420-ENH-MT
Introduction to Mobile Programming
Fall 2015
Recap Example
Instructions:

The assignment consists of creating a use-case diagram using “Visual Paradigm project”
for the following Gropon service.
Group buying power creates
“ridiculously huge” coupons1
Deals of the day and internet-only bargains abound in the online shopping world. Now
Groupon.com lets individuals save even more when they harness group purchasing power at
restaurants, spas, hotels, theaters and other popular community venues. Getting a life while
sitting at your keyboard has never been easier or more affordable.
What is Groupon?
Groupon is a collective buying system that can save you up to 90 percent off dining, events and
other experiences in more than 40 U.S. cities. Each day a Groupon partner offers a single, stellar
deal. Only when a minimum number of customers like the deal and agree to purchase it can
they “tip” the offer. No minimum? No deal.
If a deal is too good to pass up, encourage your friends to purchase the day’s Groupon or give
Groupons as gifts to help the deal reach its tipping point. And, what better way to rally support
for a deal than through social networking. Groupon groupies can use “Share This Deal” buttons
to spread the word via Facebook and Twitter. If a friend or follower uses your refer link to
subscribe to Groupon.com and they make their first purchase within 72 hours, you’ll get a $10
credit toward your next Groupon deal.
1
http://www.noobie.com/2010/04/04/group-buying-power-creates-ridiculously-huge-coupons/
How do I get started?
When you arrive at Groupon.com, it uses your computer’s IP address to decide which city’s deal
to show you. Planning a vacation or buying a gift? Simply click on “Visit More Cities” to choose
Today’s Deal for another urban locale.
If today’s deal is something you like and it hasn’t tipped yet, then clicking “buy” is really just an
agreement to buy it if and when it does tip.
Tipping points
If a minimum number of people don’t snap up a deal, then it’s canceled. When you commit to
buy a deal, you have to provide a credit card number, but if the deal doesn’t tip, you won’t get
charged. If you arrive at Groupon.com and the deal of the day already has tipped, you can still
benefit. Buy all the discount coupons you want until a deal sells out.
If yesterday’s sushi bar discount or today’s two-for-the-price-of-one hot air balloon ride didn’t
appeal to you, get tipped off about future Groupon.com deals by signing up for a daily blast to
your email inbox.
Cashing in Groupon deals
Once a deal tips, Groupon.com will charge your credit card then send you an email that includes
a link. Follow the link, sign in to the Groupon.com site and print your coupon. Your print out will
have complete redemption instructions as well as a map to the venue.
Buy the deal today, but use the coupon whenever you want. Groupon.com deals usually have
expiration dates and they may have other restrictions, but you’ll have plenty of time to cash in.
If you bought discounted tickets to the symphony but you couldn’t find a babysitter, you can
always gift a Groupon.com coupon to someone else. And, if you’re ever dissatisfied,
Groupon.com says they’ll refund your money.
What are Groupon functionnalities?
Common functionalities of Groupon are :
Deals. Quickly and easily create and edit deals, launch multiple locations (e.g. Toronto, Quebec,
Montreal) and assign categories (e.g. service, product, etc.) and tags (e.g. food, health, etc.) to
your deal offerings.
Merchants. Allow merchants to create their own accounts, submit deals and track sales with full
reports.
Accounts. Customers are given their own account in which they can edit their profile
information, view past purchases, earn referral credits, and download their vouchers.
Payment Gateways. By default, Groupon supports PayPal Adaptive Payments and PayPal
Express Checkout PayPal Website Payments Pro. Additional Groupon payment gateway
integrations are available in the Groupon add-on market.
Reporting & Stats. Within the deals admin panel you can quickly check the performance of
published deals to see how many sales you’ve generated, if the minimum and maximum number
of sales were met, and when each deal expires.
Support & Updates. Get exclusive access to Groupon System Administrator. As a System
Administrator, all users’ accounts management, updates and support requests are your
responsibility.
Automation. Once you create and launch a deal everything else is automated. That is,
customers pay, the transaction is processed if the minimum number of orders is met, and
customers are sent their vouchers. Each deal automatically expires without any intervention
needed and customers are unable to purchase thereafter.
Fully Customizable. Use SeC to sell daily deals and products or create your own niche group
buying site with our themes. You can upload your own logo, add background images, and
change color schemes. You can also apply your own custom CSS/code using the template we
provide. This allows you to update the software without losing your modifications.
Newsletter Integration. Our themes allow you to start capturing email addresses and deliver
daily deals to your subscribers. Support for MailChimp, Constant Contact and Custom Forms is
already built-in.