Groupon Bucks are a type of currency only used within Groupon. Think of them like a points reward system at a grocery store, only without having to remember how many points is equal to how many dollars (since it’s already in a dollar value). The only way to get Groupon Bucks is to earn them and through promotions.

Groupon Bucks can be used like cash to purchase vouchers, gifts and more from Groupon. They work similarly to a gift card: you can use your Groupon Bucks to pay for as much as you can, and then use your credit card for the rest.

How to Get Groupon Bucks

Groupon Bucks can only be earned by referrals or through purchases.

Getting Groupon Bucks through Referrals

To gain Groupon Bucks through referrals, you must recommend Groupon to your friends. When they make their first purchase on Groupon, you’ll be award $10 in Groupon Bucks. This will remain the same for every referral you make – so if 10 people make a purchase off Groupon who were referred by you, you make $100 in Groupon Bucks. Here’s how to do it.

1. Go to www.groupon.com in your web browser and log in.

2. Once you get back to Groupon’s home page, click your name in the top right corner and select Refer Friends, Get $10* from the drop down menu.

3. You’ll be taken to a page with multiple ways to refer friends. Click Mail It to start an email with a referral link inside. Click Share It on Facebook or Tweet It to start a post on Facebook or Twitter, respectively, that includes a referral link. Or just click Get Link for a referral hyperlink that you can copy and paste into pretty much any other place you can publish web content, such as on your own website or in the “comments” section of another.

4. All posts, tweets and emails sent out will have a link that others will click to get to Groupon. It’s a special code that lets Groupon know you’re the one who referred them. This way, they know who to give Groupon bucks to.

Getting Groupon Bucks through Promotions

Another way to gain Groupon Bucks is by promotional offers. Recently, Groupon gave its customers the option to gain 5% back in Groupon Bucks when they bought certain packages from Groupon Getaways.

Occasionally, Groupon will send out an email for promotional days. One instance was an email that Groupon sent saying that if you bought any Groupon on the promotional day, you automatically got 5 Groupon Bucks. Just another way that Groupon helps you save money!