> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.perkville.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.perkville.com/features/challenges.md). # Challenges You can create challenges to incentivize activity during a specified date range. If you offer memberships, you can also create new member challenges. *Whether customers need to select **Join** depends on the challenge's enrollment setting. With automatic enrollment enabled, eligible customers are enrolled when they complete their first qualifying activity. Otherwise they must join the challenge to earn its rewards. See* [*Automatic enrollment into challenges*](/features/challenges/automatic-enrollment-into-challenges.md)*.* **Challenge Requirements** You can customize challenges with any number of requirements, such as: * Spend $100 on retail * Check into your business 8 times * Take 4 classes * Refer one friend ## **Who can participate in a challenge?** Challenges may be restricted to: * Active members * Active rewards program members * Certain locations * Custom attributes * Within a specified number of days of a member joining {% hint style="warning" %} New member challenges are only available if your business offers memberships. {% endhint %} ## **What activities can be required in a challenge?** Challenge requirements can be tied to: * Standard earning rules in your rewards program (e.g., check-ins, retail spend) * **Progress Activities** (0-point transactions logged on the user profile) {% hint style="info" %} If your business want to track certain things, like attending a class or signing up for a membership, but not give points for it, you would make use of Progress Activities. {% endhint %} ## **How are customers notified about a challenge?** The challenge is marketed in emails and on the site. [Challenge emails](/features/emails/challenge-emails.md) describes the notification types. Automated enrollment changes whether a customer needs to manually join; it does not make activities from an external booking or POS system count unless the integration actually records the qualifying activity in Perkville. Perkville sends the following challenge-related emails: * Challenge invite * For manually joined challenges, customers must join by the end of the challenge period to qualify for the completion reward. For automatically enrolled challenges, qualifying activity triggers enrollment. * Customers may navigate to the challenge URL at any time while the challenge is active to accept the challenge. This URL is not unique to each user and is configured on the challenge. Feel free to pick a memorable, easy to share URL! * Challenge progress update * Challenge complete Customers can opt out of challenge-related emails in their profile settings. Perkville automatically sends challenge invitations to eligible customers when they complete a relevant activity. Challenges are also displayed on your rewards website, where customers can view and track their progress. ## Do earlier activities count toward a challenge? Challenge progress depends on the **qualifying activity recorded in Perkville**, the activity date, the challenge's eligible dates and requirements, and the customer's enrollment and eligibility. * **Automatic enrollment:** An eligible customer's first qualifying activity enrolls them and counts toward progress. See [Automatic enrollment](/features/challenges/automatic-enrollment-into-challenges.md). * **Manual enrollment:** A customer must join to participate. Do not assume that an activity recorded before enrollment will be counted retroactively; confirm the behavior for the particular challenge and recorded activity with Support. * **Backdated activity:** The completion-reward rules below permit qualifying backdated activities within the challenge's eligible date range, subject to the stated limitations. This does not mean every past activity in an external system is automatically imported or counted. If progress seems incomplete, check the challenge's dates, requirements and participation restrictions; the customer's enrollment; and whether the activity appears on the customer's Perkville history with the expected activity type, location, and date. For activities from a booking or membership system, also confirm the event reached Perkville. Share representative examples with [Perkville Support](/overview/support.md) instead of repeatedly adding duplicate transactions. ## When are challenge rewards distributed? #### Completion Reward If an enrolled customer completes all requirements within the allotted time, the reward is distributed immediately. If the challenge ends, a participant can still have progress added via backdated activities. These activities must fall within the challenge's eligible date range. At this time, this can only be done via the Perkville API. If they complete the challenge via these backdated progress activities, then the challenge will be marked as complete and their reward will be distributed. {% hint style="warning" %} Backdating progress activities to distribute a challenge reward will not work if the participant received the participation reward. Participants cannot earn both the participation reward and completion reward. {% endhint %} #### Participation Reward Customers who participated in the challenge but did not complete it will receive the participation reward within 3 days after the challenge ends. For a concise explanation of the two reward types, see Do customers who complete a challenge also receive the participation reward?. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. 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