Our Editorial & Review Standards

Here’s how CouponFYI works behind the scenes. I’m Zouhair. I started this site in 2023, and I write the posts, test the codes I can, and check the facts before anything goes live. If you’re about to use a coupon or trust a review, you should know how I got there. So let me walk you through it.

The short version

• I test codes at checkout when I can. When I can’t, the code doesn’t get a “Verified by Editor” label.
• I check facts on the store’s own pages first, and I tell you where a number came from.
• When a claim comes from a shopper or a creator, I say so. I don’t pass it off as proof.
• I sometimes use AI tools to sort information and polish drafts. The testing and the fact-checking are mine.
• The site earns money from affiliate links and ads. Neither one decides what I write, and a commission doesn’t decide which coupon goes first.
• Found a mistake? Tell me, and I’ll fix it.

Our Editorial Approach

CouponFYI has three kinds of pages. There are coupon and store pages, where you find codes and deals. There are store reviews, like my Fiverr review. And there are tips and guides, like my Amazon Savings Guide and my guide on whether online shopping is safe.

These are the four rules I write by:

• Say what I know, and how I know it. You should be able to tell what I did myself and what I only read.
• Say what I didn’t test. If I haven’t bought something or tried a service, the post says so. I won’t tell a story I didn’t live.
• Keep it simple. I write the way I talk. If a sentence sounds like a contract, I rewrite it.
• Help you decide. Sometimes the honest advice is “skip it.” That’s fine with me.

You can read more about me on my author page. The story of the site is on the About page.

How We Research Information

I start with whoever owns the information. For a store rule, that’s the store’s own help page, fee page, or terms. For a scam warning or a consumer rule, I look for the agency’s own page. For a company announcement, I look for the company’s own page.

Then I look at what other people say: experts, creators, shoppers, and news stories. A lot of my ideas start there. But an idea isn’t a fact. So I go back to the original page and check it. If I can’t confirm it, I leave it out, or I tell you it’s just someone’s claim. And I don’t copy other sites. I read, I check, and I write it in my own words.

Two more habits:

• I check dates. Rules and fees change, so I look at how old a source is.
• I say “I didn’t find it.” If I looked and found nothing, I tell you. I won’t guess to fill a gap.

Coupons work a bit differently. Codes come from stores, partner networks, the open web, social media, and shoppers. My Coupon Methodology explains that part.

How We Test Stores and Services

Coupons. When I can test a code, I add something to the cart, enter the code, and see if the discount shows up. If it does, the code gets the “Verified by Editor” label. That means I tested it at checkout, and it worked at that moment. You’ll see two other labels too. “Reported Working” means a shopper told us it worked for them recently. “Last Used” only shows the latest activity on a code. It doesn’t prove the discount worked.

I can’t test every code. There are too many, and stores change things all day. Also, a code that passed my test can still fail for you. First-order rules, minimum spends, countries, and ending promotions all get in the way. If that happens, read why a promo code isn’t working and whether you can use expired coupons.

Stores and services. For reviews and guides, I try to look at the real thing. That means the pricing and fee pages, the checkout steps, the delivery date for an address, and the small print. When I can, I use the service myself. My Fiverr review comes from selling on Fiverr, so the earnings in it are mine. My Alibaba guide shows a real test order.

Testing a checkout doesn’t always mean buying. Sometimes I stop at the last screen and write down what I see. When I do that, the post says so.

First-Hand Experience vs. Independent Research

Not everything on this site comes from the same kind of source. So here’s how to read my posts.

First-hand experience matters most when a post is about what it’s like to use something. Independent research matters most when a post is about rules, like fees, deadlines, and policies. A good post uses both. And it tells you which part is which. I never mix them up. If I only read it, I won’t say I did it. My author page draws the same line: what I’ve experienced myself, what I learned from a reliable source, and what I can’t personally confirm.

How We Fact-Check Information

Before I publish, I run the same checks every time:

1. Every number needs a home. It comes from a page I can name, or from my own test. I tell you which.
2. I use the original page, not someone’s summary of it.
3. I double-check any math, like fees or savings.
4. If two sources disagree, I say so, and I point you to the store’s own page.
5. If I can’t confirm something, it stays out, or I label it as not confirmed.

I look hardest at the things that can cost you money: prices, fees, coupons, and store policies. If a post touches money, law, taxes, or health, remember that I’m not a lawyer, a tax advisor, a doctor, or a financial advisor. I share what I found and link to the source. For a big decision, ask a professional.

Worried about scams? My guide on online shopping safety is a good place to start.

How We Use AI

Yes, I sometimes use AI tools. I use them to sort information, improve my drafts, and help with research and writing. Here’s what they don’t do:

• They don’t test codes or use a store for me.
• They don’t take my screenshots, and they don’t live my experiences. Those are mine.
• They don’t decide what’s true. I check the facts before I publish anything.

I read what the tool gives me, and I fix what’s wrong. I don’t use AI to make up reviews, quotes, or experiences. If another tool matters to a post, I tell you. The same rules are on my Disclaimers & Disclosures page and in my FAQ.

How We Update Existing Posts

Stores change their rules all the time, so I don’t treat a post as finished. When something changes, I update the post I already have instead of writing a new one on the same topic. That way you get one page with one answer.

I update a post when:

• a store changes a rule, a fee, or a deal,
• a reader tells me something looks wrong,
• I find a mistake of my own, or
• I re-check an older post and something has moved.

On my posts, the “last updated” date means I really changed or re-checked something. I don’t change a date just to look fresh. And a test date only tells you when I tested. It doesn’t promise the result still holds today.

I try to write posts that last. When a number can change, like a fee, I say where it came from, and I point you to the store’s own page for the current one. Still, check the date on a post before you act on it. Coupon listings move faster, and there’s no fixed schedule for them. I update them as codes change. The Coupon Methodology explains how.

Corrections and Reader Feedback

Found a mistake? Please tell me. Use the contact form and pick the subject that fits, like incorrect information. You can also email [email protected]. Either way, send the link to the post, tell me what looks wrong, and add a source if you have one. Please don’t put passwords or card numbers in your message.

Here’s what I do next. I check it against the original source. If you’re right, I fix the post and update it. If the mistake could cost you money or time, I add a short note saying what changed. If I can’t confirm it, I don’t change the post. I’m not going to guess.

Coupon reports matter too. If a code worked for you, or didn’t, use the thumbs-up or thumbs-down icon on the coupon. Those votes help shape the “Reported Working” label and the order of codes. Got more to say about a code? Use the contact form.

Affiliate Relationships and Editorial Independence

CouponFYI is free to use. It earns money from affiliate links and from ads. Affiliate links pay me a small commission when you buy or sign up. I may earn that commission at no additional cost to you, and not every store or link pays me. The ads come through Google AdSense, and my Privacy Policy explains how that works. My FAQ has more on how CouponFYI makes money.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Here’s what that money doesn’t do:

• It doesn’t decide what I write about a store, or what I conclude. That’s true for commissions and for ads.
• A commission doesn’t decide which coupon goes first. A coupon that pays me nothing can sit above one that does. The Coupon Methodology explains how I order codes.
• It doesn’t stop me from listing stores I earn nothing from.

My Fiverr review is a good test of this. I earn commissions from Fiverr, and I show you how much. I also list its fees and the scams to watch for.

If a post is ever sponsored, or a store gives me something for free, I’ll say so at the top of that post. Also, the stores set the final terms of their offers, not me. For the legal wording, read my Disclaimers & Disclosures, Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.