A Groupon alternative for local businesses
Beam is a different model from Groupon: customers do not prepay for a voucher, and you choose exactly which hours a deal runs. You pay Beam to reach people nearby; the customer pays you the deal price directly at the counter.
How the two models differ
| Voucher sites such as Groupon | Beam | |
|---|---|---|
| What the customer does | Buys a voucher online in advance | Claims a deal free in the app, pays you at the counter |
| How the platform is paid | A share of each voucher sold, under the site's merchant terms | A price per beam, shown before you launch, from $5 before referral discounts |
| When customers come | Whenever they choose before the voucher expires | During the window you set, often the same hour |
| Who sees it | Shoppers browsing the site, often across a whole city | People with Beam inside the radius you set |
Groupon's merchant terms change over time and differ by deal, so check its current terms rather than relying on any figure you have read.
When Beam fits better
- You want customers in a specific quiet hour, not spread over months.
- You want the customer to pay you, at your till, the way they always do.
- You want an offer that ends on its own when the window closes, with no vouchers left outstanding.
When a voucher site may fit better
If you sell something people plan ahead for, such as an experience, a class pack or a spa day, and you want reach well beyond your neighborhood, a voucher marketplace reaches more people who are browsing for that.
What Beam costs
A beam is priced by how many people it can reach and how long it runs. It starts at $5 for up to a day, plus $1 per extra day, before referral discounts. Credits never expire, no subscription is required, and Beam takes nothing at the register. Pricing and FAQ.
See how Beam works for businesses
Questions
What is an alternative to Groupon for a small business?
Beam is one. Instead of selling prepaid vouchers, a business sends a time-limited deal to people nearby with the Beam app. Customers claim it free and pay the business the deal price directly. Beams start at $5 before referral discounts.
Does Beam take a cut of my sales?
No. You pay a price per beam, shown before you launch. The customer pays you the deal price at your counter and Beam takes nothing at the register.
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