Self-service API booking tool helps Groupon’s partners join 50% faster
Challenge
Booking is a highly fragmented space that varies by merchant type––making it important for a marketplace like Groupon to ensure that their platform is compatible with leading solutions. Since the booking space has so many different providers that serve the company’s merchant population, Groupon had to do custom builds for each one––resulting in time-consuming and costly integrations. As a result, the company set out to build a self-service API that enables third-party booking and inventory providers to integrate directly with the Groupon platform.
Booking is a highly fragmented space that varies by merchant type––making it important for a marketplace like Groupon to ensure that their platform is compatible with leading solutions. Since the booking space has so many different providers that serve the company’s merchant population, Groupon had to do custom builds for each one––resulting in time-consuming and costly integrations. As a result, the company set out to build a self-service API that enables third-party booking and inventory providers to integrate directly with the Groupon platform.
Solution
Groupon Connect™ is the company’s recently launched next-generation API that enables leading booking, reservation and ticketing platforms to connect merchants directly to the Groupon platform, making it even more convenient for consumers to book deals from their favorite local businesses and attractions. Sphere’s technical resources supported Groupon’s IT team in helping to build its Connect solution.
Groupon Connect™ is the company’s recently launched next-generation API that enables leading booking, reservation and ticketing platforms to connect merchants directly to the Groupon platform, making it even more convenient for consumers to book deals from their favorite local businesses and attractions. Sphere’s technical resources supported Groupon’s IT team in helping to build its Connect solution.
Results
By accelerating 3rd-party partner integrations with the new self-service API tool, booking providers can join the marketplace up to 50% faster. The new system significantly improved the user experience by decreasing loading time. From a technical standpoint, the main benefit was the implementation of the proper pattern for the development cycle and implementing new features while going through the migration to the newer application.
By accelerating 3rd-party partner integrations with the new self-service API tool, booking providers can join the marketplace up to 50% faster. The new system significantly improved the user experience by decreasing loading time. From a technical standpoint, the main benefit was the implementation of the proper pattern for the development cycle and implementing new features while going through the migration to the newer application.