What the survey found

Source

Tremendous original survey

Small company survey; not a national estimate. Multiple selections mean totals exceed 100%. The two-point gap does not establish a statistically significant lead.

Show data tableHide data table

Scroll left or right to see all columns

Reward formats selected among respondents’ top three (%)
Category	Survey respondents
Gift card: recipient chooses brand	74%
Cash	72%
Pre-selected gift card	47%
Product discount or credit	46%
Prepaid card	40%
Paper cheque	8%

These answers describe preferred formats, not sales generated by a referral campaign. Tremendous surveyed 101 U.S. consumers in August and disclosed rounding and multiple-selection questions, but not recruitment, weighting or confidence intervals. [S01]

The company behind the research

Tremendous supplies a business payouts platform for marketers, researchers, employers and other organisations. It says founders and employees have owned the company since it bought out its original investors in 2013. The platform delivers money, prepaid cards and gift cards rather than operating a single merchant’s reward scheme. [S02]

Its pricing explains the commercial interest in recipient choice. Tremendous says it earns money from partnerships with some reward brands. Platform access has no subscription charge, and gift cards can be sent at face value; some monetary payout routes carry fees. The published model therefore gives the company a business beyond charging a monthly software licence. [S03]

percent sending fee

Source

Tremendous pricing, October 18

Cards are sent at face value; listed monetary routes may incur 4-6%. Route availability and customer terms vary. Separate funding fees, recipient terms and volume discounts are not included. Current pricing is not evidence of the earlier survey-date price or method-level margins.

Show data tableHide data table

Scroll left or right to see all columns

Tremendous published sending-fee range by route (percent sending fee)
Category	Published lower endpoint	Published upper endpoint
Gift cards and prepaid cards	0 percent sending fee	0 percent sending fee
Listed monetary reward routes	4 percent sending fee	6 percent sending fee

Why the choice of reward matters commercially

Our reading is that the research makes an argument for moving referral fulfilment onto a multi-brand platform. A business that buys one retailer’s cards in advance has already made the brand decision. Letting recipients decide moves that decision into the payout interface, where Tremendous supplies the catalogue and delivery process.

For the sender, the possible gain is better use of its acquisition budget. A reward that a customer actually wants may be more persuasive, but a format preference cannot establish a lower acquisition cost. The commercial result

Tremendous published referral-reward research on August 28, 2026, giving marketers a reason to reconsider who chooses the gift card. In its survey, recipient-selected brands scored alongside cash, while a card chosen in advance attracted fewer selections. The findings also support the proposition of the company selling the payout service. [S01] What the survey found Reward formats selected among respondents’ top three August 2026; 101 U.S. consumers; up to three selections. Survey respondents Gift card: recipient chooses brand: 74 % Cash: 72 % Pre-selected gift card: 47 % Product discount or credit: 46 % Prepaid card: 40 % Paper cheque: 8 % Small company survey; not a national estimate. Multiple selections mean totals exceed 100%. The two-point gap does not establish a statistically significant lead. Tremendous original survey These answers describe preferred formats, not sales generated by a referral campaign. Tremendous surveyed 101 U.S. consumers in August and disclosed rounding and multiple-selection questions, but not recruitment, weighting or confidence intervals. [S01] The company behind the research Tremendous supplies a business payouts platform for marketers, researchers, employers and other organisations. It says founders and employees have owned the company since it bought out its original investors in 2013. The platform delivers money, prepaid cards and gift cards rather than operating a single merchant’s reward scheme. [S02] Its pricing explains the commercial interest in recipient choice. Tremendous says it earns money from partnerships with some reward brands. Platform access has no subscription charge, and gift cards can be sent at face value; some monetary payout routes carry fees. The published model therefore gives the company a business beyond charging a monthly software licence. [S03] Tremendous published sending-fee range by route Current October 18 pricing; displayed range endpoints, not customer averages. Published lower endpoint Gift cards and prepaid cards: 0 percent sending fee Listed monetary reward routes: 4 percent sending fee Published upper endpoint Gift cards and prepaid cards: 0 percent sending fee Listed monetary reward routes: 6 percent sending fee Cards are sent at face value; listed monetary routes may incur 4-6%. Route availability and customer terms vary. Separate funding fees, recipient terms and volume discounts are not included. Current pricing is not evidence of the earlier survey-date price or method-level margins. Tremendous pricing, October 18 Why the choice of reward matters commercially Our reading is that the research makes an argument for moving referral fulfilment onto a multi-brand platform. A business that buys one retailer’s cards in advance has already made the brand decision. Letting recipients decide moves that decision into the payout interface, where Tremendous supplies the catalogue and delivery process. For the sender, the possible gain is better use of its acquisition budget. A reward that a customer actually wants may be more persuasive, but a format preference cannot establish a lower acquisition cost. The commercial result

Your free reader account