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Home
UX Glossary
Variable Rewards

🎰

Variable Rewards

Variable rewards (such as spinning a wheel to unlock a prize), often motivate users more than predictable ones.

Featured in 34 UX Bites

Similar psychology:

Tribalism
Curiosity Gap
User Delight

Likely impacts:

Feature Usage
Habits
Effort & Motivation
Perception of Value
Happiness & Enjoyment
Last updated: 26/09/2026

How to utilise this in your designs

You could let users open a safe after completing their daily goal, revealing a variable number of coins, so finishing the goal ends with a reveal.

Two cards show daily goal completion: "Daily goal conquered!" with a safe icon and XP earned, and "You earned 20 Coins" with an open safe and continue button.
Example from
Mimo logo
Mimo

Try making users actively tap to redeem a variable reward of random gems, rather than adding it automatically, as the act of opening may feel more satisfying.

Mobile app Achievements UI shows badges: Photogenic (Level 1, yellow) with "CLAIM REWARD" button, Legendary (Level 1, blue), Challenger (Level 1, purple) progress bars.
Example from
Duolingo logo
Duolingo

You could attach a spin-the-wheel variable reward to a routine task, e.g., submitting a meter reading, to give users a reason to complete it each time.

The Wheel of Fortune UI shows a circular spinner with segments labeled mostly "8pts" and some "8,000pts," colored in alternating green, blue, and pink pastel shades.
Example from
Octopus Energy logo
Octopus Energy

You could experiment with varying the colours and celebration animations, not just the amount, so each variable reward feels fresh and less predictable.

Two side-by-side popup modals over a green forest background show "Hooray!" with Bubbles character. Left white modal: 8 Rainbow Stones, 30 minutes sooner; right green modal: 60 Rainbow Stones, 40 minutes sooner, both with Done button.
Example from
Finch logo
Finch

You could let new members spin a wheel to win a free gift when joining a loyalty club, turning sign-up into a variable reward rather than a fixed perk.

Zizzi spin wheel UI with question marks, brown pizza slice logo top center, "Spin the Wheel!" button, arrow points to white box with "Free Garlic Bread Expires on 26-02-2024."
Example from
Zizzi logo
Zizzi

Possible impacts

You could increase usage of neglected features by attaching a variable reward to them, giving users a reason to try an action they might otherwise skip.

As seen in:
Duolingo logo
Duolingo
Redeeming variable rewards
Octopus Energy logo
Octopus Energy
Wheel of fortune

Variable rewards might help users form daily habits more easily, as not knowing what they'll get next can make returning each day feel compelling.

As seen in:
Mimo logo
Mimo
Variable rewards
Duolingo logo
Duolingo
Redeeming variable rewards

You may increase users' motivation to complete tasks, such as daily goals, as the chance of a bigger variable reward encourages them to keep going.

As seen in:
Mimo logo
Mimo
Variable rewards
Duolingo logo
Duolingo
Redeeming variable rewards

Variable rewards could increase how valuable an action feels, as users imagine the big win they might get, even when the average reward is small.

As seen in:
Mimo logo
Mimo
Variable rewards
Finch logo
Finch
Variable daily rewards

Revealing variable rewards through spins, safes or animations might increase users' enjoyment, turning routine actions into small moments of excitement.

As seen in:
Mimo logo
Mimo
Variable rewards
Duolingo logo
Duolingo
Redeeming variable rewards
Peter Ramsey, Built for Mars Founder

Written by Peter Ramsey

Consultant to 100+ companies

Published: 19/08/2023