Do Influencer Discount Codes Actually Work? We’re Testing Them Every Day for 14 Days

Updated 20 Oct 2026 · Day 2 of 14

Every voucher site says its codes work. We wanted to know if that’s true. So for 14 days, from 19 October to 1 November 2026, we’re trying the top codes for 10 big brands at the real checkout, every single day, and screenshotting what happens. We’re comparing codes shared by influencers on TikTok with the top code listed on the big voucher sites. This page is updated every morning with the latest results.

The results so far

Results from 19–20 Oct 2026 (days 1–2). Creator codes are the newest codes shared by genuine creators on TikTok. Voucher-site codes are the first code listed for each brand on HotUKDeals, Groupon UK and SimplyCodes. App-only codes count as not working on the website.

What we’ve found so far

• Creator codes worked about twice as often. 21 of the 36 creator codes we tried gave a real discount on the website, compared with 12 of the 39 top voucher-site codes.
• Groupon’s top codes haven’t worked once. Over two days we tried the first code Groupon listed 8 times, and every one was expired, invalid or rejected. On day 2 it still listed a Princess Polly code that had already ended.
• Some listings oversell the discount. SimplyCodes listed an Edikted code as “80% off”. It worked, but it gave 10%. It turned out to be a creator’s own code.
• Many voucher codes were never going to work for you. The failures included codes locked to someone else’s account and single-use codes from text-message sign-ups. The biggest saving on a voucher site (50% at Skims) came from what looks like a leaked staff code, which brands can cancel orders over.
• Fresh, local codes work best. Creator codes from recent videos usually worked. Most creator codes that failed were months old, meant for another country’s store, or meant for a different shop entirely.
• Check the brand’s own offer too. Every code shown on a brand’s own website worked, 6 out of 6 so far. At Shein, the code applied automatically at checkout (£8 off) beat the best voucher-site code on both days.

Day-by-day results

The proof

We screenshot every test. Here are some of the codes that worked. Every brand page also has the full set, including the codes that failed.

How we test the codes

1. Every morning we find the code each voucher site lists first for each brand, on HotUKDeals, Groupon UK and SimplyCodes.
2. We search TikTok for the newest codes shared by genuine creators, and skip spam and coupon-site adverts.
3. We put the same full-price item in the basket at each brand’s real website (UK brands in pounds, US brands at their US store in dollars).
4. We try each code at checkout, one at a time, and remove it before trying the next so discounts never stack.
5. We record exactly what the checkout says, the discount it gave and the final price, and screenshot it.
6. Every result goes into our log, and each brand’s page shows that day’s tests and screenshots.

We never place orders or use anyone else’s account. Codes that only work in an app count as not working on the website, because that’s what most shoppers find when they try them.

What this means when you’re shopping

• Start with a creator code from a recent video. It’s the most likely to work.
• Don’t trust a big percentage on a voucher site until you’ve seen it work in your basket.
• Look at the brand’s own banner and checkout. Sometimes its own offer beats every code.
• If a code says it’s app-only, it may genuinely work in the app, so it’s worth trying there.