Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
The verdict on

Groupon

45
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

Groupon continues to offer significant savings on various services and experiences, but recent user reviews highlight persistent issues with customer support, refund policies, and app functionality, leading to a frustrating experience for many.

4.8★ lifetime (587,855) Free to download since 2010 by Groupon, Inc. updated 0.1 mo ago recent negative 17% 120 reviews across 4 regions
Customer Support Deals & Savings Refund Policy Merchant Issues App Functionality/Glitches Hidden Terms
5★761
4★50
3★15
2★18
1★156
recent reviews across 4 regions, vs the 4.8★ lifetime average

Groupon provides a platform for finding deals on activities, services, and products, with many users appreciating the potential for savings. However, a significant number of recent reviews report difficulties with customer service, problems redeeming vouchers, and a restrictive refund policy that often defaults to 'Groupon bucks' instead of cash.

What users like

  • Offers significant savings on a wide range of deals and experiencesR8R13R20R33
  • Easy to use for finding and redeeming coupons when the app functions correctlyR20R76R149
  • Customer service can be helpful in some cases, offering refunds or creditsR36R70R98R146

What users complain about

  • Lack of accessible and effective customer support, often relying on non-responsive AI bots or slow email communicationR2R5R25R29
  • Refunds are frequently issued as 'Groupon Bucks' instead of cash, even for unused or unredeemable vouchersR6R7R19R22
  • Merchants sometimes refuse to honor Groupons, try to upsell, or add hidden feesR4R10R14R15
  • App suffers from glitches, payment processing issues, and problems loading vouchersR1R16R21R28
  • Vouchers can have hidden requirements, fine print, or expiration dates that make them difficult to useR9R15R27R62
  • Some deals are misleading, showing higher discounts than actual prices or bait-and-switch tacticsR53R62
  • Delays in receiving vouchers or confirmation after purchaseR1R45R48R59
  • Concerns about scam merchants or fraudulent listings on the platformR12R32R34R43
  • Limited or repetitive deal options in some geographic areasR508R531R593R930

Latest update · v26.10.2

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

Thanks for using the Groupon app! Here at Groupon, we strive to deliver the best deals to you by improving your experience every time we release a new version of our app. Our updates include many new features, improvements and bug fixes.

Recurring themes

Customer Support negative
Many users report extreme difficulty reaching a live customer service agent, with experiences limited to unhelpful AI bots, slow email responses, or no contact options at all. This leads to frustration when issues arise with purchases or refunds. The developer's notes mention 'improvements and bug fixes' but do not specifically address customer service accessibility.R2R5R25R29
Refund Policy negative
A prevalent complaint is Groupon's policy of issuing refunds as 'Groupon Bucks' rather than returning money to the original payment method, even when services are not rendered, vouchers expire, or merchants don't honor them. This is seen as a scam by many users.R6R7R19R22
Merchant Issues negative
Users frequently encounter problems with merchants not honoring Groupons, claiming to be fully booked, attempting to upsell, or adding unexpected fees. There are also reports of scam businesses listed on the platform.R4R10R12R14
App Functionality/Glitches negative
Many recent reviews mention the app being glitchy, failing to load items into carts, having issues with payment processing (double charging), or not displaying vouchers correctly. Some users also find the system confusing or difficult to navigate. This directly contradicts the developer's notes claiming 'bug fixes' and 'improvements'.R1R16R17R21
Deals & Savings positive
Despite the issues, a large number of users still praise Groupon for offering great deals and significant savings on various services, activities, and products, making experiences more affordable.R3R8R13R20
Hidden Terms negative
Users report that deals often come with hidden requirements, fine print, or restrictive dates that are not clearly visible before purchase, leading to vouchers being unusable or difficult to redeem.R9R15R27R64

Who it's for

Groupon is for bargain hunters looking for discounts on local services, activities, and products, especially those who are willing to navigate potential customer service challenges and carefully read all terms and conditions before purchasing R8R13. It is not for users who expect seamless customer support, guaranteed cash refunds, or immediate voucher access after purchase R5R7.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew heavily negative, with a significant number of 1-star ratings, which contrasts sharply with the lifetime 4.8-star rating. This suggests a downward trajectory in user satisfaction, particularly concerning customer service, refund policies, and app reliability. While positive reviews still praise the savings, the volume and detail of negative feedback on core functionalities are substantial.

Frequently asked

Does Groupon offer cash refunds?
Based on recent reviews, Groupon frequently issues refunds as 'Groupon Bucks' or credit to your Groupon account rather than returning money to your original payment method, even for unused or problematic purchases R7R19.
Is Groupon customer service easily accessible?
Many recent users report that Groupon's customer service is difficult to access, often limited to unhelpful AI bots or slow email responses, with no readily available phone number or chat option R2R5.
Are there hidden fees or conditions with Groupon deals?
Yes, several reviews indicate that Groupon deals can have hidden requirements, fine print, or specific dates and times when they cannot be used, which are not always obvious before purchase R9R15R27R64.
Do merchants always honor Groupon vouchers?
No, some users report that merchants occasionally refuse to honor Groupon vouchers, try to upsell additional services, or add extra fees, leading to a negative experience R4R14R23R55.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R8] 5/5 · US Awesome Deals!🩷: I found what I was looking, for better price and I save more than I could think possible!!!
  2. [R13] 5/5 · US So many amazing deals. I love Groupon for gift giving too!: I love Groupon such a money saver
  3. [R20] 5/5 · US Love Savings!: I have used Groupon for years snd love all the money I have saved and how easy it is to redeem coupons!
  4. [R33] 5/5 · US Love the Savings: Always love finding deals so my family and I can enjoy more activities together.
  5. [R76] 5/5 · US Makes doing Fun Life things cost less!: It’s nice and simple to use, sometimes the deals go away, which is understandable
  6. [R149] 5/5 · US Smooth as Silk: The Groupon app makes saving money with their featured services SO easy! Anyone paying full retail is really missing out!
  7. [R36] 5/5 · US Joe: I really enjoy shopping with Groupon. I get things that really great prices and I’m always happy with the what I buy also if something does happen and I’m not pleased they’re quick to give me a credit towards something else that I wouldn’t be interested I really like Groupon and I would suggest that anybody to use it.
  8. [R70] 5/5 · US Great value and deals. Solid customer service.: Many good deals over the years. Most everything has been a good value. A few deals expired on me and Groupon took care of it, made me whole on the money I otherwise would have lost. Thank you
  9. [R98] 5/5 · US Great customer service: I booked with an aesthetician before I read comments so glad I did . And processed my refund immediately booked with a different aesthetician
  10. [R146] 5/5 · US Awesome!!: Love my Groupons!! They never let you down, if they do, they always makes it right! Fantastic service!
  11. [R2] 1/5 · US Don’t bother no support no purchases for CC only debit cards.: All AI bots, no support if there’s an issue. Decline credit cards then requests you use Apple or google pay bit if you use a credit attached to Apple Pay it’s declined only accepts debit cards or Apple or google pay that has de it card attached. You can find reals deals elsewhere online
  12. [R5] 1/5 · US This app Trassshhhhh!!!!!: If you ever get scammed out your money, just call your bank and cancel it! Because this app has no real live agent to assist!!! Full of AI’s that’ll act like a live agent, and will have you keep repeating the same process every day until you can’t get your refund back.
  13. [R25] 1/5 · US Worst: Don’t expect them to help they will tell you to contact them with no luck there a third party that had no pawer over nothing point blank period.
  14. [R29] 1/5 · US Scammers: I purchased two 40 unit Botox deals with two different med spas and only 1 of the 2 purchases is showing up on my account and the other one isn’t…. However they are both showing up on my PayPal credit card. They don’t have human phone call customer service, only email. The email is slow, only 1 or two responses per week. They keep deeply misunderstanding me, sending me all kinds of bull
  15. [R6] 1/5 · US Bad Experience: i bought coupon from Groupon and didn't use it as service was more expensive than without coupon.. they are not refunding or adding Groupon money.. let me to deal with vendor
  16. [R7] 1/5 · US This app is a scam: Tried to get a refund on zoo passes that weren’t used. And instead of giving me a refund to my card they automatically refunded me “Groupon bucks” then refused to give me my cash back. Lost a customer. Watch out for the BS on this app. 0 stars if I could
  17. [R19] 1/5 · US Don’t use this app!!: I purchased a Groupon to a merchant who required an appointment for their service. I made the appointment. I received an email telling me that they cancelled the appointment. Fine no problem. I requested a refund from Groupon. They refuse to refund my money back onto my debit card! I spoke with customer service who assured me a resolution would be reached within 48h. 7days la
  18. [R22] 1/5 · US Rip off: Groupon charged me twice for one coupon and then refused to refund the price back to my bank account. They only offer more Groupon credits. Please be careful that they don’t double charge you because you cannot get your money back.
  19. [R4] 1/5 · US Sea world: Did not honor at Sea World San Diego
  20. [R10] 5/5 · US BEWARE: My review is only a 1 they won’t post a review under 5 We purchased our tickets to Comic Con. We then did everything it said to activate our tickets 3 days before the show. Only for the morning of it said that the tickets had expired. I had messaged Groupon was told that we would get a refund and it would take 24-48 hours to get our money back. They then told us we had to purchase tickets
  21. [R14] 1/5 · US Don’t recommend: Groupon is terrible. Anything you buy on there, the merchants don’t want to honor it. They will say they’re all booked up if you mention you’re using a Groupon, or will try to upsell you, or add additional fees. And then Groupon will not give you a refund. They will only give you “Groupon Bucks.”
  22. [R15] 2/5 · US Groupon sucks: You can’t ever just get something. It’s always extra fees. You can’t get a refund . You can’t talk to anyone . It is so much trouble to save a few bucks . I’d rather pay full price than deal with this bull. Just beware it is a major headache .
  23. [R1] 1/5 · US Not like before: It’s been years since I used Groupon. If I can get what I paid for today within the next 24 hours, I might stick around. After you pay, you’re told it will be hours (in my case 3-4 or 24) before you get the key. Had I known that, I would have purchased direct. All this hassle to save $7. And then there are other glitches… SMH
  24. [R16] 1/5 · US Very glitchy: Used to be a great app. Purchased a few items on there in the past with fair to great results, but now it just shows the items available and won’t even load it into your cart. It used to do that occasionally in the past, but the last “update” in early June 2026 seems to have broken the app completely. Very sad.
  25. [R21] 1/5 · US No visa!??: Hours to make a purchase
  26. [R28] 1/5 · US please fix the bugs: can’t even use my voucher because nothing loads on the app
  27. [R9] 1/5 · US Too many hidden requirements: Too many hidden requirements, too much small, fine print. Many coupons are not available to use during certain times and certain dates. They do not make it obvious at all. These fine prints are hidden in some corner. After I purchased it, they will refuse to refund it. Then you realize the dates you were planning to go are part of the not available dates under the fin
  28. [R27] 1/5 · US Feeling scammed: The listing did not have non-refundable rule policy explicitly visible upon purchase. I did try to locate it upon the purchase, apparently it was somewhere in the fine print. The expiration date of the groupons I purchased is within less than two weeks. I contacted them asking to cancel or award Groupon credit and got a blanket refusal. Disappointed old user.
  29. [R62] 1/5 · US Not worth it!: Groupon makes it seem like they offer amazing deals but they really aren’t..shipping is separate…if your Groupon expires they don’t offer credit or refund. Just a horrible experience with this company! Never again
  30. [R53] 1/5 · US Bait and switch and spam: The discounts are consistently lower than the original title. Ie wolf lodge shows 50 dollars/ticket and you click on it and it ranges from 150-300.
  31. [R45] 1/5 · US Never received anything after I paid: I bought a 4 pack of tickets to a water park never received a confirmation, or the tickets but they took the money. Should have just bout them from the actual waterpark and spent a little bit more money.
  32. [R48] 1/5 · US Liars: I purchased something through this app at the end it says you have to wait 24 hours to redeem? Why you did not say that before the purchase?
  33. [R59] 1/5 · US Run from them!: Good luck on getting your product, especially without constant follow up and replies. It sounds nice but they’re not true. Whatever the excuse, they still take your money.
  34. [R12] 1/5 · US Stop selling coupons for scam businesses: 0 stars actually! For selling coupons for Modrn Sanctuari massage- They literally scam you on websites like Groupon, charge you extra for rescheduling and don’t even refund for not providing the service! Posted wrong phone numbers on google and groupon! I genuinely like the service when I first had it but my experience without them is horrible…. Scammers
  35. [R32] 1/5 · US Be careful they’ll rob you: More than once, they have taken the money from my account and then said the payment failed and never refunded me. There is no option for help if this happens, they just have your money now. And also!! They do have scam merchants on here. I purchased a wax and the seller did not respond to anyone according to google reviews, just collects money for appointments and never
  36. [R34] 1/5 · US Scam: I used groupon specifically to purchase a sams club membership. I purchased the membership and i hit redeem but the link takes me to the sams website where it says i have to pay full price. The only support i can get to is through an automated chat bot which is not helping at all
  37. [R43] 1/5 · US Shame Company: They let scammers sell fake software, and they do not do anything even when they are reported. There are so many of them. They steal money from people but groupon does not care. I reported I bought a fake software but nothing happened. They do not care only they receive their cut.
  38. [R508] 3/5 · CA Limited, repeatable options!: I remember using Groupon years and years ago, and there was always tons great deals! I've downloaded it again and have been using it over the last couple of months and it's the exact same deals every time I one the app. There's never anything new or exciting for my city. Definitely losing interest. What a bummer 😢
  39. [R531] 3/5 · CA Limited options in Toronto: I rmb using this in university back in 2010s but now there's barely any deals on this app. I dont think alot of local businesses participate anymore
  40. [R593] 3/5 · CA Great deals: Good dinner deals but need to see more options available especially for birthdays.
  41. [R930] 3/5 · AU Best site: My favourite site to buy a good offers, wish they have more discounts and more places I wish to see more offers. Few years ago theirs many especially Movie world ( them park in qld)
  42. [R17] 1/5 · US Complicated: I would rather have paid full price to nord vpn than to deal with your confusing system. At least I’d have it installed by now. Last time I use your service!
  43. [R3] 5/5 · US Great service: Awesomeness
  44. [R64] 1/5 · US Still horrible: Honestly Groupon isn’t even worth the time or money. Once I again I read the fine print and check everything before purchasing and I can’t even use it after purchasing. I would rather stay away from this app and pay full price or find somewhere cheaper.
  45. [R23] 1/5 · US Very bad: 90% of merchants when you purchased from Groupon, they treat you very badly I don’t think in a good idea to buy from Groupon when I called for an appointment, they told me you can cancel with Groupon and pay to us directly
  46. [R55] 1/5 · US Not the same old app:(: If I were able to leave NO stars at all, that would be my exact rating. I have driven across town twice to establishments that were either out of business or just literally didn’t exist. Thankfully, something told me to wait and pay once I arrived, that would have been $95 down the drain had I went ahead and paid in the app. Ive also read the reviews for totally different s

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store