customers, Groupon chooses items and services that the site creators would consider valuable.

Coupons on the internet are not a new concept; however Groupon has added its own twist that can save users a lot of money. Rather than putting together a large collection of random discounts, Groupon uses buying power to negotiate even better savings. Only offering one coupon to users in each area per day, Groupon can offer greater savings that users will actually want to use. Groupon is unique because the application places quality over quantity.

The Groupon website provides brilliant, eye-catching colors and fun graphics, but does so in a way that is not intrusive. Users can easily check out the site, link using major social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, and comment on deals. Featured discounts are listed on the homepage, along with the price and current time left to buy.

To use Groupon, users only need one thing: their email address. No official account creation is required. Within seconds, users can sign up and begin receiving daily notices. To get on the Groupon emailing list, simply enter a valid email address in the field at the top of the page. Make sure the correct city is listed, and if it isn’t, select the “visit more cities” link just below to select a new location.

Users can spend as much or as little as they like at Groupon. No account creation is necessary and adding an email address to the Groupon mailing list is completely free. At this time, no premium account option is available. That being said, users will have to spend money on the deals they select. When a Groupon is received that a user wishes to take advantage of, they will be required to enter their credit card information when selecting the deal. Should enough users accept the daily deal, then the credit card will be charged for the total listed on the promotion. If not, then no charge is made.

Everyone loves to save money, so in that sense anyone can enjoy the benefits of Groupon. Individuals, couples, and families who like to spend time exploring local attractions can really appreciate what Groupon offers. A great deal could be enough incentive to try a new restaurant, service or store.

• Daily morning emails listing the current Groupon
• Easy integration with the biggest social networking websites
• Very simple registration process that takes literally seconds
• No commitment required unless the user chooses to accept the daily Groupon
• Discounts that would not be possible without the buying power of more consumers

Groupon video

comments powered by Disqus