Groupon’s Grocery Deal Service Relies On Dead-Tree Checks

Groupon is moving to modernize the grocery business, with a new mobile app—called Snap—that gives customers money back after they upload photos of their receipts. But while Groupon is trying to modernize grocery with its rollout Thursday (Oct. 2), inertia is forcing some of the process back into the 20^th Century, as payments are being made via dead-tree checks shipped via snailmail. (Heck, 20^th Century processes justify 20th Century euphemisms.)

The payment won’t come until shoppers rack up more than $20 in savings.

“It is yet another move by Groupon to create revenue streams beyond the daily deals programs it initially became known for. Currently, Groupon offers a number of products, including coupons at partner retailers like JC Penney, as well as vacation travel packages and clearance sales on goods,” the New York Times reported. “Since Groupon’s troubled initial public offering in 2011, it has struggled to convince investors that the company can regain the consumer demand it initially gained by taking the daily deals business to the mainstream. But thus far, shares of Groupon have failed to climb back to the mid-20’s highs from a couple years ago; since February, the stock has not climbed above $10.”