This article walks you through the three steps that get a new PerkUp org ready to send rewards: add funds, add your team, and send your first reward. You need admin access to complete this checklist.
What do I need before I start?
Setting up your org requires admin access in PerkUp. If you were invited as a manager or member, ask your organization's existing admin to upgrade your role — see "Granting admin or manager access" — or contact support through the messenger on this help center. Once you're signed in with admin access, the three setup steps below can typically be completed in about 30 minutes.
How do I add funds to my account?
Before you can send rewards, your organization needs a funding account with a balance. Funding accounts track balance, amount spent, and amount reserved by active programs, and admins have full permission on accounts by default.
To add funds, go to your funding account, select the balance you want to fund, and choose Add funds (minimum $10). This generates an invoice you'll pay on a secure Stripe-hosted invoice page. See "Adding funds to your PerkUp account" for the full walkthrough.
Once your payment is confirmed, the balance appears on your funding account and is ready to fund programs and automations.
How do I add my team?
With funds in place, add the people you'll be sending rewards to. Visit your Directory to get started — you have three ways to add people (see "Adding team members (invite, CSV, or HRIS)" for the full walkthrough):
Invite by email: add someone directly from the Directory and choose their role — Member, Manager, or Admin (full access).
CSV import: use the guided import with PerkUp's template to add people in bulk. Your CSV can also include shipping addresses, which you'll need if you plan to send physical gifts directly.
HRIS sync: connect your HR system from Organization → Integrations to automatically sync people, including email, start date, title, and manager. PerkUp supports 40+ HRIS providers, including BambooHR, Rippling, Gusto, Workday, and ADP. You can also turn on optional syncing for birthdays, personal emails, custom labels, and shipping addresses.
Anyone you add — by any method — appears in your Directory and becomes eligible to receive rewards.
How do I send my first reward?
Once your team is in PerkUp, you're ready to send your first reward from the rewards page using the new-reward wizard (see "How to send a reward or gift to your team" for details):
Choose the occasion for the reward.
Pick the reward type: PerkUp dollars, swag, catalog item, gift card, or Amazon.
Add your email content — banner image, title, sender name, and personal note.
Choose recipients: pick existing people (with label filters), paste in emails, or upload a CSV.
Set the budget and choose the funding account to draw from.
Send now, or schedule the reward for a later date and time.
Success looks like this: your recipients receive an email with a claim link, and you can see delivery status (delivered, opened, clicked, or bounced) on the program. If a scheduled send doesn't go out, check that the funding account still has enough available balance and that the send permission on that account is active.
What's next after my first reward?
Once you've sent a one-off reward, consider setting up automations for birthdays, work anniversaries, new hires, and leave of absence so future rewards go out without manual work. Automations use the same funding accounts and reward options you just used for your first send.