You click 'Show code', a new tab opens, and the code box at checkout rejects whatever you pasted. The discount was there anyway. That is a link deal wearing a code costume, and it is everywhere in hosting, software, streaming and insurance.
What a link deal is
A link deal is a discount the brand applies through a tracked link. You see the reduced price as soon as you land on the page. There is nothing to type. Bluehost, Coursera, Fubo and Going all work mainly this way.
Why some sites show fake codes anyway
A 'reveal code' button gets more clicks than a plain 'get deal' button. Some coupon sites put a made-up code behind it so the click looks like a code. The merchant tab still opens with the same link deal, so the shopper gets the discount and never notices the code was meaningless.
How Xoupons handles it
We label link deals as DEAL and only show a code button when there is a real code the store itself publishes. When most of a store's offers are link deals, the store page says 'No code needed: discount applies through our link' at the top.
How to check for yourself
Open the brand's pricing page in a private window without any link. If the price is the same as the 'discounted' price, the offer is the brand's public price. If it is lower through the link, it is a real link deal. If a code is supposed to work, there should be a code box at checkout; if there is no box, there is no code.
L'autore
CoupStore Editorial, Guide allo shopping
CoupStore Editorial writes the store explainers and shopping guides: what a brand sells, where it ships, how its pricing works after the intro period, and what to check before you pay.
