Product Value - Reference Price and Discount Policy


We strive to offer the most positive user experience possible for customers on Groupon Goods Marketplace. This means providing them with the clearest and accurate representations of product value possible.


When creating a new deal, keep in mind that Groupon Goods Marketplace has a few guidelines related to your listed reference price and the corresponding advertised discount. Take note, and be certain your product complies fully before submitting it for approval. 



Reference Prices

Merchants are responsible for setting the prices for their product listings on Groupon’s channels. For each of your product listings, you will be prompted to provide a reference or list price (for example, a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price or MSRP), which will be displayed on your product listing page on Groupon’s channels. You will also be prompted to provide a reference price URL that verifies the product’s reference price, such as the manufacturer's website. By providing a reference price, you represent to Groupon and customers that you or other retailers or sellers have made substantial sales of your listed product or a comparable product at the reference price during the prior 90-day period. You also assume responsibility for ensuring that the reference prices and reference price URLs you provide to us remain current.


In addition, in order to be successfully listed on our portal, your product listing must:

  1. NOT have a listed reference price of $10,000 or greater; and
  2. NOT have a Sale Price that equals a discount (rounded to the nearest whole %) of 90% or greater


If Groupon cannot verify the reference price and reference price URL you provide, we may not allow the product listing to appear on Groupon’s channels.



Limited Time Sale Pricing


If you opt-in to any of Groupon’s promotional pricing services for your product listing(s), your product listing page may feature three prices during limited time sales.  During a limited time sale, product listing pages show your gray reference price, a green “was” price, and a red limited time sale price.  The green “was” price is determined using the median price at which the product was listed for sale on Groupon over the previous thirty (30) days, excluding during limited-time sales.


Violations of Groupon’s Reference Price and Discount Policy

We take the integrity of our platform very seriously. Groupon regularly monitors the prices of items on our channels. If we see pricing practices on a marketplace offer that harms customer trust, or otherwise violate its applicable merchant agreement or our Vendor Code of Conduct, Groupon may remove the reference price from the product listing page, pause the product listing, or, in serious or repeated cases, suspend or terminate the merchant’s selling privileges.

Further, we reserve the right to pursue legal action against dishonest merchants for pricing misrepresentations.  We encourage you to contact your Groupon merchant representative (if you are an existing Groupon merchant) or pricing@groupon.com if you believe the pricing information on any product listing is inaccurate. We will investigate the concern thoroughly and take appropriate action, if necessary.