heywhats.com

What It Is

HeyWhatsTheDeal is a deal discovery platform built for local merchants and nearby consumers. Consumers browse nearby offers via the iOS/Android app, request a deal, and then present a QR code in-store; merchants use the Merchant Portal or app to publish offers, manage profiles and teams, and scan codes to redeem deals. Its core positioning is not as a traditional commission-based group-buying marketplace, but as a marketing tool that helps merchants reach local users directly.

Core Features and Data

The platform is built around a “publish—request—redeem in store” flow: merchants can publish discounts, buy-one-get-one offers, freebies, and similar promotions; consumers save them and use a QR code in-store; merchants scan the code to complete instant redemption. The backend supports customer redemption tracking, while the Premium plan also includes team member management and a Kiosk shared-device mode. The site states that the platform has 500+ merchants, with offers published directly by local businesses and updated daily; however, it does not disclose consumer scale, city coverage, or active redemption data.

Pricing and Support

Pricing is fairly transparent. Starter costs $60/month, includes 1 seat, and allows up to 3 posts per month, making it suitable for small shops testing the waters. Premium costs $150/month, includes 1 seat, charges $30/month for each additional seat, and allows up to 60 posts per month, with team management, Kiosk mode, and priority support. For 25+ seats, businesses can contact sales for volume discounts, dedicated support, and custom onboarding. Payments are processed through Stripe, with support for Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and other credit and debit cards. The platform emphasizes no setup fees, no revenue share, no per-redemption fees, no contracts, and month-to-month cancellation.

Pros and Cons

The main advantage is a merchant-friendly business model with predictable costs, especially for local stores that do not want a high percentage of sales taken by group-buying platforms. The QR code redemption flow is simple, and the team-seat model works well for scenarios with multiple cashiers. Limitations include the very small number of posts on the Starter plan; merchants cannot directly obtain customer contact details and can only communicate through the platform system; and the available materials do not show integrations with POS, CRM, email marketing, or ad platforms, so its scalability for more mature marketing operations remains unclear.

Who It’s For and Access from China

HeyWhatsTheDeal is better suited to local merchants that rely on offline store visits—such as coffee shops, restaurants, bakeries, and boutiques—as well as small teams looking to run limited-time deals, everyday promotions, and foot-traffic campaigns. The available materials do not mention access from China. Payments rely on Stripe and international cards, which may create payment and localization limitations for Chinese merchants. For the Chinese market, comparable options would include Meituan, Dianping, Douyin group-buying, or a merchant-built membership mini program.