Recognize gives you flexible ways to offer company swag as a reward, so employees can redeem their points for items that fit your brand and culture.
At a high level:
- Recognize handles points and redemption tracking
- You or your swag provider handle purchasing, inventory, and shipping
The right setup depends on how hands-on you want to be and whether your swag provider supports automation.
Integration Options
Option 1: Manual (Company-Managed) Swag
This is the simplest option and requires no technical setup.
How it works:
-
You create swag items in your Recognize catalog
(add images, descriptions, sizes, colors, and point values) - Employees redeem their points for those items
- A Company Admin is notified when a redemption happens
-
Your team fulfills the order outside of Recognize
(ship the item or distribute it internally)
Important to know:
- Recognize does not purchase or ship items
- Recognize only deducts points and tracks the redemption
- Your team manages inventory, ordering, and delivery
Best for:
- Companies that already manage swag internally
- Teams that keep inventory on hand or order as needed
Option 2: Automated Fulfillment (Swag Provider Integration)
Automated options allow your swag provider to handle fulfillment after a redemption is made.
Availability:
- Available for Enterprise customers or as an add-on package
Requirements:
- Your swag provider must support integrations (API or webhooks)
- Setup typically involves your swag provider and, in some cases, your IT team
Option 2A: Automated Ordering (Catalog in Recognize)
How it works:
- You create and manage your swag catalog inside Recognize
-
When an employee redeems an item:
- Recognize automatically sends the order details to your swag provider
- The swag provider fulfills and ships the item directly to the employee
Responsibilities:
- Recognize: Points deduction and redemption tracking
- Swag provider: Inventory, fulfillment, and shipping
Billing:
- Managed directly between you and your swag provider
- Not handled by Recognize
Option 2B: Embedded Swag Store (Catalog from Provider)
How it works:
- Your swag provider hosts the catalog
- The catalog is embedded inside Recognize
- Employees browse and redeem items without leaving the platform
- Orders are sent directly to the swag provider for fulfillment
Responsibilities:
- Recognize: Points deduction and redemption tracking
- Swag provider: Catalog, inventory, fulfillment, and shipping
Billing:
- Managed directly between you and your swag provider
- Not handled by Recognize
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Manual Swag | Automated (2A) | Embedded Store (2B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalog location | In Recognize | In Recognize | From provider |
| Fulfillment handled by | Your team | Swag provider | Swag provider |
| Requires integration | No | Yes | Yes |
| Available on | All plans | Enterprise / Add-on | Enterprise / Add-on |
Requirements (For Automated Options)
If you plan to automate fulfillment (Option 2), your swag provider must meet the following requirements:
Your swag provider must:
- Be able to receive individual orders from Recognize (via API or webhook)
-
Accept basic employee information, including:
- Name and/or email
- Shipping address (standard format)
Important limitations:
- Recognize does not support shipment tracking
- Recognize does not send tracking updates to employees
- Your swag provider should provide tracking directly if needed
Recommended:
- A technical contact at your swag provider
- Internal IT support (if required for integration)
How to Get Started
We’ll guide you through each step of the process.
1. Contact Recognize
Email us at support@recognizeapp.com to get started.
2. Share Your Swag Provider
-
If you already have a vendor:
- We’ll review their capabilities and discuss your options
-
If not:
- We’ll ask for an introduction to your provider so we can gather technical details
3. Technical Review
- Our team evaluates your provider’s capabilities
- We recommend the best setup (manual or automated)
4. Setup & Configuration
-
Configure your rewards catalog
- To learn how to create and manage a Custom Catalog (used for Option 1 and Option 2A), view our guide: Custom Rewards Catalogs
- Set up the integration (if applicable)
- Test the redemption experience
5. Go Live
Once complete, employees can begin redeeming points for swag.