AppSumo Briefcase Update: Chips, Cart Checkout & More

Briefcase Coupons Are Now Called Chips

AppSumo is rolling out a significant branding change to its Briefcase subscription: coupons are being renamed to "chips." Functionally, nothing changes — each chip is still worth up to $49 toward a single purchase, and you still can't pocket the difference if you buy a deal priced below that threshold. Buy a $39 deal with a chip, and the remaining value is simply gone.

Quarterly Briefcase members will continue to receive four chips per billing cycle, automatically issued to the My Rewards section of their AppSumo account. The renaming might seem cosmetic, but it's part of a broader push by AppSumo to bring clarity and consistency to how Briefcase works — something members have been asking for.

Apply Chips Directly from the Checkout Screen

This is the update Briefcase members have been waiting for. Previously, using your coupons meant navigating to your account, digging into the rewards section, applying a coupon to your cart, completing checkout, and then repeating the entire process for every additional coupon you wanted to use. If you wanted to stack all four coupons in a single quarter, that meant four separate checkout flows. It was tedious.

Now, you can apply chips directly from the cart at checkout — and you can apply multiple chips to your cart at once. No more bouncing between pages. No more repetitive checkout loops. It's the kind of quality-of-life improvement that makes Briefcase feel like a properly integrated feature rather than an afterthought.

Better Tracking for Your Briefcase Spending

If you've ever lost track of where a Briefcase coupon went, you're not alone. It's been one of the most common complaints in the LTD community, with members regularly posting in Facebook groups trying to figure out whether a coupon was actually applied or just vanished into the void.

AppSumo is addressing this by adding proper accounting to the My Rewards section. You'll now be able to see exactly which products your chips were applied to. It's basic functionality that arguably should have existed from day one, but the fact that AppSumo is investing development resources into the platform is a positive signal for Briefcase's future.

Refund Policy Clarified and Cart Bugs Fixed

AppSumo has also cleaned up its refund process for chip-purchased deals. If you refund a product bought with a chip within the standard 60-day refund window, your chip will automatically be reissued to your account. The shopping cart bugs that previously caused issues with this flow have reportedly been fixed.

There's one important caveat to keep in mind: chips expire based on your Briefcase billing subscription date, not the purchase date. If you refund a product after the chip that paid for it has already expired, you'll get back a worthless, expired chip. Always double-check your chip expiration dates in the My Rewards page before banking on a refund restoring your credit.

Black Friday Early Access and What's Coming Next

Beyond the immediate updates, AppSumo has signaled that more improvements are in the pipeline for Briefcase. These changes are just the beginning of a broader effort to add value for paying members.

On the Black Friday front, Plus members — which includes all Briefcase subscribers — will get early access to Black Friday deals starting Monday, November 25th. There's reportedly an additional surprise in store as well. If you've been on the fence about joining Briefcase or at least signing up for AppSumo Plus, the combination of these platform improvements and early holiday deal access makes this a solid time to get on board.

Watch the Full Video

Prefer watching to reading? Check out the full video on YouTube for a complete walkthrough with live demos and commentary.

Final Verdict

The Briefcase update with chips and cart checkout is a positive evolution for AppSumo subscribers. The new credit system adds flexibility, and cart checkout streamlines the purchasing process for deal stacking.

Whether Briefcase is worth the subscription depends on how many deals you buy per quarter. If you consistently purchase two or more deals quarterly, the savings from Briefcase vouchers pay for themselves. Occasional buyers are better off purchasing deals individually.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is AppSumo Briefcase?

AppSumo Briefcase was a subscription service that provided monthly credits to redeem on selected AppSumo products. It allowed subscribers to access tools at discounted rates through a credit system.

What are AppSumo Chips?

Chips were credits within the AppSumo Briefcase system. Subscribers received monthly chip allocations that could be spent on eligible products, with unused chips rolling over to future months.

Is AppSumo Briefcase still available?

AppSumo Briefcase has been replaced by AppSumo Plus, which provides 10% off all deals, exclusive Plus-only deals, and early access to new products on the marketplace.

How does AppSumo Plus compare to Briefcase?

AppSumo Plus is simpler than Briefcase, offering a flat 10% discount on everything rather than a credit system. Plus also includes exclusive deals and extended access that Briefcase did not provide.

Should you subscribe to AppSumo Plus?

AppSumo Plus is worth it if you buy more than $100 in AppSumo deals per year. The 10% discount across all purchases quickly covers the subscription cost for regular buyers.