> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://greatquestion.co/support/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Incentives FAQ > How to set, update, and track incentives, plus what participants experience when redeeming their rewards. Common questions about setting incentive amounts, updating them, tracking delivery, and what participants see when they redeem a reward. A good rule of thumb is to offer more for moderated sessions, since they require active participation, and less for unmoderated tests, since they ask less of the participant's time. There's no system-enforced minimum, these are just general benchmarks, not a platform rule: | Study type | Recommended amount | Notes | | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------- | | Unmoderated prototype tests | \$40/hour | Good for usability or task-based sessions | | Remote moderated interviews (consumers) | \$80/hour | Standard for general participants | | Remote moderated interviews (professionals) | \$100/hour | For specialized or B2B audiences | Even for short sessions, a **\$20 minimum** is a reasonable floor to make participation worthwhile. You can update an incentive as long as: * The study is **not closed or archived**, active and paused studies are both fine. * The participant is **not** externally recruited. * For a specific participant, their incentive hasn't already been sent, redeemed, or used. You don't need to pause the study first, the incentive amount and type are editable directly from a live, active study. **To update the overall incentive:** 1. Go to **Incentives** and click **Edit**. 2. Update the amount or switch the type between **Money or gift card**, **Coupon code**, **Product gift**, and **Other**. 3. Save your changes. **To update a specific participant's incentive:** 1. Open your study and go to the **Participants** tab. 2. Click the **➕** icon in the table header to show the **Incentive** column. 3. Find the participant and click their incentive amount. 4. Edit the amount. If you **increase** it, you'll be prompted to add funds. If you **decrease** it, the unused funds return to your wallet immediately. Check status in the **Participants** tab. An incentive moves through these states: | Status | Meaning | | ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------- | | **Pending** | The incentive is set up but hasn't been sent yet | | **Sent** | The incentive email was delivered to the participant | | **Redeemed** | The participant clicked the link and claimed their reward | | **Canceled** | The incentive was canceled and won't be delivered | You can also confirm delivery a few other ways: * Hover over **Sent Thanks** to check redemption status. * Open a participant's profile and check **Messages** or **Activity**. * View overall incentive stats under the study's **Stats**. Yes. To hold off on sending the **Thanks** message: 1. When marking a participant as **Completed**, toggle **Send Thanks** off. 2. Later, select the participant and click **Compose > Thanks**. 3. Review and send when you're ready. This gives you time to review responses before releasing the reward. When incentives are managed through Great Question, the participant: 1. Receives the **Thanks** email. 2. Clicks the link in the email, landing on their Great Question participation page. 3. Continues to Tremendous, where their reward is generated. 4. Chooses their payout option, gift card, PayPal, bank transfer, and more. ## Troubleshooting | Issue | What's happening | How to fix it | | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Can't edit incentive details | The study is closed or archived, or that participant's incentive has already been sent, redeemed, or used | Confirm the study isn't closed/archived, and that you're editing a participant whose incentive hasn't gone out yet | | Participant didn't receive an incentive | The **Thanks** message wasn't sent | Go to the participant's row, click **Compose > Thanks**, review, and send | | Incentive not marked as redeemed | The participant hasn't claimed it yet | Hover over **Sent Thanks** or check the **Activity** tab for real-time status | | Can't update an incentive for external participants | External incentives (for example, from User Interviews) are managed directly by the recruiter | The participant redeems through User Interviews and contacts them for any payment issues | | Unsure whether unused funds are released when a study closes | Funds return to your wallet as soon as you decrease or cancel an incentive — not on a delay tied to study closure | Check your wallet balance right after making the change, not after the study closes | | Incentive status looks different across pages | Status labels can differ slightly between the Participants tab and other views (for example, a participant may show as "Completed" in one place and "Sent" in another) | Use the **Activity** tab on the participant's profile for the most reliable status | | Can't offer only specific gift cards (e.g. only Visa) | Not currently supported — participants choose from Tremendous's full catalog of payout options | None — this isn't configurable today | *** **Still need help?** Contact us at [support@greatquestion.co](mailto:support@greatquestion.co) — median response time is 19 minutes during [support hours](https://greatquestion.co/features/about-our-support-team).