How to Use Redemption Codes

Redemption codes allow you to automatically distribute unique codes (like gift card codes, license keys, discount codes, or access tokens) to your giveaway winners. Each winner receives their own unique code via email, and they can claim it through a dedicated landing page.

How Redemption Codes Work

Here’s the complete flow:

You add codes – Enter your redemption codes (one per line) when setting up the prize
You pick winners – Select winners using the random picker, by votes, or manually
You send emails – Contact winners with a single click to send them their unique code
Winners claim codes – Each winner receives a unique link to a landing page where they can view and copy their code
You track redemptions – See how many codes have been claimed in real-time

Setting Up Redemption Codes

Step 1: Create or Edit Your Giveaway

Go to the Entry Form Info tab when creating or editing your giveaway. Scroll down to the Prizes section.

Step 2: Switch to Redemption Codes

For each prize, you’ll see a toggle labeled “What kind of prize are you giving away?” with options:

Regular prize – Standard prize where you contact winners manually
Redemption codes – Unique codes distributed automatically to each winner

Toggle the switch to Redemption codes.

Step 3: Enter Your Codes

A text area will appear where you can enter your redemption codes. Enter one code per line.

Important: The number of winners will automatically update to match the number of codes you enter. If you enter 5 codes, you’ll have 5 winners for that prize.

Step 4: Configure the Winner Email

Check the box “Email winners the prize redemption instructions” to configure the email that will be sent to winners.

You can customize:

Email body – The main content of the email (rich text editor with formatting options)
Email subject – The subject line winners will see
Reply-to email – Where replies from winners will be sent
Reply-to name – The name shown as the sender

Available Merge Tags

Use these merge tags in your email to personalize it:

Tag	Description
`[FIRST_NAME]`	The winner’s first name
`[LAST_NAME]`	The winner’s last name
`[REDEMPTION_CODE_CLAIM_LINK]`	A unique link where the winner can claim their code. This will be rendered as a clickable “Redeem Prize” link.
`[image="URL" width="600"]`	Embed an image in the email. The width is a maximum width and will be responsive on mobile.

Note: If you’re using redemption codes and forget to include [REDEMPTION_CODE_CLAIM_LINK] in your email, it will be automatically added to the end of the message.

Custom Email Domain (Enterprise)

By default, emails are sent from [email protected]. Enterprise plan users can send from their own custom domain for better deliverability and branding. Learn how to set up Custom SMTP.

Sending Codes to Winners

After your giveaway ends and you’ve selected winners:

Go to Manage Entries for your giveaway
Click the View Winners button

You’ll see the Contact Winners section
Use the dropdown to select a prize that has redemption codes enabled

Contact Winners Panel

After selecting a prize, you’ll see:

Email Settings – Link to edit your email template
Show Email Preview – Preview exactly what winners will receive
Contact All – Send emails to all winners who haven’t redeemed their code yet
Redemption status – Shows “X out of Y codes have been redeemed” with a link to view all codes

Preview and Test Your Email

Click Show Email Preview to see exactly what the email will look like. You can also:

Update email settings – Link to edit the email template
Send Test Email – Send a test to yourself to verify everything works

Send to All Winners

Click the Contact All button to send emails to all winners who haven’t redeemed their prize yet. Each winner will receive:

A personalized email with your custom message
A unique link to claim their specific redemption code

How Winners Claim Their Code

When a winner clicks the [REDEMPTION_CODE_CLAIM_LINK] in their email:

They’re taken to a branded landing page on SweepWidget
The page displays your giveaway title and image
Their unique redemption code is shown in a text field
They can click Copy Code to copy it to their clipboard
The code is automatically marked as “redeemed” in your dashboard

The landing page matches your giveaway’s branding (colors, background, etc.) for a consistent experience.

Tracking Redemptions

In the Contact Winners section, you can see the redemption status:

“X out of Y codes have been redeemed”

This updates in real-time as winners claim their codes. You can also click the link to view the redemption codes to see which specific codes have been claimed.

Use Cases for Redemption Codes

Redemption codes are perfect for distributing:

Gift cards – Amazon, Visa, store-specific gift cards
Discount codes – Percentage or fixed amount discounts for your store
License keys – Software licenses, game keys, subscription codes
Access tokens – Exclusive content, membership access, course enrollments
Event tickets – Ticket codes or QR codes for events
Digital downloads – Unique download links or access codes

Best Practices

Test before sending – Always send a test email to yourself first
Use clear instructions – Tell winners exactly how to use their code
Include expiration dates – If codes expire, mention this in the email
Keep codes secure – Don’t share your codes publicly until winners are selected
Match code count to winners – Ensure you have at least as many codes as winners
Follow up – Send reminder emails to winners who haven’t claimed their codes

Plan Limits

The number of redemption codes you can distribute depends on your plan’s winner limit:

Free – 1 winner/code
Pro – Up to 50 winners/codes
Business – Up to 250 winners/codes
Premium – Up to 1,000 winners/codes
Enterprise – Unlimited winners/codes

If you try to add more codes than your plan allows, excess codes will be automatically removed with a warning message.