Guusto presented guest reward redemption, AI Recognition Scores and branded merchandise in a product update published on May 6, 2026. The changes address three separate parts of employee recognition: access to an earned reward, feedback on managers’ recognition habits and the form the reward takes. [S01]

Removing an account-creation step

Guest Redemption lets a recipient use a reward without creating an account. Guusto says the route supports rewards delivered through QR codes, text messages, email and printed materials, with particular relevance for frontline employees who may not routinely use a workplace inbox. [S01]

The operational distinction is between sending value and making it usable. A recognition message can reach its destination while the recipient still faces an unfamiliar registration process. Removing one step may help, but a successful programme must also make the reward easy to identify, explain how it works and provide support when something goes wrong.

Three changes with different jobs

Guusto had already described integrated branded merchandise in its March Q1 update. Its appearance in the May showcase should therefore be read as part of the continuing product programme, rather than evidence that merchandise first became available in May. [S02]

Scroll left or right to see all columns
Three changes with different jobs

Product update

Purpose described by Guusto

Guest Redemption

Use a reward without creating an account

AI Recognition Scores

Give feedback on recognition activity and message quality

Branded merchandise

Add another reward format for milestones and recognition

Guusto says the scoring feature considers factors including recognition frequency, reach, message specificity and alignment with company values. Branded merchandise broadens the formats available alongside gift cards. The update was discussed by senior product manager Cameron Waind and executive HR adviser Kwesi Thomas. [S01]

A recognition score and a redemption result answer different questions. The first evaluates aspects of how recognition is expressed or distributed. The second records whether the recipient could use the reward. Neither, on its own, demonstrates improved retention or a change in employee performance.

What programme owners can measure

Guusto positions the changes as a way to make recognition easier to manage, but the announcement does not provide a controlled evaluation or a measured uplift in redemption after the update. [S01] An anecdotal spending example in the webinar is not a company-wide breakage rate or a representative industry estimate.

For employers, the practical opportunity is to observe the complete process: who receives recognition, whether they can access it and how the chosen reward fits the occasion. A programme becomes easier to improve when those stages are measured separately, with clear definitions and a consistent reporting period.