Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Groupon vs Tripadvisor

Groupon 4.8★ · Free to download 60
Winner Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor 4.8★ · Free + IAP 75

Tripadvisor is the better choice for travelers seeking reliable reviews and booking assistance, while Groupon is suitable for local deals despite significant customer service and refund issues.

Full reviews: Groupon · Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor excels as a travel planning tool with a vast database of user reviews and booking options, though recent app updates have caused navigation issues for some. Groupon offers attractive discounts on local services and experiences, but users frequently report problems with customer support, voucher redemption, and refund policies.

Head to head

Deals & Value edge: GrouponR5R11R13R19
Groupon Groupon users consistently praise the app for its 'awesome deals' and 'money-saving' opportunities on a wide range of services and activities, from oil changes to vacations R5R11R13R19. Many find it a great way to discover new businesses or enjoy experiences at a lower cost R41.
Tripadvisor Tripadvisor is primarily a review and booking platform, not a deal aggregator. While users appreciate its role in finding 'great places' and 'best food' , the focus is on quality and information, not discounts. Some users noted that tickets offered through Tripadvisor were more expensive than direct purchases .
Ease of Use & Reliability tieR1R6R13R26
Groupon Groupon's app experience is mixed. While some users find it 'easy to use' R13, many report significant glitches, bugs, and loading issues, making it difficult to complete purchases or redeem vouchers R1R6R26. The search engine is also criticized for poor relevance .
Tripadvisor Tripadvisor has faced recent criticism for app updates that removed the list view for search results, forcing users to rely on a 'clunky and unhelpful' map interface R61R70R95R99. This change has made the app 'not handy anymore' and 'more difficult to navigate' for many long-time users R70R95R99. Some users also report the app crashing or locking up .
Customer Service & Refunds tieR4R10R12R14
Groupon Groupon receives overwhelmingly negative feedback regarding its customer service and refund policies. Users frequently report a lack of live agents, reliance on AI bots, and difficulty getting refunds to their original payment methods, often receiving 'Groupon Bucks' instead R4R10R12R14. Some users claim to have been double-charged without resolution . However, a few users mention positive experiences with refunds or credits .
Tripadvisor Tripadvisor's customer service also draws criticism, particularly when issues arise with booked tours or activities. Users report that the company is unhelpful in resolving tour problems, often directing them to deal with third-party tour agents directly R83R89R97. Some users also claim that Tripadvisor does not care about customer safety, refusing refunds for weather-related cancellations .
Merchant Honoring & Experience Quality edge: TripadvisorR7R8R16R20
Groupon Many Groupon users report negative experiences with merchants not honoring vouchers, trying to upsell, adding extra fees, or treating Groupon customers poorly R7R8R16R20. Hidden requirements and fine print are also a common complaint, leading to vouchers being unusable R16. Some users also report dealing with scam businesses listed on Groupon R20.
Tripadvisor Tripadvisor's core strength is providing user reviews that help assess the quality of hotels, restaurants, and activities . While the platform itself doesn't guarantee the experience, it empowers users to make informed decisions. Negative experiences cited are typically with the reviewed businesses themselves, such as dirty windows at attractions or poor restaurant service, rather than issues with Tripadvisor's booking or information accuracy .
Information & Discovery edge: TripadvisorR29R31R41R61
Groupon Groupon is effective for discovering local deals and businesses that users might not otherwise know about R41R29. It helps users find events, services, and discounts nearby R29R31.
Tripadvisor Tripadvisor is highly valued as a comprehensive 'source for information' when traveling, helping users find 'sights to visit, hotels to stay at, or things to do' . Users rely on its reviews to compare options and plan trips . However, recent app changes have made it harder to browse and discover things R61R95R99.
Pick Groupon if

you are looking for significant discounts on local services, activities, or experiences and are willing to navigate potential customer service and redemption challenges to save money R5R11R13.

Pick Tripadvisor if

you prioritize comprehensive travel information, user reviews for hotels, restaurants, and attractions, and tour booking for planning trips, even with recent app navigation changes .

Evidence note: Recent reviews for both apps show a negative skew, with Groupon users frequently citing issues with customer service and voucher redemption, while Tripadvisor users are frustrated with recent app updates that removed the list view. Lifetime ratings are high for both, but recent sentiment indicates declining user satisfaction.

Frequently asked

Does Groupon offer refunds if a voucher isn't used or honored?
Groupon's refund policy is a frequent point of contention; many users report difficulty getting cash refunds and are often offered 'Groupon Bucks' instead, even when merchants don't honor the voucher or services are more expensive R12R14R18R22.
Is Tripadvisor reliable for booking tours and activities?
Tripadvisor is a popular platform for booking tours, but users have reported issues with tour cancellations due to new rules and a lack of assistance from Tripadvisor when problems arise, often being directed to deal with the tour agents directly R83R89R97.
Are there issues with the Tripadvisor app's navigation?
Yes, recent updates to the Tripadvisor app have removed the popular list view for search results, forcing users to navigate solely via a map, which many find 'clunky and unhelpful' and a significant downgrade to usability R61R70R95R99.
Does Groupon have good customer support?
Groupon's customer support is widely criticized, with many users reporting a lack of live agents, reliance on unhelpful AI bots, and extreme difficulty in resolving issues or getting refunds R4R10R24R32.

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. [R5] Groupon 5/5 · US Awesome Deals!🩷: I found what I was looking, for better price and I save more than I could think possible!!!
  2. [R11] Groupon 5/5 · US So many amazing deals. I love Groupon for gift giving too!: I love Groupon such a money saver
  3. [R13] Groupon 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. [R19] Groupon 5/5 · US Love the Savings: Always love finding deals so my family and I can enjoy more activities together.
  5. [R1] Groupon 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
  6. [R6] Groupon 3/5 · US Best app ever if you don't do beta: Love this app, but beta message it all up. Just remove and reset!
  7. [R26] Groupon 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.
  8. [R4] Groupon 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
  9. [R10] Groupon 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.
  10. [R12] Groupon 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
  11. [R14] Groupon 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
  12. [R7] Groupon 1/5 · US Sea world: Did not honor at Sea World San Diego
  13. [R8] Groupon 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
  14. [R16] Groupon 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
  15. [R20] Groupon 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
  16. [R29] Groupon 5/5 · US Great deals and finds!!: Groupon helps me find events near me, services with discounts near me, and discounted events near me! I was able to buy a whole vacation planned through groupon! 10/10 recommend!
  17. [R31] Groupon 5/5 · US Great App: This is such a great app there are so many good deals to get your nails done and hair done Eyelashes whatever you need basically
  18. [R41] Groupon 5/5 · US Love Groupon: I would never know about most of these businesses if they weren’t on Groupon.
  19. [R61] Tripadvisor 1/5 · US Nothing like breaking a perfect app for no reason: I’ve been using y’all for years, but I’ve got to find an alternative. This mapbox map thing is clunky and unhelpful As a user: I would like to see a list of things to do nearby. Clicking “Nearby” brings me to an infuriating map with no list view. I have no interest in zooming in to various pins on the map & clicking through them. Feels like y’a
  20. [R18] Groupon 1/5 · US Bad service: I got a group and was unable to use it at the vendor and Groupon did not refund me
  21. [R22] Groupon 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. [R83] Tripadvisor 1/5 · US Won’t help with tour issues: Good place to book tours, but we had lots of tour issues while visiting Italy & TripAdvisor did not help at all. I heard GetyourGuide is more helpful - so I will be using on my next trip.
  23. [R89] Tripadvisor 1/5 · US Dont use this company: This company is unprofessional and inconsiderate of there customers.. they have no issues taking your money and then make you try and resolve issues with tour agents rather through them where the trip or activity was booked. Then they waste your time transferring you from agent to agent which all are of no help and when you try to escalate it they tell you no supervisor is a
  24. [R97] Tripadvisor 2/5 · US Know before Rome: Booked our tickets way in advance for the colosseum and trevi fountain. New rules hit regarding who is allowed as certified tour companies and who is not. I recommend booking through the ACTUAL page to visit. Needless to say our was cancelled and as for the trevi we never received which is checked starting at 9am. I requested a refund but since that am communication has stopped.
  25. [R70] Tripadvisor 1/5 · US Not handy anymore: Your site is not easy to use anymore. I deleted your app.
  26. [R95] Tripadvisor 2/5 · US Removal of list view greatly reduces the usefulness of the app: Long time user. I have found the app incredibly useful when visiting a new city. Unfortunately the app will no longer show a list of sorted and filtered options. The only way to view results is on a map. I do like the map when looking for things close to me. Unfortunately this map view is useless when looking for options no
  27. [R99] Tripadvisor 1/5 · US NO LIST!: When searching for restaurants the results were available on a map AND a list view. No list anymore, it’s more difficult to navigate the choices.
  28. [R24] Groupon 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 .
  29. [R32] Groupon 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

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