Runa is encouraging businesses planning rewards for the fourth quarter of 2025 to offer a wider mix of spending options. In an October 1 commentary, the payout provider argues that employee incentives, customer loyalty rewards and gig-worker payments should reflect how recipients intend to use the money.

The company identifies several categories for reward catalogs: groceries and other necessities, travel and entertainment, dining, wellness, and fuel. Its recommendation is to combine practical options with discretionary purchases, giving recipients a choice between meeting a household need and paying for an experience.

For employers, Runa frames gift cards and prepaid cards as a way to accommodate different priorities within one workforce. A catalog focused entirely on leisure spending may be less useful to an employee who wants help with everyday purchases; a narrow essentials-only selection can overlook those who value an occasional treat.

The commentary also discusses smaller loyalty redemptions and the option to apply accumulated points at checkout. Runa argues that immediate, usable value and relevant reward choices should influence program design alongside the size of the incentive.

For gig platforms, the company emphasizes the timing of earnings payments during a busy trading period and promotes its Pay to Card service in that context. This is Runa’s recommendation for Q4 planning, rather than evidence that a particular payout method will by itself improve recruitment or retention.