How to Save on Travel & Entertainment at Groupon in January 2026

Groupon: Your Gateway to Affordable Adventures and Local Discovery

Groupon has undergone a significant evolution since its inception. While it may have started as a platform famous for daily deals on local services, it has transformed into a comprehensive global marketplace that prioritizes "experiences" over simple transactions. Today, Groupon acts as a premier destination for travelers and adventure seekers, moving beyond simple discounts to offer full-scale vacation packages, hotel stays, and entertainment bundles. It successfully connects millions of subscribers with local merchants and global travel providers, offering a vast inventory that ranges from neighborhood axe-throwing sessions to all-inclusive Caribbean resorts.

The platform’s core value proposition lies in its ability to offer "discovery at a discount." For the value-conscious consumer, Groupon removes the financial barrier to trying something new. By aggregating inventory from hotels, tour operators, and event venues that have excess capacity, Groupon can offer prices that are typically 20% to 70% below standard market rates. The platform utilizes a strategy of urgency and engagement, frequently featuring countdown timers and limited-time "Flash Sales" that encourage users to book immediately. Whether you are looking for a quick weekend road trip or a bucket-list excursion to Italy, Groupon allows you to pre-purchase vouchers to secure deeply discounted rates, often stacking with Groupon's travel coupons like “GIFT” for additional savings.

Groupon Value Programs and Benefit Integration: How to Maximize Your "Local Discovery" Experience

To truly save the most money possible, shoppers must understand that the listed price on a voucher is often just the beginning. Groupon has built an ecosystem of value programs that allow savvy users to stack savings and earn rewards on their purchases.

Groupon Bucks (Rewards System)

Groupon Bucks function as the platform’s proprietary currency, acting effectively as store credit that can be applied toward future purchases. While these can be granted by customer service to resolve issues, they are primarily a tool for engagement. Users can earn Groupon Bucks through specific promotional campaigns or by utilizing the "Refer a Friend" program. For example, if you refer a friend who then makes their first purchase, the platform often rewards you with credits that appear automatically in your account. These credits are particularly valuable for travelers, as they can be saved up and applied to larger purchases, such as a multi-night hotel stay or a flight-inclusive tour package.

Groupon Select and Member-Only Deals

One of the most overlooked ways to save is simply logging in. Groupon features a vast array of "Member-Only Deals" that are invisible to guest users. In the current marketplace, significant price drops for properties like the Holiday Inn Express New York City-Wall Street or the Radio Hotel NYC are gated behind a login wall. By creating a free account, you unlock these exclusive lower rates. Additionally, in select regions, frequent users can subscribe to "Groupon Select," a membership program that offers automatic, extra discounts—often up to 25% off local deals—that stack on top of existing sales, providing a consistent layer of savings for those who book activities frequently.

Groupon+ (Card-Linked Offers)

For travelers dining in a new city, Groupon+ offers a seamless way to save without the hassle of printing vouchers or presenting a phone screen to a waiter. This card-linked offer system allows you to sync an eligible credit card to your Groupon account and "claim" specific restaurant deals in your destination city. When you dine at that restaurant and pay the bill with your linked card, the savings are processed automatically, appearing as cash back on your credit card statement. This is ideal for business travelers or vacationers who want to save discreetly while exploring local cuisine. It pairs well with other travel conveniences, such as using Uber's ride promos to get from the hotel to the restaurant seamlessly.

Promo Codes and Sitewide Sales

Groupon is renowned for its aggressive use of "stackable" promo codes. Users should always look to the top of the homepage for banner codes, such as the widely used code GIFT. These codes can be applied at checkout to slash an additional percentage—often up to 30%—off the already discounted deal price. For instance, a family stay at the Six Flags Great Escape Lodge and Indoor Waterpark might be listed at a discounted rate of $104.94, but by applying the promo code at checkout, the price could drop further to under $100. Checking for these codes before finalizing any travel booking is essential for maximizing value.

Product Categories and Offerings: The Groupon Marketplace

Groupon’s inventory is vast, but its strongest offers are currently concentrated in travel and entertainment. The platform categorizes these deals to help users easily find everything from a local spa day to an international expedition.

Groupon Getaways (Travel)

The "Getaways" section is the crown jewel of Groupon’s high-value offers. This category is diverse, catering to families, couples, and solo adventurers alike.

Waterparks and Family Fun: This is arguably the most popular segment on the site. Groupon features an extensive lineup of "Stay and Play" packages at premier waterpark resorts. Current top offers include nationwide locations for Great Wolf Lodge (including the Poconos, Boston/Fitchburg, Williamsburg, and Minneapolis), The Kartrite Resort in the Catskills, and Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells. A major selling point for these deals is the "Kids Stay Free" tag found on many listings, which, combined with included waterpark passes, offers massive savings for larger families.

International and Tours: For those looking to go further afield, Groupon sells air-inclusive packages that take the stress out of planning. While you can find excellent options searching Expedia's vacation deals for standard trips, Groupon distinguishes itself with "Mystery Getaways," where the destination is a surprise, or structured itineraries like an 8-Day Rome and Venice Getaway, a 9-Day Road Trip in Gran Canaria, or an 8-Day Tour of China. All-inclusive beach resorts are also prominent, with deals for the Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort in the Dominican Republic and various properties in Cancun offering food, drinks, and lodging for one price.

Casinos and Adult Escapes: For adult travelers looking for nightlife and gaming, Groupon aggregates deals at major casino destinations. You can find significantly reduced nightly rates at Bally’s locations in Atlantic City, Lake Tahoe, and Shreveport, as well as the Saratoga Casino Hotel and the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. These packages often come with dining credits or "free play" casino credits to sweeten the deal.

City Breaks: Travelers looking for urban exploration can find deeply discounted hotels in major hubs. The platform currently highlights deals for the Margaritaville Resort Times Square and The Michelangelo in New York City, as well as the Sheraton Niagara Falls and New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Local "Things To Do"

Once a trip is booked, the "Things To Do" category helps fill the itinerary. This section includes tickets to major attractions like LEGOLAND New York or entertainment packages at Niagara Falls Clifton Hill. It is also the go-to source for booking relaxation while on the road; travelers frequently use this section to find discounted massages or spa days near their hotel. For example, the Cove Haven Resort in the Poconos is marketed specifically as a romantic retreat, often bundled with spa credits to enhance the stay.

Live Events

Groupon is a reliable, often lower-fee alternative to major ticket exchanges for live entertainment. The platform offers discounted tickets to comedy clubs, sporting events, concerts, and theater productions. This is an excellent resource for travelers looking for last-minute evening entertainment in a city they are visiting, allowing them to experience local culture without paying box-office prices.

Change, Cancellation and Refund Policy: Know Before You Book

Because Groupon sells vouchers for third-party merchants, understanding the cancellation and refund policies is critical. These policies vary depending on whether you are buying a local service or a hotel booking.

The "Trade In" Policy

Groupon offers a flexible "Trade In" program for many of its Local deals. If you purchase a voucher for a spa treatment or a local activity and realize you cannot use it, you often have the option to trade that voucher in for Groupon Bucks before the voucher expires. This allows you to recover the value of your purchase and re-allocate those funds toward a different deal that better fits your schedule, ensuring your money isn't wasted.

The "3-Day" Rule

For the majority of Local deals, Groupon adheres to a "3-Day Rule." This allows customers to request a refund to their original form of payment within three days of the purchase date, provided the voucher has not yet been viewed or redeemed. This cooling-off period is designed to give shoppers peace of mind in case of accidental purchases or immediate scheduling conflicts.

Groupon Getaways (Travel) Policy

Travel deals operate under two distinct models. The first is "Book Your Dates," where you select your check-in and check-out dates directly on the Groupon calendar at the time of purchase. For these deals, the specific cancellation policy is set by the hotel and is clearly stated in the Fine Print—these are often non-refundable or have strict cancellation windows. The second model is "Buy a Voucher," where you purchase a voucher to be redeemed for a stay at a later date. These typically offer a 7-day refund window if you are unable to find suitable dates with the merchant.

Expired Vouchers

Perhaps the most important consumer protection to remember is regarding expired vouchers. While the "promotional value" of a deal (the deep discount) has an expiration date, the "Amount Paid" never expires. For example, if you pay $100 for a hotel voucher worth $200 and let it expire, you lose the $200 value, but you retain a credit of $100 valid toward a booking or service at that specific merchant. You never truly lose the money you spent.

Levels of Engagement and Benefit Access

Guest, Registered User, and Subscriber

The level of savings you see on Groupon often depends on how you engage with the site. A "Guest" or standard user who browses without logging in will see public deals and can use standard promo codes, but they will miss out on the deepest discounts. A "Registered User" who creates a free account unlocks "Member-Only Deals," where prices for high-demand hotels are significantly lower than the public rate. This creates a competitive environment similar to hunting for Priceline's hotel savings, where the best rates are reserved for members. Finally, a "Subscriber" who opts into email notifications receives geo-targeted alerts for Flash Sales and price drops on "Trending Hotels" in their specific area, ensuring they never miss a time-sensitive offer.

Smart Ways to Save and Maximize Value: Expert Tips for the Savvy Shopper

To get the absolute best price, you should approach Groupon with a strategy. First, always stack the code. Before finalizing any purchase, look for a banner code like “GIFT” or “TIME4FUN”. Applying this code can reduce a hotel rate that is already 38% off by an additional 10% to 20%, leading to substantial savings. Second, specifically look for the "Kids Stay Free" tag on family resorts. Properties like The Kartrite and Sheraton Niagara Falls often waive extra guest fees for children when booking through Groupon, which can save a family of four hundreds of dollars compared to direct booking.

Furthermore, always check the "Included" perks. Many Groupon travel deals are bundled packages rather than simple room rates. A deal labeled "Make A Splash Year-Round" at Six Flags Great Escape Lodge, for instance, includes four waterpark passes in the price. When comparing prices, always calculate the value of these inclusions against the cost of buying them separately. Additionally, be flexible with your dates. Travel deals often utilize dynamic pricing, where a midweek stay at a resort like Great Wolf Lodge can be up to 57% cheaper than a weekend stay. If you are coordinating air travel to match these dates, it is worth checking American Airlines' flight discounts to see if midweek flights align with the cheaper resort rates to maximize your total trip savings. Finally, always read the Fine Print to check for Resort Fees. While the voucher covers the room, many hotels in destinations like Las Vegas and Niagara Falls charge a daily resort fee upon check-in, which you should factor into your total budget.

Program Enrollment and Account Management

Getting Started and Managing Your Deals

Getting started on Groupon is simple. Enrollment is free and can be done via email or social login. Once you are registered, your central hub is the "My Groupons" section of your account. This is where all your purchased vouchers live. From here, you can print vouchers, view them on your mobile device to show to merchants for redemption, or manage "Trade-Ins" if your plans change. For hotel vouchers that did not involve a calendar booking, this is also where you will find the redemption instructions—usually a specific link or phone number—to finalize your reservation with the property.

Key Terms and Conditions: Understanding the Jargon

To navigate Groupon effectively, you must understand a few key terms found in the Terms and Conditions:

"Promotional Value": Refers to the total value of the deal (e.g., the $200 room rate) and is subject to an expiration date.

"Amount Paid": The actual cash you spent (e.g., $99). This value never expires, acting as a permanent credit with the merchant.

"Gratuity": This is almost never included in vouchers. If you book a dining or spa experience, remember to tip the service provider based on the full, pre-discount price of the service, not the voucher price.

"Merchant Responsibility": Groupon acts as the marketer selling the voucher, but the merchant (the hotel, tour operator, or restaurant) is solely responsible for providing the service. If a tour operator were to cancel, Groupon would process the refund, but the service delivery lies with the business itself.

How We Find and Publish Deals

Our dedicated team of deal curators is on a constant mission to find the very best Groupon deals for you, our readers. We scour every corner of the internet, monitor their site for new promotions, and verify each offer to ensure it provides real value. This tireless effort means you can trust that the deals you see on DealNews are current, accurate, and the best available.