How AusCoupons verifies discount codes

Every deal on AusCoupons passes through the same checklist before we publish it. After that, we re-check offers only when an editor completes the same steps against the brand’s live Australian evidence — not on a timer that rewrites dates by itself.

The pre-publish checklist

Before a deal page goes live, the editor:

1. Opens the brand’s live Australian page or app in a fresh browser session — not a cached affiliate page or a US/UK redirect.
2. Confirms the offer is available to Australian customers — billing address AU, app store AU, no geo-block on sign-up.
3. Notes the exact reward in plain numbers ($30 off your first ride, not “up to 50% off”).
4. Reads the published terms for: minimum spend, who’s eligible (new customers only?), expiry, region.
5. Tests the redemption flow — clicks the link or pastes the code at checkout to confirm it applies.
6. Records the verification date in the page front matter (lastVerified). This is what shows up as “Last checked” in the sidebar of every deal page. We change lastVerified and any visible “Last updated” line in the body only after that real check — never because a script bumped the calendar.

Monthly review reminder

On the 1st of each month (Australia/Sydney) an automated GitHub Action opens a review reminder issue. It lists what editors should confirm against each live offer: reward, code or link, eligibility, expiry, and that referral destinations still match the brand’s Australian terms.

That automation does not edit deal pages, bulk-rewrite lastVerified, or touch Hugo modification metadata. There is no guarantee every deal is rechecked in a given month unless an editor actually completes the checklist for that page. When we do re-check, we may also commit real copy or metadata changes; Hugo’s document modification date (.Lastmod) can move with that commit, but it still reflects an actual edit — not an automatic date stamp.

If you spot a deal that’s stale, broken or misleading, get in touch via the Thrifty Kiwi contact page with the URL and we’ll re-check it within a week.

What we won’t publish

• Anonymous community codes. If we can’t trace it to the brand’s published offer or a sign-up link we’ve used ourselves, it doesn’t go up.
• “Up to” offers without a floor. “Up to 70% off” with no clear minimum benefit is marketing, not a deal.
• Codes from brands whose terms prohibit external promotion.
• Codes that only work outside Australia. Even if they’re generous, the audience here is AU shoppers.

Why we publish a verification date

Most coupon sites bury the verification date or fake it with a daily JavaScript timestamp. We surface the real date the editor last opened the brand’s page. If a deal page says “Last checked 12 March 2026” and you’re reading this in May, that means we have not re-verified that offer since March — please email us so we can run the checklist again.

Read more

• About AusCoupons — who runs the site
• Editorial policy — corrections, takedowns, sourcing