Rewards: Step-by-Step Instructions

Redeeming points for Rewards is a core feature of the Recognize platform, giving employees a seamless, digital way to choose something meaningful in return for their contributions. Recognize offers Provider-Fulfilled Rewards, including eGift cards and live event tickets, as well as Custom Catalogs where companies can create and fulfill their own rewards of any kind. Organizations can also offer Amazon rewards and integrate with most swag providers to automate company swag rewards.

Use the links below to learn more about each topic:

Enabling Rewards

Awarding Points for Sending Recognitions, and Sending/Receiving 'Likes' 

Depositing Rewards Funds

Refunds for Rewards Funding Account

Creating Catalogs

Company Fulfilled Rewards

Provider Fulfilled Rewards

Redeeming Rewards

Approving Rewards

Reward Fulfillment Overview

Checking Your Organization's Reward Balance

Reviewing Rewards Reporting

Enabling Rewards:

1. Select Menu in the upper right corner of Recognize.

2. Select Company Admin from the drop-down menu.

3. Select Settings from the navigation panel on the left.

4. Select Rewards from the quick-navigation panel on the right side of the Settings page.

5. Toggle Allow rewards from OFF to ON.
   Note: Points cannot be redeemed while Allow Rewards is OFF. This prevents staff from accumulating points before Rewards are available. Any points earned prior to enabling Rewards will remain non-redeemable.

6. If you want employees to receive SMS notifications when they redeem rewards, toggle Allow SMS notifications for redemption from OFF to ON.

7. To set notifications as the default for all employees, toggle Email, SMS, and/or Push from OFF to ON.

8. If you want new employees to receive notifications automatically, toggle Email, SMS, and/or Push from OFF to ON.

   
   
    

Awarding Points for Sending Recognitions, and Sending/Receiving Likes on Recognitions:

1. Select Menu in the upper right corner of Recognize.

2. Select Company Admin from the drop-down menu.
   
   
    

3. Select Points from the far-left navigation menu.

4. Select Settings in the upper right corner of the Points page.

5. Set Point Values to specify how many points users earn for:

   • Sending a Recognition

   • Receiving a Like on a Recognition (someone likes a recognition you received)

   • Sending a Like on a Recognition (liking someone else’s recognition)

6. To make these points redeemable for rewards, check the Redeemable box. If left unchecked, the points will be awarded but cannot be redeemed.
   Tip: We recommend making all points redeemable to avoid confusion for end users.

7. The Hide points for end users option will hide all mentions of points from employees.
   Note: If this option is turned ON, users can still earn redeemable points if Rewards are enabled and Badges have point values attached. However, the Rewards catalog will be hidden from end users, so they will not be able to redeem any points earned.

8. Once you’ve finished editing these point values, select Save point settings to apply your changes.

   
    

Depositing Rewards Funds:

Recognize does not charge a fee per redemption. There is a 5% fee for credit card deposits and a $30 fee for ACH Pull deposits. Deposits via Check or ACH Push have no fees. Beyond these deposit fees, 100% of the funds go directly to the gift cards. For example, if a user redeems a $5 gift card, they receive a $5 gift card with no additional cost to your company.

Funds transferred to Recognize are placed in a holding account and remain your money until redeemed by employees.

NOTE: Deposits are not required for company-fulfilled Rewards since your internal team would fulfill those types of Rewards. 


Fees for Deposits:

Push - Transaction is initiated and funds are transferred from your sending account — you are pushing the money into the destination account.

Pull - Transaction is initiated and funds are transferred from the receiving account — you are pulling the money in from the source account.

There is a minimum deposit amount of $1000. Our team can also set a low balance threshold for your account to alert us when the balance falls below a specified amount upon which point we can reach out to you. If you would like to set a low balance alert, please contact accounting@recognizeapp.com.
 

1. To deposit money with Recognize for Rewards, please send a request to accounting@recognizeapp.com and include the following:
    

• The amount you would like to deposit (minimum of $1000)
   

• How you wish to deposit your funds (ACH push, ACH pull, Wire transfer, Credit/Debit, or Check)

  If you choose to send a check, the mailing address (also included on your invoice) is as follows: 
  
  Recognize Services Inc.
  312 SW Greenwich Dr
  Suite 594
  Lee's Summit, MO 64082
   

2. Once we receive the above details regarding your deposit, our team will send you an invoice. To ensure proper credit, please include your invoice number on the check, if applicable.
    
3. Once payment is received and funds have been applied to your account, you will receive a confirmation email from us.
    
4. Recognize also provides downloadable reports for accountants, which can be accessed from the Company Admin portal. Once we receive your payment, you'll see it show up as a line item in the Transactions table in Company Admin > Rewards > Transactions. 

Refunds for Rewards Funding Account

In the event you wish to cancel your account and have your remaining Rewards balance refunded to you, a $50 fee will apply, and your refund will be provided by way of wire transfer.

For example, if your company deposits $1,000 for gift cards, and staff has redeem $250 in gift cards, we'll send you a wire transfer of $700.00 should you request a refund of your balance.

 

Holiday Rewards Deposits

Over the holiday period, we traditionally experience a significant increase in employee redemptions for Rewards, and we're thrilled to see so many organizations taking the opportunity to Reward and motivate their teams!

To help ensure a seamless experience for your staff, and provide you with the peace of mind that Rewards will be distributed promptly, we recommend appropriately funding your Rewards account with this in mind prior to the Holiday rush.

If you have any additional questions about depositing funds for provider-fulfilled rewards, please reach out to us at accounting@recognizeapp.com. 

Creating Catalogs:

Recognize gives you options by offering several types of catalogs:

• Custom Catalogs – Manually built and tailored to your company’s needs. Can include both Company-Fulfilled and Provider-Fulfilled eGift Card Rewards.

• Managed Catalogs – Automatically built, require minimal effort, and include all available Provider-Fulfilled eGift Card Rewards for the currency. Customization is not available.

• Live Events Rewards Catalog (Powered by TFL) – Allows employees to redeem points for live event tickets and experiences. These catalogs are curated and Provider-Fulfilled to simplify event-based rewards.

• Amazon Rewards – Connects to a company’s Amazon Business account, allowing employees to redeem points for Amazon items that are shipped directly to their homes.

Below are links to help articles that walk through each type of catalog in more detail.

Building Custom Rewards Catalogs
Managed Catalogs
Live Events Rewards Catalog (Powered by TFL)
Amazon Business Rewards

Creating Rewards:

Company-Fulfilled Rewards 

Company-Fulfilled Rewards are offered and supplied directly by your organization. You can create any type of reward and add it to your Recognize Custom Catalog, allowing employees to redeem points earned through Recognition. Recognize handles the redemption process, while your organization manages and fulfills the rewards. This does not require a deposit into a Rewards funding account, giving you full flexibility to get creative. 

For more details, see: Building Custom Rewards Catalogs

Provider-Fulfilled Rewards 

Provider-Fulfilled Rewards are offered and fulfilled through Recognize’s third-party vendors. After depositing funds and receiving confirmation from the Recognize team, you can create Gift Card Rewards in your catalog. Recognize supports major U.S. brands and a wide range of international reward options to include in your Rewards catalog.

For instructions on depositing rewards funds. see: depositing funds for rewards 

Note: Provider-Fulfilled Rewards require your organization to be on the Mid-Market package or higher.

Redeeming Rewards:

Follow these steps to easily browse and redeem rewards:

1. Access the Rewards Page

• Click on the 'Rewards' icon in the top-left navigation menu.

2. Browse and Filter Rewards

• View Options: Rewards are displayed in either a grid view or carousel view, organized by category.
• Catalogs: At the top left, you can select a specific Catalog to browse rewards. (The number of catalogs shown depends on your organization’s setup.)
• Filters:
  • Instant Delivery: Check the ‘Instant Delivery’ box to see only rewards that are delivered instantly.
  • Search: Use the search box on the left to find a specific reward.
  • Categories: Filter by Category or click ‘Select All’ to view rewards from all categories.
  • Country: If applicable, filter by Country based on your organization’s setup.
  • Redeemable Rewards: Click the ‘Redeemable’ button to see only rewards available based on your current points balance.
  • Cost: Sort rewards by minimum redemption cost using the ‘Low’ or ‘High’ buttons.

3. Understand Reward Details 

• If a Reward requires more points than you have, it will show an ‘Unavailable’ label.
• Each Reward displays:
  1. The minimum and maximum points needed (bottom-left corner)

  2. The delivery type (e.g., "Instant Delivery" or "Extra Time Required") in the bottom-right corner.

     
     
      

4. Select a Reward 

• Click on the image of the Reward you want to open the Reward details page.
• On the details page, you can:
  • Learn more about the vendor and Reward.
  • See instructions for how to redeem the Reward.
  • Review Terms and Conditions for delivery and other important details.
• Note: Vendor-fulfilled rewards (e.g., gift cards) cannot be refunded once selected and confirmed. 

5. Redeem the Reward

• Choose the variant (e.g., amount, size, or other options) for the Reward, if applicable.
• Click the ‘Next’ button.
  
  

6. Confirm Your Redemption

• A pop-up window will appear to confirm your redemption.
• To finalize, click ‘Redeem’.

• If you change your mind, click ‘Cancel’ to return without redeeming your points.
  
  

  
  
   

Approving Rewards:

Approving Rewards as a Rewards Manager

Once an employee has selected a Reward, if an approval is required by the designated Rewards Manager, it must be approved via the Manager Portal. There can be more than one Rewards Manager at an organization, and Rewards Managers will only have access to approve or deny Rewards that they've been assigned to.

1. Start by selecting 'Menu' from the top right corner of the page
2. Select 'Manager Portal' from the drop-down menu
3. Select Redemptions from the left-side navigation menu to access the 'Redemption approval' page.
   
   
   
    
4. Click 'Pending' in the upper right-hand tertiary menu from the Redemption Approval page
5. Select one of two actions for each 'Pending' reward:
   • Approve (accepts the selected user reward) 
   • Deny (declines the selected user reward)
     
     
      
6. After clicking either action, a small pop-up window will appear, and you can either select the 'Confirm' button to complete the approval, or 'Cancel' to back out
   
   
   
   
   
    

Approving Rewards as a Company Admin

Regardless of who is assigned as a Rewards Manager, Company Admins have the ability to 'Approve' or 'Decline' rewards additionally. See below to learn how to approve Reward redemptions as a Company Admin.

Steps to Approve Rewards as a Company Admin:

1. Once an employee has selected a reward, if an approval is required, it can be approved by a Company Admin. Start by selecting 'Menu' from the top right of the page
2. Select 'Company Admin' from the dropdown menu
3. Select 'Rewards' from the left-side navigation menu
   
   
    
4. Click 'Redemptions' in the upper right-hand tertiary menu to access the Rewards page with pending approvals
5. Select one of two actions for each 'Pending' reward:
   • Approve (accepts the selected user reward) 
   • Deny (declines the selected user reward)
     
     
      
6. After clicking either action, a small pop-up window will appear, and you can either select the 'Confirm' button to complete the approval, or 'Cancel' to back out
   
   
    

Reward Fulfillment Overview:

To further expand the Reward selection for our customers, we have opted to begin including non-instant Rewards in our catalogs. Companies will now have the option to add third-party Provider-Fulfilled Rewards that have a deferred delivery, with a typical fulfillment wait time of 3-10 business days. Any Rewards that have fulfillment wait times will be noted within the catalog for end users to view, with a label underneath each Reward as shown below. More exact fulfillment times will be listed in each Reward's terms & conditions. Likewise, any Rewards that are instant will now be specifically marked as such, and users will be able to filter specifically for instant Rewards.  

Viewing Instant vs. Deferred Delivery Reward Options as a User

1. Select the 'Rewards' button in the main toolbar in the top left of your screen
2. Select filter for 'Instant Delivery' from the left side of your screen if an instant Reward is preferred
   
   NOTE: Any Rewards that have an Approval Process will not be listed as 'Instant'
   
    
3. Rewards with a deferred delivery are specifically labeled beneath the name of the Reward to the right
4. Click on a Reward to open more details
   
   
   
    
5. View terms and conditions for the Reward, where you will find specifics about expected delivery
   
   

Checking Your Organization's Reward Balance

You'll want to check your organization's Rewards balance on a regular basis if you're using provider-fulfilled Rewards, and make sure you are topped off enough to cover redemptions. See the below steps for how to find your organization's current Rewards balance.

1. Select 'Menu' from the top right corner of your screen
2. Select 'Company Admin' from the drop-down menu
   
   
    
3. Click 'Rewards' from the main left menu
4. Click into the catalog where your provider-fulfilled Rewards are set up
   
   
    
5. You will then be re-directed to a dashboard for that catalog, where you will be able to view your Rewards Deposit Balance in the top left corner of the screen, alongside the number of points that amount will cover should redemptions occur

6. It's important to also be aware of your organization's total 'Unredeemed Points', since this is the amount of points out there that could potentially be redeemed by employees
   
   
    

   NOTE: Striking a balance between the two will be important for user experience, because if your funds fall too low, user redemptions will be blocked

Reviewing Rewards Reporting:

As a Company Admin, you can also view redemption and transaction reports within the Rewards tab of the Company Admin Portal.

1. After navigating to the Company Admin portal, select Rewards from the far left navigation menu
2. You can pull a report showing all redemptions made by navigating to the 'Redemptions' tab in the upper right-hand tertiary menu
3. You can also pull a detailed transaction report by navigating to the 'Transactions' tab in the upper right-hand tertiary menu
   
   
    
4. Determine the time interval for your report results
5. Under 'Export', select which output format you'd prefer
   
   NOTE: These types of reports will download straight to your computer rather than going into the Documents > Download section in the Company Admin Portal
   
   
    
6. For Transaction reports, you'll have an extra filter option to export 'Credit' or 'Debit' only, if you'd like to look at one or the other
   
   
   
   NOTE: Both types of reports will download straight to your computer rather than going into the Documents > Download section in the Company Admin Portal

For more information on Rewards reporting, see our article: 'How to download an accounting report of all the reward redemptions?'