Checkout Charlie
Checkout Charlie operates 14 international voucher, deal, and cashback portals across DACH, Italy, Spain, and Poland, brokering over €195 million in annual sales for 3,000+ retailer partners via affiliate networks and direct partnerships; it is a Berlin-based subsidiary of solute since 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Checkout Charlie does
Checkout Charlie GmbH (formerly SPARWELT GmbH, renamed in July 2020) is a Berlin-based affiliate marketing operator founded in 2008 that runs a network of 14 national and international consumer-facing voucher, deal, and cashback portals across Germany (Sparwelt.de, Gutscheine.de), Austria (Gutscheine.at), Switzerland (Gutschein.ch), Italy (Buonisconto.it), Spain (Topdescuentos.es), and the pan-European Shopmate.eu cashback portal launched in May 2021. The platform aggregates roughly 15,000 daily deals from 3,000+ retailer partners and brokers more than €195 million in sales annually, mediated both through direct retailer relationships and integrations with 25+ affiliate networks including AWIN, CJ Affiliate, Adcell, TradeTracker, Webgains, and Skimlinks. Its proprietary technology stack includes the Basket Booster cart-abandonment voucher system (capturing cart value, timestamp, and merchant ID on abandonment to surface targeted codes), a Snowplow-based tracking infrastructure with Hotjar and Google Analytics overlays, a centralized CMS publishing across all 14 domains, and a white-label Shopmate licensing engine offered to enterprise partners for co-branded cashback programs.
The company operates a four-stream revenue model: (i) affiliate commissions on voucher redemption and referred transactions via networks and direct partnerships, (ii) tiered Welcome Packages for new partners (Silver €1,600, Gold €2,400, Triple Diamond €3,700) plus bespoke Promotion Packages with sales consulting, marketing planning, and editorial production, (iii) licensing of the Shopmate cashback technology and offer pool under the Cashback White Label Program to banks, insurers, and retailers for customer-loyalty deployments, and (iv) advertising revenue including TV spots, newsletter placements, and social advertising across its high-reach portal network. Distribution is primarily enterprise field sales with personally-assigned sales contacts per country/vertical, complemented by media partnerships (notably with ntv.de under the RTL Audio Center address) and affiliate network channels.
The company is led by Managing Directors Bernd Vermaaten and Dr. Thilo Gans, has between 36 (German contact page) and 86 (English contact page) employees — implying the higher figure is the consolidated, multilingual headcount — and is headquartered in Berlin with several offices across the city. No venture or private equity funding rounds are disclosed; the operating history is entirely bootstrapped or financed via cash flow until 2025, when Checkout Charlie became part of the German price-comparison and shopping-software group solute, suggesting a strategic exit or partial liquidity event for prior shareholders.
Checkout Charlie firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Checkout Charlie
- Legal name
- Checkout Charlie GmbH
- Website
- https://checkout-charlie.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Checkout Charlie operates 14 international voucher, deal, and cashback portals across DACH, Italy, Spain, and Poland, brokering over €195 million in annual sales for 3,000+ retailer partners via affiliate networks and direct partnerships; it is a Berlin-based subsidiary of solute since 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Checkout Charlie industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Voucher, Deal, and Cashback Portals
- akta.pro primary industry
- Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAH)
Keywords
Where Checkout Charlie is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Checkout Charlie business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Affiliate Commission: Revenue generated from commission fees when users redeem vouchers or make purchases through partner retailer links. Operates through major affiliate networks including AWIN, CJ Affiliate, Awin, and direct partnerships.
- Welcome and Promotion Packages: Package-based pricing for new partners (Silver €1,600, Gold €2,400, Triple Diamond €3,700) providing visibility across voucher and cashback platforms. Ongoing promotion packages for existing partners with personalized campaigns.
- White Label Cashback Program: Licensing of Shopmate cashback technology and offers to partner companies for co-branded customer loyalty solutions, including technical integration and customer service provision.
- Advertising and Branding: Revenue from TV advertising, sponsored content, newsletter placements, and social media advertising across their high-reach portal network.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Silver package for new partners - basic visibility across key platforms |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gold package for new partners - enhanced visibility with newsletter placement |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Triple Diamond package for new partners - maximum visibility and best discounts |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
Checkout Charlie product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Checkout Charlie operates 14 consumer-facing voucher, deal, and cashback portals across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and Poland, connecting more than 3,000 online retailers with shoppers through affiliate-driven vouchers and cashback offers. On the partner side, the company sells Welcome Packages (Silver, Gold, Triple Diamond tiers), Promotion Packages, Performance/Content/Branding marketing services, and a Cashback White Label Program licensing the Shopmate technology stack. Revenue is generated primarily through affiliate commissions, paid partner packages, white-label licensing, and advertising.
Product overview
Checkout Charlie operates a multi-portal consumer deals and savings platform, functioning as the interface between retailers and consumers in online shopping. The core offering consists of 14 national and international consumer-facing portals across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain including Sparwelt.de, Gutscheine.de, Gutschein.ch, Gutscheine.at, Topdescuentos.es, Buonisconto.it, and the Shopmate.eu cashback portal. The Shopmate cashback portal, launched in May 2021, provides cashback rewards and forms the technical foundation for the Cashback White Label Program. On the partner side, the company offers Welcome Packages (Silver, Gold, Triple Diamond tiers ranging from €1,600 to €3,700), Promotion Packages with personalized consulting and campaign planning, and Content Marketing Services. The proprietary Basket Booster technology enhances the offering by displaying relevant vouchers for users' abandoned carts. The company also operates a loyalty program (SPARWELT Club / Checkout Charlie Club) for registered users. All operations are headquartered in Berlin with coverage across DACH region and expansion into Italy and Spain.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sparwelt.de: German consumer and discount portal offering deals, vouchers and bargains
- Gutscheine.de
- Gutschein.ch
- Gutscheine.at
- Topdescuentos.es
- Buonisconto.it
- Shopmate.eu
Products and services
- Sparwelt.de
- Gutscheine.de
- Gutschein.ch
- Gutscheine.at
- Topdescuentos.es
- Buonisconto.it
- Shopmate.eu
- Performance Marketing Services
- Content Marketing Services
- Branding Services
- Welcome Packages
- Promotion Packages
- Cashback White Label Program
Quantifiable outcome
- €195M+ in brokered sales per year
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Checkout Charlie
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Checkout Charlie technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration32 records
Feature3 records
Checkout Charlie partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- solutecoreSince 2025, Checkout Charlie is part of solute, representing a significant ownership change and corporate partnership.
- Shopmate White Label PartnerscoreCompanies licensing Shopmate cashback technology for co-branded customer loyalty solutions. Partners benefit from cashback pool, technical integration, and customer service provision.
- AWIN AGcoreMajor affiliate network partner enabling voucher tracking and commission attribution. AWIN operates as a mediator organizing voucher allocation between Checkout Charlie and partner retailers.
- Conversant Europe Limited (CJ Affiliate)coreAffiliate network partner providing infrastructure for voucher and deal distribution with data processing documented in privacy policy.
- Firstlead GmbH (Adcell)coreGerman affiliate network partner enabling performance-based marketing tracking and commission settlement.
- DaisyconminorAffiliate network partner for cross-promotional campaign tracking and attribution.
- TradeTracker DeutschlandminorAffiliate network partner for campaign performance tracking.
- Webgains DeutschlandminorAffiliate network partner integrated for campaign and voucher distribution.
- SkimlinksminorContent monetization partner for managing affiliate links and commissions.
- ntv.de (Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland)majorMedia cooperation partner providing additional reach and content distribution through ntv.de voucher sections included in Silver Welcome Package.
- Otto GmbH & Co KGmajorMajor e-commerce partner with long-standing partnership characterized by trust and reliability, joint campaign management with shared goals.
- Lampenwelt GmbHmajorLong-term partnership with multiple successful campaigns including international expansion to Italy (Lampara.es) and Spain (Lampade.it).
- E.M.P. Merchandising HGmbHmajorEntertainment merchandise partner with partnership extended to Italy and Spain markets, appreciating personal and competent support.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Checkout Charlie competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TopCashback: UK-origin global cashback platform with strong European footprint. Directly comparable in cashback-first monetization, retailer partnership model, and consumer-facing portal structure.
- iGraal: European cashback and voucher platform operating in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and other markets. Closely comparable in cross-European coverage, cashback-mechanic, and reliance on major affiliate networks.
- Vouchercloud: Mobile-first European voucher and deals platform active in Germany and the UK. Directly comparable voucher-code business targeting the same consumer shopping-intent moments.
- Shoop: One of the largest German cashback platforms, also operating across DACH and additional European markets. Directly comparable in business model (cashback + voucher aggregator), consumer target audience, and affiliate-network-driven revenue stack.
- Cuponation: European deals and voucher aggregator operating in multiple countries including Germany, Italy, and Spain. Highly comparable multi-portal strategy and consumer proposition to Checkout Charlie's Sparwelt/Gutscheine/Buonisconto network.
- MeinGutscheincode: German voucher-code portal competing directly with Gutscheine.de for German-language voucher traffic. Closely comparable in SEO-driven consumer acquisition and affiliate commission revenue.
- Gutscheine.com: German voucher-code portal competing head-to-head with Gutscheine.de. Comparable business model, consumer proposition, and reliance on affiliate-network economics.
- myWorld / Cashback World: Austrian-headquartered global cashback and loyalty network with significant DACH presence. Comparable multi-country loyalty infrastructure and B2B white-label cashback offerings similar to Shopmate's white-label program.
Broad incumbents
- Honey (PayPal): Browser-based coupon and cashback extension owned by PayPal. Operates in Checkout Charlie's space as part of a much wider fintech/wallet portfolio and competes for the same retailer affiliate payouts.
- RetailMeNot: Global deals and cashback platform (US-headquartered, operates internationally) with a much larger brand footprint. Overlapping category, but with a broader portfolio and greater geographic reach than Checkout Charlie.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Checkout Charlie social profiles
Digital presenceCheckout Charlie financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Checkout Charlie leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Checkout Charlie subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Checkout Charlie funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Checkout Charlie 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 Checkout Charlie
What does Checkout Charlie do?
Checkout Charlie operates 14 consumer-facing voucher, deal, and cashback portals across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and Poland, connecting more than 3,000 online retailers with shoppers through affiliate-driven vouchers and cashback offers. On the partner side, the company sells Welcome Packages (Silver, Gold, Triple Diamond tiers), Promotion Packages, Performance/Content/Branding marketing services, and a Cashback White Label Program licensing the Shopmate technology stack. Revenue is generated primarily through affiliate commissions, paid partner packages, white-label licensing, and advertising.
Is Checkout Charlie a public or private company?
Checkout Charlie is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Checkout Charlie founded?
Checkout Charlie was founded in 2008. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Checkout Charlie based?
Checkout Charlie is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Checkout Charlie make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Affiliate Commission is the primary driver. The others are welcome and Promotion Packages, white Label Cashback Program and advertising and Branding.
Who are Checkout Charlie's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TopCashback, iGraal, Vouchercloud, Shoop, Cuponation, MeinGutscheincode, Gutscheine.com and myWorld / Cashback World. Broad incumbents are Honey (PayPal) and RetailMeNot.
Does Checkout Charlie have an API?
No public API is recorded for Checkout Charlie.
What industry is Checkout Charlie in?
Checkout Charlie's product category is Voucher, Deal, and Cashback Portals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAGAH, Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms.