Which Rewards Actually Get Guests to Share Photos? A Guide for Venues
You have a QR code on the tables. Guests can scan it and share their photos. But the scans are low and the uploads are lower.
Most of the time, the problem is not the QR code. It is the reward.
This guide covers which rewards work, how to set your points, and the one mistake that quietly stops most guests from ever claiming anything.
The biggest mistake: a first reward nobody reaches
Imagine a guest uploads their first photo, earns 20 points, and sees that the cheapest reward costs 100. They would need five approved photos to get anything at all.
Most people stop right there. They tried, nothing happened, and they will not try again.
Make the first reward reachable with one or two photos. It does not have to be big. It just has to arrive while the guest is still at your venue and still excited. That first win is what turns a curious guest into someone who keeps sharing.
What makes a good reward
The best rewards share three things:
- Instant. The guest can use it today, ideally right now.
- Cheap for you, valuable to them. A shot, a coffee or a dessert costs you little but feels like a real treat.
- Easy to claim. With Everyguest, guests redeem on their own phone, so your staff do not need to check codes or press anything.
Reward ideas by venue type
Restaurants
- Free dessert or side
- A drink with the next meal
- 10% off the next visit
Bars
- A free shot or soft drink
- Happy hour price outside happy hour
- Skip the queue on event nights
Hostels
- A free drink at the hostel bar
- A free breakfast
- A discount on a tour or pub crawl
Hotels
- A welcome drink
- Late checkout
- A spa or restaurant discount
Boats, tours and activities
- A discount on the next trip
- A drink on board
- A partner offer from a nearby beach bar or restaurant
Use a ladder, not one big prize
One reward is not enough. Give guests something to aim for:
| Reward | Roughly how many photos |
|---|---|
| Small instant treat | 1 to 2 |
| Something nicer | 4 to 6 |
| A "regular" reward | 10 or more |
The small one gets people started. The bigger ones keep your keenest guests coming back with more content.
Make videos worth more
If you want more video (and for social media, you probably do), give videos more points than photos. Everyguest lets you set points per type of content, so a short clip can be worth double. Guests notice and film more.
Groups should earn together
Groups often have one person filming and four people watching. If you let a group pool its points, everyone's photos count towards one shared reward. That gets the whole table involved instead of just one keen person.
What not to reward
Rewarding photos is fine. Rewarding reviews is not. Offering something in exchange for a Google or Tripadvisor review breaks those platforms' rules and can get reviews removed. Keep the reward tied to photos and videos, and let good reviews happen on their own.
We explain this properly in how to reward guest photos without incentivising reviews.
Tell guests what they get
A QR code alone says nothing. A sign that says "Share a photo, get a free shot" tells guests exactly why they should scan. Put the first reward on the sign, not the biggest one. The smallest, quickest reward is the one that gets people to try.
Ready to set up your rewards?
You can create and change rewards from your Everyguest dashboard at any time, so it is easy to test what your guests respond to. Start free or see pricing for venues.
