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Investments Investments Table (Details) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended |  |  |  |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Mar. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Jun. 30, 2012 | Sep. 30, 2013
Schedule of Cost and Equity Method Investments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cost method investments | $ 15,630,000 us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments |  | $ 15,788,000 us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments |  |  | $ 128,100,000 us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments |
Equity method investments | 1,231,000 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments |  | 1,690,000 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments |  | 495,000 us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments |  |
Total cost and equity method investments | 16,861,000 grpn_InvestmentsCostAndEquityMethod |  | 17,478,000 grpn_InvestmentsCostAndEquityMethod |  |  |  |
Available-for-sale securities | 7,437,000 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities |  | 3,174,000 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities |  |  |  |
Available-for-Sale Securities, Ownership Percentage |  |  | 19.00%grpn_AFSDebtSecurityOwnershipPercentage |  |  |  |
Total investments | 24,298,000 us-gaap_Investments |  | 20,652,000 us-gaap_Investments |  |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Available-for-sale Securities | 4,599,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireAvailableForSaleSecurities |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Cost Method Investment |  | 2,100,000.0 grpn_PaymentstoAcquireCostMethodInvestment |  | 13,600,000 grpn_PaymentstoAcquireCostMethodInvestment |  | 25,000,000 grpn_PaymentstoAcquireCostMethodInvestment |
Convertible debt securities [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Schedule of Cost and Equity Method Investments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Available-for-sale securities | 2,527,000 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / invest_InvestmentAxis = us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember |  | 3,174,000 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / invest_InvestmentAxis = us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember |  |  |  |
Convertible debt securities [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Schedule of Cost and Equity Method Investments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Available-for-sale securities |  |  | 3,174,000 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / invest_InvestmentAxis = us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember |  |  |  |
Redeemable preferred shares [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Schedule of Cost and Equity Method Investments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Available-for-sale securities | 4,910,000 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / invest_InvestmentAxis = us-gaap_RedeemablePreferredStockMember |  | 0 us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / invest_InvestmentAxis = us-gaap_RedeemablePreferredStockMember |  |  |  |
Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Schedule of Cost and Equity Method Investments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity Method Investments, Ownership Percentage | 50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember |  | 50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember |  |  |  |
Available-for-Sale Securities, Ownership Percentage | 19.00%grpn_AFSDebtSecurityOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum [Member] | Cost-method Investments [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Schedule of Cost and Equity Method Investments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cost Method Investments, Ownership Percentage | 19.00%grpn_CostMethodOwnershipPercentage / invest_InvestmentAxis = us-gaap_CostmethodInvestmentsMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember |  | 19.00%grpn_CostMethodOwnershipPercentage / invest_InvestmentAxis = us-gaap_CostmethodInvestmentsMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember |  |  |  |
Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Schedule of Cost and Equity Method Investments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity Method Investments, Ownership Percentage | 21.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember |  | 21.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember |  |  |  |
Available-for-Sale Securities, Ownership Percentage | 17.00%grpn_AFSDebtSecurityOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Minimum [Member] | Cost-method Investments [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Schedule of Cost and Equity Method Investments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cost Method Investments, Ownership Percentage | 6.00%grpn_CostMethodOwnershipPercentage / invest_InvestmentAxis = us-gaap_CostmethodInvestmentsMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember |  | 6.00%grpn_CostMethodOwnershipPercentage / invest_InvestmentAxis = us-gaap_CostmethodInvestmentsMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember |  |  |  |
F-Tuan [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Schedule of Cost and Equity Method Investments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cost method investments |  |  |  |  |  | 128,100,000 us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments / us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis = grpn_FTuanMember |
Cost Method Investments, Ownership Percentage |  |  | 19.10%grpn_CostMethodOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis = grpn_FTuanMember |  |  | 19.10%grpn_CostMethodOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis = grpn_FTuanMember |
Payments to Acquire Cost Method Investment |  |  |  |  |  | $ 25,000,000 grpn_PaymentstoAcquireCostMethodInvestment / us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis = grpn_FTuanMember | $ 8,000,000 grpn_PaymentstoAcquireCostMethodInvestment / us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis = grpn_FTuanMember

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- Definition The cash outflow to acquire debt and equity securities not classified as either held-to-maturity securities or trading securities which would be classified as available-for-sale securities and reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported in a separate component of shareholders' equity. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Investing Activities -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 11 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6871852&loc=d3e26853-111562 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 13 -Subparagraph (a),(b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3213-108585 + Details
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