RetailMeNot
A digital commerce platform that aggregates coupons, promotional codes, cashback offers, and gift-card deals.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
RetailMeNot is an American digital commerce and savings platform built around the discovery and distribution of retail coupons, promotional codes, cashback offers, and related shopping incentives. Its principal consumer property, RetailMeNot.com, allows shoppers to search for offers by retailer, product category, and shopping occasion, while the company also operates or has operated coupon and voucher properties in several international markets. Its commercial model has historically relied heavily on affiliate marketing: when a user activates an offer or completes a qualifying transaction through a tracked link, the platform may receive a commission from the participating merchant or affiliate network. The business originated in 2006 when Australian entrepreneurs Guy King and Bevan Clark established a coupon-focused venture after working together on online services including BugMeNot. The company initially developed and acquired digital properties that helped consumers locate discount codes and retailer promotions. In 2010, the business was acquired by Whaleshark Media, an Austin-based digital marketing company. Whaleshark expanded the operation through acquisitions in the United States and Europe, including the established RetailMeNot.com property and other voucher and cashback websites. The corporate brand adopted the RetailMeNot name in 2013 as the coupon site became the central consumer-facing identity. RetailMeNot broadened its inventory beyond basic coupon codes. Its coverage has included online and printable coupons, retailer promotions, cashback programs, gift-card exchange services, prescription-drug price comparisons, and browser- or software-assisted shopping tools. Categories represented on the platform have included apparel, accessories, automotive products, baby goods, beauty, electronics, furniture, health, home and garden, jewelry, pets, photography, toys, and travel. The company has also served retailers and brands by distributing promotional offers, measuring conversion activity, and providing performance-oriented marketing exposure. The company raised substantial venture financing from investors including Austin Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Adams Street Partners, Institutional Venture Partners, JPMorgan, and Google Ventures. In 2013, RetailMeNot filed for an initial public offering and began trading on Nasdaq under the symbol SALE. Its public-company period ended after Harland Clarke Holdings announced a 2017 acquisition valued at approximately $630 million in equity. RetailMeNot subsequently operated within Harland Clarke Holdings, which was relaunched as Vericast in 2020. In October 2020, J2 Global acquired RetailMeNot from Vericast for approximately $420 million. The transaction returned the business to private ownership and placed it within J2 Global's portfolio of internet information and digital media properties. RetailMeNot has continued to operate as a consumer savings brand, although its corporate ownership and portfolio structure have changed over time. The platform's best-known promotional initiative has been National Cashback Day, an annual November event designed to concentrate cashback offers from a large group of participating retailers. The brand has also faced legal disputes concerning the display and attribution of coupons, affiliate-marketing practices, and technology patents, reflecting the regulatory and commercial complexities of coupon aggregation.
History
RetailMeNot began in 2006 through the work of Australian entrepreneurs Guy King and Bevan Clark. Their earlier collaboration included BugMeNot, a service intended to help users avoid mandatory website registrations and certain content-access barriers. The founders applied their experience with user-generated online services and web publishing to the coupon market, where consumers were increasingly searching online for discount codes before completing purchases. The business developed a collection of coupon websites rather than relying solely on one destination. In 2010 it was acquired by Whaleshark Media, an Austin-based digital marketing company. Under Whaleshark, the business raised funding from a group of institutional and strategic investors and expanded through acquisitions in North America and Europe. It acquired or incorporated coupon, voucher, and cashback properties, including the established RetailMeNot.com website, the British VoucherCodes property, and German and French savings sites. The resulting portfolio gave the company access to multiple languages, retail categories, and affiliate markets. In June 2013, Whaleshark Media adopted the RetailMeNot name for branding purposes. The company subsequently pursued a public listing, filing for an offering of up to $230 million and trading on Nasdaq's Global Select Market under the symbol SALE. During this period, RetailMeNot operated as both a consumer destination and a performance-marketing intermediary. Retailers supplied or authorized offers, while RetailMeNot directed shoppers toward merchants and measured commercial activity through affiliate links and related technologies. The company continued extending its scope through acquisitions. In 2013 it acquired ZenDeals, a North American coupon service. In 2016 it acquired Giftcard Zen, a gift-card exchange business, adding a product area adjacent to coupons and cashback. In 2018 it acquired LowestMed, a prescription-drug comparison service, broadening the portfolio beyond conventional retail promotions. The company's category coverage included apparel, beauty, electronics, furniture, health, home and garden, travel, toys, pets, automotive goods, and other consumer segments. In April 2017, Harland Clarke Holdings announced that it would acquire RetailMeNot in an equity transaction valued at approximately $630 million. The deal ended RetailMeNot's period as an independently traded public company. Harland Clarke Holdings later announced that it would operate under the Vericast name, and RetailMeNot became part of that broader payment, marketing, and data-services portfolio. One prominent consumer initiative during this era was National Cashback Day, an annual November promotion that brought together cashback offers from hundreds of national retailers. In September 2020, reports indicated that RetailMeNot was exploring a sale. J2 Global announced an agreement to buy the business from Vericast for approximately $420 million, and the acquisition was completed in October 2020. RetailMeNot thereafter operated as a private digital media and commerce brand within J2 Global's broader portfolio. The company's history has also included legal disputes. Mary Kay Cosmetics sued over the display of coupons that Mary Kay said should have been removed and argued that the listings could mislead consumers and damage its relationships with independent sales consultants; the matter was resolved through a confidential settlement. RetailMeNot brought a patent-infringement action against Honey Science Corporation in 2018, and the case was dismissed with prejudice following a joint motion in 2020. In 2025, class-action complaints reportedly alleged improper cookie-stuffing practices in connection with affiliate commissions. These disputes illustrate the recurring legal questions surrounding coupon ownership, merchant authorization, tracking attribution, and affiliate revenue.
- 2020
J2 Global acquisition completed
[1]J2 Global completed its acquisition of RetailMeNot from Vericast for approximately $420 million.
- 2018
LowestMed acquisition
[1]RetailMeNot acquired LowestMed, a prescription-drug comparison service.
- 2017
Acquisition by Harland Clarke Holdings announced
[1]Harland Clarke Holdings announced an approximately $630 million equity acquisition of RetailMeNot.
- 2016
Giftcard Zen acquisition
[1]RetailMeNot acquired Giftcard Zen, expanding into gift-card exchange services.
- 2013
Whaleshark adopts the RetailMeNot name
[1]The company changed its name to RetailMeNot as its leading coupon property became the central corporate brand.
- 2013
Public-market listing
[1]RetailMeNot completed an initial public offering and traded on Nasdaq under the symbol SALE.
- 2013
ZenDeals acquisition
[1]RetailMeNot acquired ZenDeals, a North American coupon website.
- 2010
Acquired by Whaleshark Media
[1]The coupon business was acquired by Whaleshark Media, which expanded it through investment and international acquisitions.
- 2006
Business founded
[1]Guy King and Bevan Clark founded the venture that developed into RetailMeNot.
Products and positioning
A consumer-focused savings and shopping-discovery platform that aggregates retailer incentives and monetizes purchase referrals through affiliate commerce.
Coupon and deal marketplace
RetailMeNot.com
The core consumer website aggregates retailer coupons, promotional codes, sales information, cashback offers, and shopping-related savings content. Users can browse by merchant or category and follow tracked links to participating retailers. The site has historically covered a wide range of consumer sectors, from apparel and electronics to travel, beauty, health, home goods, and groceries.
Mobile shopping and savings
RetailMeNot mobile applications
RetailMeNot's mobile applications extend coupon discovery and cashback functionality to smartphones. They are designed to help users find nearby or online promotions, review retailer offers, and activate savings while shopping. Exact current app availability and feature scope are not established by the supplied sources.
Affiliate shopping rewards
Cashback offers
The cashback product connects qualifying purchases with rewards funded through merchant or affiliate commissions. RetailMeNot has used limited-time events and retailer-specific promotions to encourage shoppers to activate offers before completing online transactions.
International voucher platforms
VoucherCodes and international coupon properties
The wider RetailMeNot portfolio has included VoucherCodes in the United Kingdom and coupon properties in Germany and France. These services localized the coupon-aggregation model for different retail markets and languages, with voucher codes, retailer promotions, and cashback among the principal formats.
Gift-card exchange
Giftcard Zen
Giftcard Zen was a North American gift-card exchange service acquired by RetailMeNot in 2016. Its inclusion expanded the company's savings portfolio from promotional offers into the secondary gift-card market.
Prescription-drug comparison
LowestMed
LowestMed was a prescription-drug price-comparison service acquired by RetailMeNot in 2018. The acquisition represented an expansion into healthcare-related consumer savings and price transparency rather than conventional retail couponing.
Controversies
2025
Class-action allegations concerning cookie stuffing
Three class-action lawsuits reportedly alleged that RetailMeNot used cookie-stuffing techniques to claim affiliate commissions. The supplied reference does not establish the final disposition of these cases.
Mary Kay coupon-display lawsuit
Mary Kay Cosmetics sued RetailMeNot over the continued display of coupons that Mary Kay had requested be removed. Mary Kay argued that unauthorized or misleading coupon listings could harm its brand and its relationships with independent sales consultants. The dispute ended in a confidential settlement.
Marketing campaigns
- National Cashback Day
United States
RetailMeNot established an annual November shopping event during which users could receive enhanced cashback offers on online purchases from a large group of participating national retailers. Reported participating brands included Banana Republic, Bloomingdale's, Estée Lauder, Gap, and Macy's.
Outcome. Positioned RetailMeNot as a destination for concentrated, event-driven cashback shopping.
Brand decisions
2020
Sell RetailMeNot to J2 GlobalM&ABackground
RetailMeNot was reportedly being considered for sale after operating within Harland Clarke Holdings and Vericast.
Action taken
J2 Global agreed to acquire RetailMeNot from Vericast and completed the transaction in October 2020.
Aftermath
The business returned to private ownership under J2 Global.
Purchase price. Approximately $420 million (2020 acquisition)
2017
Sell RetailMeNot to Harland Clarke HoldingsM&ABackground
Harland Clarke Holdings sought to acquire the digital coupon and performance-marketing business.
Action taken
Harland Clarke Holdings announced an equity acquisition valued at approximately $630 million.
Aftermath
RetailMeNot left the public markets and became part of Harland Clarke Holdings, later associated with the Vericast identity.
Equity transaction value. $630 million (2017 announcement)
2013
Adopt the RetailMeNot corporate brandStrategyBackground
Whaleshark Media owned and operated the RetailMeNot coupon property and related sites, making the consumer-facing name increasingly important to the portfolio.
Action taken
The company changed its name to RetailMeNot for branding purposes.
Aftermath
RetailMeNot became the principal identity used for the company's public-market and consumer-facing activities.
2013
Pursue a public listingOtherBackground
The company had expanded its coupon-site portfolio and raised substantial venture financing.
Action taken
RetailMeNot filed for an initial public offering and subsequently traded on Nasdaq under the symbol SALE.
Aftermath
The company operated as a public corporation until its acquisition by Harland Clarke Holdings in 2017.
Proposed offering size. $230 million (2013 filing)
Recent events
RetailMeNot announces 2020 Cash Back Day[3]
Reported:
RetailMeNot announced its annual Cash Back Day, planned for November 5–6, 2020, and said the event would include new flash deals and product-specific deals.
RetailMeNot announces Rebound Mega Savings Event[4]
Reported:
RetailMeNot announced its four-day “Rebound with RetailMeNot” Mega Savings Event, planned to run from July 23 through July 26 with deals from more than 100 brands.
Sources4 sources
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