How to Get a Groupon Student Discount

Groupon is a fantastic way to discover new local goods and services, and save money while you're doing it. If you attend a college or university, you can save even more money with the Groupon student discount. Using this service, you can leverage steep discounts on food, entertainment, activities, beauty services, and more.

Who Is Eligible For Groupon's Student Discount?

Groupon has a very specific requirement to qualify for their student discount, so there's no confusion about who qualifies and who doesn't. Here it is: If you are currently enrolled at a US Title IV accredited college or university, then you qualify. Four-year universities, community colleges, and other accredited institutions all count, as long as it is US Title IV accredited.

What Does the Groupon Student Discount Get You?

The Groupon student discount provides you with a 25 percent discount off most Groupon Local deals for a limited period of time. Once that initial period has expired, you'll continue to enjoy a 15 percent discount off most Groupon Local deals.

How Does Groupon Verify Student Enrollment?

Groupon verifies student enrollment using the SheerID verification service. Lots of companies use this same service, including Amazon, Spotify, Hulu, the New York Times, Nike, Netflix, and others. If you've ever signed up for a student discount through one of these companies, signing up for the Groupon student discount should be painless.

The SheerID verification process is automatic since they are able to check your name and school against their records. In the event that they aren't able to automatically verify your enrollment, you can opt for manual verification.

How to Sign Up for the Groupon Student Discount

Signing up for the Groupon student discount is almost as easy as signing up for a regular Groupon account. The only difference is that you have to provide some information that Groupon uses to verify your enrollment at a qualifying institution.

Here's how to sign up for the Groupon student discount:

1. Go to groupon.com/programs/student, and click Get Started.

2. Enter your username and password and click sign in to log into your existing Groupon account, or click I'm a new customer, then enter your information and click sign up.

3. Enter your information, then click Verify and Continue.

4. If SheerID is able to confirm that you are a student, you will be verified automatically. Follow any additional on-screen instructions to complete the process and start saving on Groupon.

What to Do When Automatic SheerID Verification Fails

If you see a message that Groupon and SheerID weren't able to verify your enrollment, there's still a chance that you will be able to successfully sign up for the student discount.

To complete the sign up process after automatic verification has failed, you'll have to upload supporting documents, like your school ID, that proves you're enrolled. SheerID can then use those documents to manually verify your enrollment.

You'll need to start the enrollment process over again, with a bit of a twist once the verification fails. Here's how that manual verification process works:

1. Go to groupon.com/programs/student, and follow the instructions from the previous section.

2. When your verification fails, click Verify with SheerID.

3. Click Choose File.

4. Choose supporting documents to upload.

   SheerID accepts documents like your current school ID card, school transcript, and other school-issued documents that include your full name, the school name, and the current date.

5. Once you have selected all of your supporting documents, click Submit File.

6. SheerID will manually verify your documents and get back to you. If they are able to verify your enrollment, you'll gain access to your Groupon student discount, and it should be easier for you to qualify for other student discounts that use SheerID in the future.

7. If SheerID still isn't able to verify your enrollment, contact them for further assistance.

Does the Groupon Student Discount Have Any Limitations?

Yes, there are some limits. In general, the Groupon student discount applies to most deals that you can purchase on the site. Some deals are excluded, however, so be sure to check the fine print every time you make a purchase.

Additionally, Groupon lays out a number of exceptions in its student discount terms and conditions. The maximum you can save, per use, on any given deal, is $20. The discount is also only available for one unit, per transaction, of any given deal.

Groupon also prevents you from combining your student discount with any promo codes or additional discounts. If you have a promo code or other discount that would save you more money than your student discount, you can only use one of them.

What Happens to Your Groupon Student Discount When You Graduate?

Your eligibility for the Groupon Student discount is tied to your enrollment at a qualifying school. That means you are no longer eligible if you graduate, and you also lose your eligibility if you leave school for any other reason.

Your enrollment in the Groupon student discount program lasts for 12 months. At the end of that period, you need to verify your enrollment again. If you aren't able to verify it for any reason, the student discount will be removed from your Groupon account. You'll still be able to purchase deals, you just won't receive the additional discount.