Introduction
CouponDunia is an Indian digital-platform that provides coupon codes, deals and cashback offers across a large number of online (and increasingly offline) merchants. Its stated mission is to help shoppers save money by aggregating discount offers and then giving them additional cash-back on top. According to its “About Us” page, CouponDunia was founded in 2010, is headquartered in Mumbai (with a tech office in Bengaluru) and “receives about 5.2 million monthly visits, lists coupons from 2,000+ online brands … 7.5 million e-mail subscribers and more than 2 million App downloads”
In short, it aims to be a “pre-shopping destination” for smart shoppers who check coupons and cashbacks before making purchases.
Origins & Company Growth
CouponDunia was founded in late 2010 by Sameer Parwani (who is cited as CEO/Founder). In 2014, the company received backing via a majority stake acquisition by Times Internet (part of The Times Group) which helped with brand, traffic and growth.
Early on, CouponDunia focused on online coupon aggregation: listing coupon codes, deals, discounts for e-commerce sites in India. Over time it expanded the scope:
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In 2015/16 they began forays into offline/brick-and-mortar couponing (restaurants, retail stores, FMCG).
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In 2016 they shifted business focus to include cashback (not just coupon codes) i.e., users making purchases via their links earn a commission-share which is credited to them as “CD Cashback”.
For instance in April 2016 they launched a brand-identity revamp (piggy-bank in elephant shape logo) and formally announced this cashback push
In 2016-17 they targeted revenue of USD 20 million (approximately) and GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) via their referral/affiliate links of Rs 4,000 crore (~USD 500 m) by end of March 2017. Thus, the company has evolved from a pure coupon-listing site to a broader savings platform (coupons + cashbacks + browser/extension assist + offline deals).
Coupons:
CouponDunia lists promotional codes (coupon codes) and deals for hundreds/thousands of online merchants across India — such as major e-commerce players like Amazon, Flipkart, travel portals such as MakeMyTrip, ticketing such as BookMyShow, and others.They may also list offline offers (restaurant discounts, supermarket FMCG coupon inserts) especially in major Indian cities
Users browse CouponDunia, find a coupon/deal, click “Get Deal” or “Show Coupon Code” and then they are redirected to the merchant’s site where they apply the coupon at checkout. The discount is applied immediately by the merchant.
Services & Key Offerings
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Coupons & Promo Codes: For thousands of online stores – fashion, electronics, travel, food, etc. Users search by store, category or offer type.
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Cashback Offers: Additional real-money savings (above merchant discounts) via eligible purchases. E.g., the blog shows stores like Amazon “Up to 6.5% CD Voucher Rewards”, Flipkart “Up to Rs 1,050 CD Rewards”, Myntra “Up to 5.6% cashback”, etc.
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Mobile App & Browser Extension: To ease access, notifications, coupon and cashback activation, price comparisons.
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Offline Coupons & Deals: In restaurants, retail stores, FMCG, hypermarkets – to capture offline wallet share. For example, tie-ups with Big Bazaar, HyperCity, Reliance Fres
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Referral & Loyalty: Users may refer friends (earning extra) and keep using the platform repeatedly to accumulate cashback.
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Savings Tools: E.g., showing verified coupon codes, removing expired ones (claiming higher quality than many coupon sites).
Benefits for Consumers
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Extra Savings: Users get coupon discounts + additional cashback. This layering allows better savings than just merchant discounts.
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Wide Store Coverage: With 2,000+ online brands listed and multiple categories, users have many options
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Ease of Use: One-stop site/app to check offers, rather than manually scouring each merchant site.
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Cashback Flexibility: Depending on conditions, users can withdraw, convert to voucher, recharge etc (subject to merchant/offer terms).
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Price & Deal Awareness: Browser extension and app can help users identify best deals or discounts, avoid expired coupons, access verified savings.
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Offline Savings Potential: For users shopping in physical stores (restaurants, supermarkets) – some deals available.
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Encourages Smart Shopping Behaviour: By providing “pre-shopping” checklist (check coupons + cashback before purchase) the platform fosters better decision-making.
Considerations & Limitations
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Eligibility & Tracking Conditions: To earn cashback, users must click through from CouponDunia (activate link) and complete purchase in same session. The FAQ warns about problems if cart had items before activating, extensions interfering, closing windows mid-session etc.
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Cashback Withdrawal Conditions: Different merchants may have different rules (e.g., Amazon vs Flipkart treated differently). Some cashback may only convert to vouchers, not bank transfer. For example, Amazon purchases via CouponDunia give “CD Voucher Rewards” and can only be withdrawn as Amazon Pay voucher
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Tracking Delays and Rejections: Some users report issues with cashback not tracking or getting rejected. (See user reviews later.)
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Offer Expiry & Validity: Coupon codes expire or may be invalid for certain user categories or during special events — must verify each offer. CouponDunia claims to verify codes and remove expired offers.
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Competition & Value Differentiation: Numerous coupon/cashback platforms exist in India (e.g., CashKaro, CupoNation) so differentiation matters; users may benefit from checking multiple platforms.
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Offline Segment Complexity: Offline coupons (physical stores) require redemption at store, user awareness, store staff cooperation, may involve QR code scans or printed coupons; friction can be higher than online.
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Business Risks & Sustainability: The model is commission-based; margins depend on merchant payouts, competition, fraud/abuse risk; growth requires scaling user base and repeat usage; companies often operate at low profit or loss while scaling.
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User Trust: Some user complaints exist about cashback disputes or delays (see below). These may affect trust, and users need to keep proof/track of transactions.
Challenges & Criticisms
While CouponDunia offers compelling value, some criticisms and user challenges exist:
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On review site MouthShut, users have reported:
“Coupondunia is a fake website … after 6 months they denied my cashback.”
Another user:
“I have noticed many times that CouponDunia doesn’t track the sales and doesn’t give the cashback…”These complaints highlight issues such as tracking failures (affiliate link not registered), merchant not crediting, or user not meeting some hidden T&C.
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For users, ensuring correct activation process, avoiding using other coupons/payment methods that break tracking, and following rules is critical.
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For the business: scale and margin pressures, affiliate network competition, merchant payout changes, user attrition.
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Some literature suggests that coupon/cashback business in India has challenges like low user habituation, offline-redemption friction, intense competition. For example, a YourStory article noted that while couponing is growing (Google/Forrester estimated coupon business portion of e-commerce shoppers in India was ~13.5 % growing at 62.9 %).
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CouponDunia itself acknowledged that affiliate marketing segment was only about 2 % of e-commerce transactions yet (as of 2016) and saw cashback as a stickier model.
Therefore, users must be aware: the proposition is good but conditions apply; companies must work hard to maintain trust and operational reliability.