A Disappointed Online Shopper Invented A Better Way To Find Coupon Codes That Work

Gidi Fisher was shopping online two years ago when he decided to look for a coupon code.

He found several — but they didn't work.

"I realized in that moment that consumers go to aggregators for coupon codes, but no one has taken the time to fix the broken process," Fisher told Business Insider. "People shouldn't have to spend half an hour copying and pasting to see if coupon codes work."

So Fisher started PoachIt, an in-beta website that shows users valid coupon codes for thousands of vendors' products.

The process is simple: users grab the PoachIt button, then go shopping online. When the shopper finds an item he likes, he clicks the button to display valid coupon codes or "favorite" an item to get a notification if and when it goes on sale.

Because of increased competition online, retailers have started changing their prices as frequently as airlines, Fisher said.

"Most people think stuff doesn't go on sale until the end of the season, but in reality merchants are changing pricing constantly," he said. "Something on sale today might be back to full retail price tomorrow.

The company, which is based in New York, has about 20,000 users so far.

If you're interested in using PoachIt, just visit their website and request to try the service in beta. The site will officially launch in mid-May.