Employee Rewards Software Your Team Will Actually Want
Recognize great work with tacos, then let employees turn that appreciation into gift cards, custom rewards, and experiences they'll actually enjoy.
4.8 on G2 from 700+ reviews Loved by 3,000+ teams worldwide
Recognition First. Rewards Second.
Traditional reward programs can become transactional when employees start participating mainly to earn points or prizes. HeyTaco works the other way around: recognition comes first. A teammate gives another teammate a taco because they noticed something worth appreciating, not because a reward is waiting on the other end.
Rewards can reinforce that behavior once it's already happening, without becoming the reason it exists. The best reward isn't the reason someone gives recognition. It's what makes an already meaningful moment even better. That's why rewards in HeyTaco are optional — see how peer-to-peer recognition works on its own.
How Employee Rewards Work with HeyTaco
- Recognize — A teammate recognizes someone with tacos and a short message explaining why.
- Accumulate — The recipient's tacos add up over time in their taco balance.
- Visit the Taco Shop — When they're ready, they browse the rewards your team has made available.
- Choose a reward — A gift card, a custom reward, or a collaborative team reward.
- Redeem — Tacos are deducted from their balance; admins are notified to fulfill it, except gift cards, which are automatic.
- Repeat — The recognition habit continues, and the next taco given starts the loop again.
Three Reward Types Tailored to Your Team's Needs
Different people value different things. Meaningful doesn't have to mean expensive — HeyTaco lets your team offer a mix of monetary and non-monetary rewards, so appreciation feels personal instead of generic.
Custom
Create rewards tailored to your team's culture — a coffee with the CEO, company swag, or an extra day off. You decide what's meaningful. Custom rewards are included on every HeyTaco plan.
Benefits:
- Fully customizable to match your company culture.
- No budget required to get started.
- Easy to set up and manage in the Taco Shop.
Collaborative
Pool tacos toward a shared goal — a charity donation, a team happy hour, or leaving early on a Friday. Everyone contributes tacos, and the team unlocks the reward together.
Benefits:
- Encourages teamwork and a sense of community.
- Well suited to charitable giving and shared celebrations.
- Included on every HeyTaco plan.
Instant Gift Cards
Redeem tacos for digital gift cards, fulfilled automatically by HeyTaco, so employees can enjoy their favorite brands right away. Included on the Deluxe plan.
Benefits:
- Automatic delivery — no manual admin fulfillment.
- 2,000+ gift cards available in 200+ countries.
- Tangible, flexible rewards for teams that want them.
Rewards Money Can't Buy
Gift cards are convenient, but they're not what makes HeyTaco's rewards distinctly HeyTaco. Custom rewards let your team turn recognition into something that actually reflects your culture — fun, experiential, or just plain silly.
Here are a few real examples teams have built in their own Taco Shop:
👕 Taco Swag Tee!
Turn tacos into threads! Redeem your hard-earned tacos for a HeyTaco T-shirt and flex your taco loyalty in style.
💆 Spa Treatment
Cancel your plans, ignore your emails, and enter full relaxation mode. The only decision you have to make is hot stones or deep tissue.
☕ Coffee Check-In
Treat yourself and a colleague to any drink of your choice! Perfect for spicing up 1:1s or catching up with a teammate.
💪 1 Fitness Class
Spin, sprint, stretch, or suffer through burpees—your call! Pick your workout, and we'll cover the cost (not the sore muscles).
🎤 Emcee an All-Hands
Grab the mic and own the moment! Lead the all-hands meeting, hype up the team, and show off your emcee skills with style.
🪑 Desk Swap Adventure
Switch it up! Trade desks with a teammate for a day and experience the office from a whole new perspective.
🎶 Friday DJ Rights
Friday vibes, coming right up! Curate a 10-song playlist, get the team grooving, and make the end of the week legendary!
What Reward Type is Right for Your Team?
PS: A combination of all three yields the best results. 😊
| Reward Type | Best For | Key Benefit | Taco-O-Meter |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Custom Rewards
|
Personalized experiences | Tailored recognition | 🌮🌮🌮🌮 |
|
Collaborative
|
Team-building activities | Encourages teamwork | 🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮 |
|
Instant Gift Cards
|
Instant rewards | Hassle-free fulfillment | 🌮🌮🌮 |
Curious how much to budget per taco?
Try our Taco Value Calculator! 💰
Enter your monthly rewards budget, team size, and daily taco limit, and the calculator estimates how much each taco should be worth — so admins can set custom reward prices that fit their budget instead of guessing.
HeyTaco vs Traditional Employee Reward Programs
| Aspect | Traditional reward program | HeyTaco |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Often manager or admin driven | Everyday peer recognition |
| Earning | Programs, milestones, incentives | Recognition from teammates |
| Reward choice | Varies by vendor | Gift cards, custom & collaborative rewards |
| Where recognition happens | Often a separate platform | Slack & Microsoft Teams |
| Custom experiences | Varies by vendor | Admin-created rewards, no budget required |
| Frequency | Often periodic | Everyday |
| Administration | Varies by vendor | Integrated into the recognition workflow |
| Primary purpose | Incentives and rewards | Recognition first, rewards second |
It's simple, but meaningful—being able to give a taco with a quick message of thanks or recognition helps build a stronger, more positive culture without feeling forced.
DeAnna R., QA Manager
I love how HeyTaco encourages peer-to-peer recognition in a lighthearted and engaging way. It has strengthened our team culture and helped everyone feel appreciated.
Daniel Alberto J., Fraud Analyst
See our Wall of Love
What to Look For in Employee Rewards Software
Whether or not you choose HeyTaco, these are the questions worth asking:
Can employees choose rewards they actually value?
Different people want different things. A single fixed reward won't feel meaningful to everyone.
Can the company create custom rewards?
The best rewards often reflect your specific culture, not a generic catalog.
Does it support monetary and non-monetary rewards?
Meaningful doesn't have to mean expensive — time off and experiences count too.
Is fulfillment automated?
At least for gift cards — manual fulfillment adds admin overhead that slows a program down.
Does it work internationally?
Distributed teams need rewards that work wherever people actually live.
Are fees transparent?
Understand what's included in your plan versus what costs extra before you commit.
Can admins control reward values and availability?
Look for control over what's offered and how many tacos each reward costs.
Does the system connect to meaningful recognition?
Rewards disconnected from a "why" feel transactional rather than appreciative.
Does it integrate with where employees already work?
A separate destination for rewards adds friction most teams won't push through.
Can admins see participation and redemption?
Look for reporting on what's actually being redeemed, not just points issued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about employee rewards software and how HeyTaco's Taco Shop works.
What is employee rewards software?
Employee rewards software helps companies recognize contributions by giving employees access to meaningful rewards — gift cards, custom perks, or team experiences earned through recognition. HeyTaco connects rewards to everyday peer recognition in Slack and Microsoft Teams: teammates give tacos for great work, and employees redeem accumulated tacos in the Taco Shop.
How does HeyTaco's employee rewards system work?
A teammate recognizes someone with a taco and a short message. Tacos accumulate in the recipient's balance over time. When they're ready, they redeem tacos in the Taco Shop for a reward your team has made available — a gift card, a custom reward, or a collaborative team reward — and the recognition habit continues.
What rewards can employees redeem with HeyTaco?
HeyTaco supports three reward types: instant digital gift cards, custom rewards your team creates (like extra PTO, swag, or lunch with the CEO), and collaborative rewards teammates pool tacos toward, like a charity donation or team celebration. Admins choose which types to offer — none are required.
Does HeyTaco offer digital gift cards?
Yes. On the Deluxe plan, tacos can be redeemed for digital gift cards from a catalog of 2,000+ options in 200+ countries, fulfilled automatically with no manual admin work. Custom and collaborative rewards are available on every plan, including Classic, without needing gift cards at all.
Can companies create custom employee rewards?
Yes. Admins can create unlimited custom rewards in the Taco Shop — things like an extra day off, company swag, lunch with the CEO, or choosing the next team activity. Custom rewards are included on every HeyTaco plan and don't require any budget to set up.
Does HeyTaco support international employee rewards?
Yes. HeyTaco's gift card catalog covers 200+ countries, so distributed and international teams can redeem rewards locally. Custom and collaborative rewards work anywhere HeyTaco does, since they're defined by your team rather than tied to a specific region.
What is the difference between employee rewards and employee recognition?
Recognition is the acknowledgment of someone's contribution or effort — it doesn't require anything tangible to be meaningful. A reward is something tangible or experiential someone may receive as a result. HeyTaco is built around recognition first: a taco represents appreciation on its own, and rewards are an optional way to reinforce it. See how peer-to-peer recognition works.
What is the difference between employee rewards and employee incentives?
Incentives are typically offered in advance to encourage a specific outcome — a bonus for hitting a target, for example. Rewards typically follow a contribution that's already happened. HeyTaco is built around the second model: recognition happens first, and any reward that follows reinforces appreciation that's already been given, rather than motivating it in advance.
How much does HeyTaco's employee rewards software cost?
HeyTaco starts at $3 per user per month on the Classic plan, which includes peer-to-peer recognition and custom or collaborative rewards in the Taco Shop. The Deluxe plan, $5 per user per month, adds instant gift cards, automated milestone celebrations, and advanced analytics. Every plan includes a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. See pricing →
Do I need to offer rewards to use HeyTaco?
No. Rewards are entirely optional — many HeyTaco teams run a strong recognition culture using only custom or collaborative rewards, or no rewards at all. Peer-to-peer recognition is the core of HeyTaco; rewards, including gift cards, are an additional way to reinforce appreciation, not a requirement to get value from the product.
Recognition Comes First. Rewards Make It Even Better.
Give your team an easy way to turn everyday appreciation into rewards they'll actually enjoy — right inside Slack and Microsoft Teams. 30-day free trial. No credit card required.
4.8 on G2 • Loved by 3,000+ teams worldwide
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