Paribus
Paribus, founded in 2014 by Eric Glyman and Karim Atiyeh, was a New York-based consumer fintech that automatically tracked online purchases and filed price-drop refunds on users' behalf. Following its 2016 acquisition by Capital One, it was rebranded as Capital One Shopping, a free browser extension applying coupons and offering cashback to 10M+ online shoppers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Paribus does
Paribus was a New York-based consumer fintech startup founded in 2014 by Eric Glyman and Karim Atiyeh, both Columbia University alumni, that built a price-protection service to monitor users' online purchases and automatically file refund claims when post-purchase price drops were detected. The product sat at the intersection of e-commerce and personal finance, targeting online shoppers who frequently encountered difficulty tracking post-purchase price changes and recovering the difference from retailers.
The company's core technology was a consumer-facing service (later extended via a browser extension) that ingested email receipts or transaction data, monitored merchant pricing, and triggered refund requests on the user's behalf. Following its 2016 acquisition by Capital One, the underlying product and team were integrated into Capital One Shopping — a free Chrome browser extension with 10,000,000+ installs that automatically finds and applies coupon codes at checkout, issues price-drop notifications on previously viewed or purchased items, and surfaces cashback rewards ranging from 1% to 65.5% depending on merchant terms.
Paribus monetized indirectly via affiliate commissions from merchant partners on eligible transactions routed through the platform, a model that has carried forward to Capital One Shopping. Distribution is product-led, primarily through the Chrome Web Store and word-of-mouth referrals, with the freemium consumer offering supported by merchant-side revenue. The company is now best understood as a fully absorbed subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE: COF); the standalone Paribus entity no longer operates as an independent startup. Glyman and Atiyeh subsequently founded Ramp, a corporate spend-management company that reached a $32 billion valuation.
Paribus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Paribus
- Legal name
- Capital One Shopping (formerly Paribus)
- Website
- https://paribus.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Paribus, founded in 2014 by Eric Glyman and Karim Atiyeh, was a New York-based consumer fintech that automatically tracked online purchases and filed price-drop refunds on users' behalf. Following its 2016 acquisition by Capital One, it was rebranded as Capital One Shopping, a free browser extension applying coupons and offering cashback to 10M+ online shoppers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Paribus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cashback and Coupon Platform
- akta.pro primary industry
- Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAH)
Keywords
Where Paribus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Paribus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Affiliate Commissions: Capital One Shopping earns a commission when users make eligible purchases from merchant partners through the platform links. Commissions vary by merchant (ranging from 1% to 65.5% back for users). The company shares a portion of these commissions with users as rewards.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free browser extension for consumers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Paribus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Paribus was a consumer-facing price protection service that automatically tracked online purchases and helped users claim refunds when prices dropped after purchase. Following Capital One's 2016 acquisition, the technology was expanded into Capital One Shopping, a free browser extension that automatically applies coupon codes at checkout, sends price drop alerts, and issues cashback rewards on eligible purchases from merchant partners.
Product overview
Paribus was a price protection service that automatically tracked users' online purchases and helped them claim refunds when product prices dropped after purchase. Founded in 2014 by Eric Glyman and Karim Atiyeh, the company was acquired by Capital One in 2016 and evolved into Capital One Shopping, a browser extension offering coupon codes, automatic savings, and deals across retail brands. The original Paribus product is no longer offered as a standalone service.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Paribus Price protection service that automatically tracked users' online purchases and helped consumers claim refunds when product prices dropped after purchase. Founded in 2014 by Eric Glyman and Karim Atiyeh, it was acquired by Capital One in 2016 and later rebranded as Capital One Shopping. The original Paribus product is no longer offered as a standalone service.
- Capital One Shopping (successor product) Free browser extension that automatically finds and applies coupon codes at checkout, notifies users of price drops on items they have viewed or purchased, and provides cashback rewards (1% to 65.5% per merchant) on eligible purchases through merchant partner integrations. Served 10,000,000+ users via the Chrome Web Store.
Companies that use Paribus
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Paribus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Paribus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Paribus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rakuten: Rakuten (formerly Ebates) is a leading cashback and coupon platform with a global merchant affiliate network. It directly competes with Capital One Shopping in cashback rewards, coupon aggregation, and affiliate-driven e-commerce savings for online shoppers.
- Swagbucks: Swagbucks is a rewards platform offering cashback for online shopping, surveys, and other activities. It competes with Capital One Shopping in cashback, shopping rewards, and affiliate-driven consumer engagement.
- RetailMeNot: RetailMeNot is a coupon, deal, and cashback destination serving online shoppers across thousands of merchants. It competes with Capital One Shopping on coupon discovery, deal aggregation, and affiliate monetization.
- Ibotta: Ibotta is a cashback rewards platform offering rebates for online and in-store purchases. It competes with Capital One Shopping in the cashback rewards category, sharing an affiliate-revenue model and a consumer savings value proposition.
- Flipp: Flipp is a digital circulars and coupons app that aggregates retailer deals and supports shopping list planning. It competes with Capital One Shopping in digital coupon discovery and merchant-driven savings content for online and omnichannel shoppers.
- TopCashback: TopCashback is a cashback platform that returns a high share of merchant affiliate commissions to users. It is a direct competitor to Capital One Shopping on cashback rates and affiliate-driven e-commerce monetization.
- Slickdeals: Slickdeals is a community-driven deals and coupons platform with strong engagement among online shoppers. It overlaps with Capital One Shopping in surfacing promo codes, price tracking, and merchant affiliate monetization.
- Shopkick: Shopkick (Trax) provides cashback and rewards for online and in-store shopping via its app. It overlaps with Capital One Shopping on affiliate-driven cashback rewards and shopper engagement across retail brands.
- Honey: Honey is a browser extension that automatically applies coupon codes at online checkout, offering cashback rewards via its Honey Gold program. Acquired by PayPal for ~$4B in 2020, it is the closest direct competitor to Capital One Shopping in product, target market (online shoppers), and affiliate revenue model.
- Coupons.com: Coupons.com (Quotient Technology / Neptune Retail Solutions) is one of the original digital coupon and cashback platforms. It overlaps directly with Capital One Shopping on digital coupon aggregation, printable/digital codes, and merchant affiliate partnerships.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Paribus social profiles
Digital presenceParibus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Paribus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Paribus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Paribus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Paribus
What does Paribus do?
Paribus was a consumer-facing price protection service that automatically tracked online purchases and helped users claim refunds when prices dropped after purchase. Following Capital One's 2016 acquisition, the technology was expanded into Capital One Shopping, a free browser extension that automatically applies coupon codes at checkout, sends price drop alerts, and issues cashback rewards on eligible purchases from merchant partners.
Is Paribus a public or private company?
Paribus is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Paribus founded?
Paribus was founded in 2014. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Paribus based?
Paribus is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Paribus make money?
One revenue line is on record: affiliate Commissions.
Who are Paribus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rakuten, Swagbucks, RetailMeNot, Ibotta, Flipp, TopCashback, Slickdeals, Shopkick, Honey and Coupons.com.
Does Paribus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Paribus.
What industry is Paribus in?
Paribus's product category is Cashback and Coupon Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAGAH, Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms.