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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 $ 15,630,000us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments   $ 15,788,000us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments     $ 128,100,000us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments  
Equity method investments 1,231,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments   1,690,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments   495,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments    
Total cost and equity method investments 16,861,000grpn_InvestmentsCostAndEquityMethod   17,478,000grpn_InvestmentsCostAndEquityMethod        
Available-for-sale securities 7,437,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities   3,174,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities        
Available-for-Sale Securities, Ownership Percentage     19.00%grpn_AFSDebtSecurityOwnershipPercentage        
Total investments 24,298,000us-gaap_Investments   20,652,000us-gaap_Investments        
Payments to Acquire Available-for-sale Securities 4,599,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireAvailableForSaleSecurities            
Payments to Acquire Cost Method Investment   2,100,000.0grpn_PaymentstoAcquireCostMethodInvestment   13,600,000grpn_PaymentstoAcquireCostMethodInvestment   25,000,000grpn_PaymentstoAcquireCostMethodInvestment  
Convertible debt securities [Member]              
Schedule of Cost and Equity Method Investments [Line Items]              
Available-for-sale securities 2,527,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ invest_InvestmentAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember
  3,174,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ invest_InvestmentAxis
= us-gaap_ConvertibleDebtSecuritiesMember
       
Convertible debt securities [Member]              
Schedule of Cost and Equity Method Investments [Line Items]              
Available-for-sale securities     3,174,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ invest_InvestmentAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
       
Redeemable preferred shares [Member]              
Schedule of Cost and Equity Method Investments [Line Items]              
Available-for-sale securities 4,910,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ invest_InvestmentAxis
= us-gaap_RedeemablePreferredStockMember
  0us-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           128,100,000us-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           $ 25,000,000grpn_PaymentstoAcquireCostMethodInvestment
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= grpn_FTuanMember
$ 8,000,000grpn_PaymentstoAcquireCostMethodInvestment
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= grpn_FTuanMember