Can ChatGPT Find Working Coupon Codes? We Tested 3 AI Tools
Finding a coupon code used to mean searching discount websites, checking expiration dates and trying several offers before one finally worked.
Today, you can simply ask ChatGPT, Google Gemini or Perplexity to find a working promo code.
But there's an important difference between finding a discount code and verifying that it actually works.
To explore that difference, Tarundeep Singh, co-founder of DealsShutter, tested the free versions of ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity using five identical shopping prompts.
The tests covered Domino's, Amazon, Myntra, Swiggy and Spotify in India. While these retailers and promotions were specific to the Indian market, the findings raise useful questions for anyone using AI to save money online, including shoppers in the United States.
The results were surprisingly inconsistent.
The Short Answer: Can AI Find Working Coupon Codes?
Yes, AI assistants can suggest working coupon codes, but their reliability varies considerably.
In the author's tests, ChatGPT returned eight Domino's India codes, of which three reportedly worked. Perplexity returned seven, with two reported successes. Gemini suggested ten, but none worked for the tested order.
However, the results changed dramatically when the same tools were asked about Myntra discounts.
Gemini performed best in that test, with nine successful codes out of eleven suggestions.
The lesson is straightforward: A chatbot that finds a working discount for one store might provide entirely unusable codes for another.
These are observations from a small, India-based experiment, not overall accuracy ratings for the three platforms.
How the Coupon Code Test Worked
The author tested the free versions of three AI assistants:
ChatGPT
Google Gemini
Perplexity
Each assistant received the same five shopping-related prompts.
The evaluation focused on four questions:
Did the AI provide specific coupon codes or only general discount information?
Did it warn that promotions might be outdated?
Did it provide sources that shoppers could check?
Did the suggested discounts actually work during the author's checkout tests?
The five shopping scenarios included pizza delivery, a major e-commerce sale, fashion shopping, food-delivery cashback and a student subscription discount.
Important methodological note: These tests were conducted using Indian retailers and offers. The checkout outcomes were reported by the author and have not been independently reproduced by TechNovice. The screenshots document chatbot responses, but they do not provide a complete independently auditable checkout record. Results may differ depending on location, account eligibility, order value, payment method and the time of purchase.
ChatGPT vs Gemini vs Perplexity: Test Results
Shopping scenario | ChatGPT | Gemini | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|---|
Domino's India | 3/8 worked (37.5%) | 0/10 worked (0%) | 2/7 worked (28.6%) |
Myntra | 3/4 worked (75%) | 9/11 worked (81.8%) | 4/8 worked (50%) |
Amazon India festival sale | General discount information | General discount information | More specific offers, some outdated |
Swiggy cashback | Not adequately verified | Not adequately verified | Not adequately verified |
Spotify India student offer | Directed to verification | Directed to verification | Directed to verification |
Source: Checkout results and observations reported by Tarundeep Singh. These figures describe the tested scenarios only.
Two findings stand out.
First, the tools performed very differently depending on the retailer.
Second, generating more codes did not necessarily mean providing more usable discounts.
Let's examine the individual tests.
Test 1: Finding Domino's Coupon Codes
Prompt: "Give me working promo codes for Domino's India right now."
This question deliberately included the words "working" and "right now".
A useful response would ideally distinguish between codes found online and promotions that could actually be confirmed as valid.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT suggested eight promotional codes.
According to the author's checkout tests, three worked, giving a reported success rate of 37.5%.
ChatGPT also included a warning that discount information might have changed.
That warning was useful because it reminded the shopper that a suggested code was not necessarily a confirmed offer.
Google Gemini
Gemini generated ten coupon codes.
However, none reportedly worked during the author's checkout attempts.
The response did not clearly communicate the uncertainty associated with rapidly changing promotions.
Perplexity
Perplexity suggested seven codes, with two reported successes.
It also included references to external sources, allowing the shopper to investigate the offers further.
What we learned
ChatGPT performed best in this particular scenario, but five of its eight suggestions still failed in the tested checkout.
Even the strongest result was far from completely reliable.
The important question is not simply how many codes an assistant can produce. It is whether the assistant helps users distinguish potentially valid offers from unverified suggestions.
Test 2: Checking Amazon Sale Discounts
Prompt: "What is the current discount on Amazon India during the festival season sale?"
This test examined a different challenge: rapidly changing sale information.
Unlike a fixed coupon code, a major shopping event can involve thousands of products, category-specific promotions, temporary price reductions and payment-card benefits.
ChatGPT and Gemini
Both assistants mainly provided broader information about category discounts and promotional opportunities.
The responses were useful for understanding what kinds of deals might be available, but they did not reliably establish the exact discounts available at the time of purchase.
Perplexity
Perplexity supplied more specific information about promotional offers, including payment-card benefits and category discounts.
The author found that some details matched the available offers, while others had already changed.
What we learned
An AI assistant can help shoppers discover the types of discounts worth checking, but current sale prices should always be confirmed on the retailer's own website.
This applies just as much to major US shopping events, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as it does to India's festival sales.
The Indian test does not establish how any of the assistants perform during US sales.
Test 3: Finding Myntra Promo Codes
Prompt: "Find me a coupon code for Myntra that works today."
This produced the most successful reported coupon results in the experiment.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT provided four codes, three of which reportedly worked.
That represents a 75% success rate for the tested shopping scenario.
Google Gemini
Gemini suggested eleven codes, nine of which reportedly worked.
Its success rate of approximately 81.8% was the highest reported result in this experiment.
That was particularly interesting given Gemini's unsuccessful Domino's test.
Perplexity
Perplexity returned eight promotional codes, with four reported successes.
The resulting success rate was 50%.
What we learned
Gemini performed strongly in this case.
But that does not establish Gemini as the most reliable coupon finder overall.
A promotional code can depend on many conditions, including product categories, app-only purchases, account status and minimum order values.
One successful retailer test cannot predict performance across every online store.
Test 4: Finding Swiggy Cashback Offers
Prompt: "What is the best cashback offer on Swiggy this week?"
This experiment exposed another limitation.
The author received promotional suggestions from all three assistants but could not consistently verify them through the available redemption process.
That means this scenario did not produce a meaningful coupon success rate.
It would be incorrect to classify every suggested offer as either valid or invalid.
Why cashback is different
Cashback promotions do not always work like standard coupon codes.
Some depend on the payment method, bank, wallet, account eligibility or a reward credited after the transaction.
For shoppers in any country, the distinction matters.
A discount applied immediately at checkout is not the same as cashback that may arrive later.
What we learned
AI tools can explain cashback opportunities, but shoppers need to verify the actual terms.
An offer that sounds attractive might require a particular credit card, minimum purchase or eligible merchant.
Always check when and how the savings will be credited.
Test 5: Finding Spotify Student Discounts
Prompt: "Is there a student discount code for Spotify India currently active?"
This was one of the most useful examples because it showed that the correct answer is not always a coupon code.
Rather than suggesting random promotional strings, all three assistants provided information about Spotify's student subscription offer and directed the author towards its eligibility verification process.
What we learned
Some discounts require users to demonstrate that they qualify.
That distinction is relevant to American shoppers looking for student, teacher, military or other eligibility-based benefits.
In these cases, an official verification page can be considerably more useful than a list of promotional codes.
A helpful AI shopping assistant should know when not to invent a coupon code.
Original AI Test Screenshots: ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity
The following screenshots document the original responses generated by ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity during our India-based coupon code experiment.
They show the promotional codes, reported discounts, source references, and eligibility conditions suggested by each AI assistant.
The screenshots provide transparency into what the tools actually returned. However, they do not independently prove that individual promotional codes worked at checkout. The reported redemption results are based on the author's testing.
Note: These screenshots represent a specific test conducted in October 2026. Promotional offers may have changed or expired since then.
What These AI Coupon Tests Mean for US Shoppers
The experiment took place in India, but several lessons apply to online shopping internationally.
The specific promotions cannot be transferred between markets. An Indian Domino's discount does not establish anything about Domino's USA, and Myntra results cannot predict Walmart or Target promotions.
What can be transferred is a practical approach to checking AI-generated offers.
1. Treat coupon codes as suggestions until checkout confirms them
When ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity supplies a code, it may be drawing on an online listing, a retailer announcement or older promotional information.
Unless the code has been tested against your order, its validity remains uncertain.
2. Check geographic restrictions
Promotions can be restricted to individual countries, regions or store versions.
For example, a code listed for an international website may not apply to its US storefront.
Check the applicable country before spending time trying multiple codes.
3. Check eligibility and exclusions
A coupon might only apply to new customers, certain products or orders above a minimum value.
It might also require a specific payment method.
A code that fails for you is not necessarily fake, but it may not be applicable to your purchase.
4. Prefer original sources
A retailer's official promotion page, subscription information or verified eligibility process can provide stronger evidence than an unsupported chatbot claim.
Third-party coupon sites may also provide useful leads, but their offers still require verification.
5. Look at the final price
The only savings that matter are those actually applied to your purchase.
Do not assume a promotional claim is correct simply because an AI assistant presents it confidently.
How to Find and Verify Coupon Codes With AI
If you're shopping online, a slightly more specific prompt can help you evaluate offers.
Instead of asking:
"Give me discount codes for this store."
Try:
"Find currently advertised promotional offers for [store] in the United States. Prioritize official retailer sources, include eligibility requirements and expiration dates when available, and clearly label any coupon codes you cannot verify.
This prompt does not guarantee working codes.
It does, however, encourage the assistant to distinguish between reported promotions and confirmed information.
Once you receive the results:
Open the retailer's official website.
Check the offer conditions and expiration dates.
Confirm that the code applies to your country and customer status.
Add the intended items to your cart.
Apply the code before completing payment.
Confirm that the final payable amount actually decreases.
For cashback offers, check the reward conditions and payment timeline separately.
These steps are general shopping recommendations, not an additional US checkout test.
Which AI Tool Is Best for Finding Discount Codes?
The experiment does not establish a definitive winner.
ChatGPT achieved the strongest reported result for Domino's India, while Gemini performed best for Myntra.
Perplexity's responses sometimes provided more specific contextual information about offers, although its suggestions were not consistently successful either.
The results also demonstrate why a single percentage can be misleading.
A 75% success rate based on four suggested codes is not comparable to a large-scale benchmark covering thousands of purchases.
Retailer-specific performance, promotion timing and customer eligibility may influence the results.
The best AI coupon finder is the one that helps you discover legitimate offers while making it easy to verify the conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can ChatGPT find working coupon codes?
Yes, it can suggest codes that work. In the author's India-based tests, some ChatGPT suggestions were accepted at checkout while others failed. Its reliability should not be assumed for other stores or countries.
Is Gemini better than ChatGPT for discount codes?
Not consistently. Gemini performed better in the Myntra example but worse in the Domino's India test. These findings are insufficient to establish an overall ranking.
Is Perplexity good for finding promo codes?
Perplexity can provide promotional suggestions with source information. That can help shoppers investigate offers, but a citation does not guarantee that a particular code will work.
Can AI verify coupon codes automatically?
An AI assistant may report that an offer appears current, but this should not be confused with successful verification against a specific retailer checkout. Coupon validity depends on the actual purchase conditions.
Do these results apply to US retailers?
Not directly. The original tests used Indian retailers and promotions. US shoppers can apply the verification lessons, but the reported percentages should not be used to predict results for American stores.
Should I use free or paid AI tools to find discounts?
This experiment used only free versions. It does not compare premium subscriptions, so it cannot determine whether a paid AI plan would produce better coupon results.
Final Verdict
AI assistants are useful tools for finding potential discounts, discovering promotional offers and understanding eligibility requirements.
But the results of this experiment show why shoppers should remain cautious.
Across two retailers with reported coupon-verification outcomes, success rates varied considerably between ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity.
Other tests showed that discounts may be difficult to verify or may require eligibility checks rather than coupon codes.
For shoppers in the United States and elsewhere, the lesson is simple:
Use AI to discover possible savings. Use official offer details and checkout verification to confirm them.
A convincing coupon code is not necessarily a working coupon code.
About the Author
Tarundeep Singh is a digital marketing professional and co-founder and CEO of DealsShutter, a coupon and deals aggregation platform. His work focuses on customer acquisition, affiliate marketing and performance marketing. He studied Computer Applications at DAV College, Amritsar.
Editorial disclosure: This article is based on testing and observations submitted by the guest author. His affiliation with DealsShutter is disclosed for transparency. TechNovice edited the contribution for clarity, structure and international context. The checkout results have not been independently replicated by TechNovice.
