What are the most popular incentive options by state in 2026?
By Ashley Taylor Anderson●15 min. read●Apr 15, 2026
There’s a persistent question that haunts every person who runs a reward program: What incentive options do people really want?
Cash is a crowd-pleaser, but there’s no universal payment method preferred for ad hoc payouts. Gift cards are great, but favorite brands vary from person to person. Regional and demographic factors impact which rewards people appreciate most. And most teams aren’t set up to poll recipients on their incentive preferences regularly.
While getting a vibe check can be challenging at scale, there’s another path forward for frustrated teams. Over the past year, Tremendous processed millions of rewards in the U.S. Here’s what real consumer redemption data shows about which incentive methods are most popular nationally and in each state.
Key takeaways
Cash and cash equivalents like virtual prepaid Visa and Mastercard reign supreme, especially for larger-denomination incentives.
Preferred payment methods vary by state. While PayPal and bank transfers are common everywhere, Venmo, Cash App, and instant debit transfers are also popular in most states.
National retailer gift cards like Amazon.com and Walmart top the charts across all 50 states. Target is another consumer favorite in almost every state.
While many recipients opt for practical options like cash and big retailers, others prefer a little treat. Starbucks, Apple, and Google Play gift cards made the top 10 list nationally and in most states.
In short: Offer cash-like rewards and big brand gift cards, and provide payout options that align with state-specific redemption preferences.
National incentive trends: 12-month analysis
To gauge national trends, we reviewed incentive options chosen by Tremendous recipients in the U.S. between March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2026. Here are the top trends for teams sending rewards domestically.
Top incentives by total dollars redeemed in the U.S.
Top monetary options: PayPal (16.53%) and bank transfers (14.51%) are the two most popular payout options nationally, followed by Venmo (7%), instant debit transfer (1.79%), and Cash App* (0.60%).
Top gift cards: Virtual prepaid Visa was the top gift card option by a wide margin (32.9%). Amazon.com was the most popular retailer gift card (14.7%), followed by Walmart (1.6%), Apple (1.28%), Google Play (0.84%), Target (0.81%), Starbucks (0.74%), and Virtual Prepaid Mastercard† (0.49%).
Top incentives by total redemptions in the U.S.
Top monetary options: PayPal was the top monetary incentive option by total U.S. redemptions (33.75%). Venmo (7.73%), bank transfer (6.71%), Cash App (1.91%), and instant debit (0.5%) rounded out the list.
Top gift cards: Amazon.com was the most popular gift card option by total U.S. redemptions (17.03%), followed closely by virtual prepaid Visa (16.38%). Large national retailers like Walmart (2.46%), Starbucks (1.56%), and Target also made the cut. Interestingly, DoorDash (0.31%) snagged the final spot on the national top incentive list, but it didn’t make the top 10 list in any individual state.
Most popular incentive options by state
The most popular incentive options by state align with nationwide trends.
By dollars redeemed, Virtual prepaid Visa was the most popular option, taking the #1 slot in 40 states, followed by PayPal in 9 states. Michigan was the only outlier with bank transfers claiming the top spot.
By volume of rewards redeemed, PayPal was #1 in every single state, representing between 23.95% of payouts (Maryland) and 51.78% of payouts (West Virginia).
Gift card incentive trends were similarly consistent, with Amazon.com taking the top spot by dollars redeemed and number of gift cards redeemed in every state. However, there was more state-level variation in other gift card preferences.
Walmart claimed the #2 slot by gift card redemption volume in 23 states, while Team Android vs. iPhone was reflected in the even split between Google Play (14 states) and Apple (13 states) gift card redemptions.
Top incentives in Alabama
State-level trends:
PayPal, virtual prepaid Visa, and Amazon.com were the winners in terms of overall incentive volume and dollars redeemed. Walmart was the #2 gift card option with Google Play, Apple, and Starbucks in the mix as well.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
PayPal: 27.05%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 23.89%
Bank Transfer: 14.11%
Amazon.com: 9.59%
Venmo: 9.31%
Walmart: 2.73%
Instant Debit Transfer: 2.28%
Physical Visa: 2.04%
Cash App: 1.22%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 47.12%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 12.85%
Amazon.com: 10.93%
Venmo: 8.20%
Bank Transfer: 6.25%
Walmart: 3.12%
Cash App: 2.75%
Google Play: 2.20%
Apple: 1.25%
Starbucks: 0.69%
Top incentives in Alaska
State-level trends:
Tech gift cards for Google Play and Apple outperformed national retailers like Walmart and Starbucks by dollars redeemed.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
PayPal: 22.86%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 21.62%
Amazon.com: 18.84%
Bank Transfer: 10.66%
Venmo: 4.62%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.44%
Google Play: 2.56%
Apple: 2.08%
Walmart: 1.97%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 39.12%
Amazon.com: 21.03%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 13.07%
Venmo: 4.54%
Bank Transfer: 4.39%
Google Play: 3.68%
Cash App: 2.55%
Starbucks: 2.18%
Walmart: 2.04%
Apple: 1.86%
Top incentives in Arizona
State-level trends:
Virtual Visa topped the list by dollars spent with PayPal most popular by volume. National retailers like Amazon.com and Walmart were preferred over entertainment gift cards for Google Play and Apple.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 29.65%
PayPal: 16.67%
Bank Transfer: 16.61%
Amazon.com: 13.50%
Venmo: 5.97%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 2.34%
Walmart: 1.90%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.84%
Google Play: 1.03%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 33.51%
Amazon.com: 16.27%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 15.76%
Venmo: 7.58%
Bank Transfer: 7.04%
Walmart: 2.72%
Google Play: 2.50%
Apple: 2.50%
Starbucks: 2.03%
Cash App: 1.92%
Top incentives in Arkansas
State-level trends:
Incentive mix looked similar to other states except for Sam’s Club, which claimed the last slot on the leaderboard by dollars redeemed. Practical gift card options were preferred over entertainment and Starbucks.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
PayPal: 25.60%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 24.08%
Bank Transfer: 12.98%
Amazon.com: 11.92%
Venmo: 4.54%
Walmart: 3.75%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 2.60%
Instant Debit Transfer: 2.35%
Sam's Club: 1.86%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 49.21%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 12.71%
Amazon.com: 10.93%
Bank Transfer: 4.88%
Venmo: 4.78%
Walmart: 3.74%
Google Play: 2.95%
Cash App: 2.94%
Apple: 1.66%
Starbucks: 0.88%
Top incentives in California
State-level trends:
California recipients preferred Apple to Google Play gift cards, and opted for Starbucks over practical retailers like Target and Walmart.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 30.81%
Bank Transfer: 17.18%
Amazon.com: 3.22%
PayPal: 12.41%
Venmo: 9.65%
Physical Visa: 3.26%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.40%
Target: 1.20%
Apple: 1.04%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 24.74%
Amazon.com: 19.23%
Virtual Visa: 17.97%
Venmo: 9.04%
Bank Transfer: 7.33%
Apple: 3.31%
Starbucks: 2.67%
Target: 1.89%
Google Play: 1.74%
Walmart: 1.66%
Top incentives in Colorado
State-level trends:
Coloradoans preferred Android to Apple, with Google Play gift card redemptions coming in well above Apple. Starbucks stands out compared to other states as well, snagging the #7 slot by volume and #9 by dollars redeemed.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 30.06%
PayPal: 14.98%
Amazon.com: 14.90%
Bank Transfer: 14.21%
Venmo: 8.83%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.05%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.54%
Walmart: 1.43%
Starbucks: .04%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 30.66%
Amazon.com: 17.37%
Virtual Visa: 16.50%
Venmo: 9.55%
Bank Transfer: 6.15%
Google Play: 2.61%
Starbucks: 2.47%
Walmart: 2.25%
Cash App: 1.85%
Apple: 1.66%
Top incentives in Connecticut
State-level trends:
Walmart was the top gift card pick after Amazon.com, followed by Starbucks. While Google Play and Apple gift cards had similar volume, more dollars were redeemed for Apple gift cards.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 30.11%
Amazon.com: 17.81%
PayPal: 15.66%
Bank Transfer: 12.77%
Venmo: 8.20%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 2.97%
Instant Debit Transfer: 2.66%
Walmart: 1.27%
Apple: 0.88%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 30.24%
Amazon.com: 21.88%
Virtual Prepaid: Visa: 15.69%
Venmo: 9.35%
Bank Transfer: 6.54%
Walmart: 1.80%
Cash App: 1.79%
Starbucks: 1.78%
Google Play: 1.69%
Apple: 1.64%
Top incentives in Delaware
State-level trends:
Venmo and Cash App users were more evenly split in Delware than in other states (6% for Venmo redemptions vs. ~2% for Cash App). Apple edged out Walmart for the #2 gift card slot by dollars redeemed and volume of redemptions.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 31.99%
PayPal: 14.23%
Bank Transfer: 13.87%
Amazon.com: 13.76%
Venmo: 6.73%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 5.21%
Instant Debit Transfer: 4.53%
Apple: 1.48%
Walmart: 1.46%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 28.44%
Amazon.com: 17.78%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 15.62%
Bank Transfer: 12.89%
Venmo: 6.10%
Apple: 5.78%
Cash App: 1.94%
Walmart: 1.93%
Google Play: 1.76%
Starbucks: 1.24%
Top incentives in Florida
State-level trends:
After cash-like options and Amazon.com gift cards, Floridians opted for Walmart and Apple gift cards.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 33.07%
PayPal: 18.50%
Bank Transfer: 15.31%
Amazon.com: 13.94%
Venmo: 3.97%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.09%
Instant Debit Transfer: 2.37%
Walmart: 1.84%
Apple: 1.56%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 33.96%
Amazon.com: 17.95%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 15.13%
Bank Transfer: 7.03%
Venmo: 6.90%
Apple: 4.35%
Walmart: 3.00%
Google Play: 1.91%
Cash App: 1.69%
Starbucks: 1.22%
Top incentives in Georgia
State-level trends:
Georgians seem to be big Apple fans. Apple appeared higher up on both top incentives by dollars (#9) and total redemptions (#6) than in other states.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 38.74%
PayPal: 15.06%
Amazon.com: 11.70%
Bank Transfer: 11.28%
Venmo: 6.49%
Instant Debit Transfer: 3.94%
Physical Visa: 3.57%
Walmart: 1.21%
Apple: 0.93%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 31.21%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 21.40%
Amazon.com: 14.78%
Venmo: 7.71%
Bank Transfer: 6.71%
Apple: 2.44%
Cash App: 2.32%
Walmart: 2.20%
Google Play: 1.70%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.64%
Top incentives in Hawaii
State-level trends:
Retailer-specific gift card options like Amazon.com, Apple, Google Play, and Starbucks were more popular in Hawaii than in other states. Apple claimed the #3 slot by redemptions, and Starbucks took the final slot for top incentives by dollars redeemed.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 24.89%
PayPal: 19.64%
Bank Transfer: 18.19%
Amazon.com: 14.07%
Venmo: 8.05%
Apple: 2.29%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 1.96%
Google Play: 1.49%
Starbucks: 1.26%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 29.49%
Amazon.com: 16.54%
Apple: 14.11%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 11.76%
Venmo: 8.49%
Bank Transfer: 6.12%
Google Play: 2.65%
Starbucks: 2.42%
Walmart: 1.40%
Cash App: 1.36%
Top incentives in Idaho
State-level trends:
Venmo was more popular with Idahoans than in other states, claiming the #4 slot by redemptions and #5 slot by dollar amount, Walmart was the #2 gift card brand behind Amazon.com.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 28.72%
PayPal: 22.18%
Amazon.com: 15.47%
Bank Transfer: 7.62%
Venmo: 7.10%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.78%
Walmart: 3.04%
Google Play: 1.49%
Target: 1.35%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 39.27%
Amazon.com: 17.21%
Virtual Visa: 13.16%
Venmo: 7.87%
Bank Transfer: 3.93%
Walmart: 3.53%
Google Play: 2.87%
Cash App: 2.25%
Starbucks: 1.56%
Apple: 1.50%
Top incentives in Illinois
State-level trends:
Retailer-specific gift cards (Amazon.com, Walmart, and Target) had strong representation in the top incentives by dollars redeemed, but Apple claimed the #2 gift card slot by total redemptions. Physical prepaid Visas appeared on the top incentives by total transactions list.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 32.41%
Bank Transfer: 15.52%
PayPal: 14.68%
Amazon.com: 13.44%
Venmo: 7.14%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 5.79%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.27%
Walmart: 1.18%
Target: 0.85%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 28.80%
Amazon.com: 18.08%
Virtual Visa: 17.88%
Bank Transfer: 7.27%
Venmo: 7.19%
Apple: 2.58%
Physical Visa: 2.56%
Walmart: 2.23%
Starbucks: 1.99%
Google Play: 1.65%
Top incentives in Indiana
State-level trends:
Most dollars were redeemed for cash-like options, but consumers redeemed retailer gift cards like Amazon.com, Walmart, and Google Play frequently as well. PayPal was the clear winner in terms of number of redemptions (40.12%).
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 25.99%
PayPal: 20.56%
Bank Transfer: 16.94%
Amazon.com: 13.39%
Venmo : .55%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.07%
Walmart: 2.15%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.73%
Google Play: 1.43%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 40.12%
Amazon.com: 15.95%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 13.62%
Venmo: 6.63%
Bank Transfer: 5.26%
Google Play: 3.04%
Walmart: 2.94%
Cash App: 2.39%
Starbucks: 1.65%
Apple: 1.49%
Top incentives in Iowa
State-level trends:
PayPal showed a lot of traction by both dollars redeemed and volume of redemptions. Gift cards also had strong representation across both lists: Amazon.com, Walmart, Google Play, and Target were in the top by total spend, plus Starbucks by volume.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 28.72%
PayPal: 22.18%
Amazon.com: 15.47%
Bank Transfer: 7.62%
Venmo: 7.10%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.78%
Walmart: 3.04%
Google Play: 1.49%
Target: 1.35%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 39.27%
Amazon.com: 17.21%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 13.16%
Venmo: 7.87%
Bank Transfer: 3.93%
Walmart: 3.53%
Google Play: 2.87%
Cash App: 2.25%
Starbucks: 1.56%
Apple: 1.50%
Top incentives in Kansas
State-level trends:
Walmart and Google placed top after Amazon.com for most popular gift cards. PayPal and Visa were the top reward options by both dollars redeemed and number of redemptions. Google Play was 2x more popular than Apple gift cards.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 27.62%
PayPal: 20.36%
Amazon.com: 16.53%
Bank Transfer: 9.09%
Venmo: 7.74%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.23%
Walmart: 2.73%
Google Play: 1.68%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.64%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 40.75%
Amazon.com: 15.84%
Virtual Visa: 13.54%
Venmo : .01%
Bank Transfer: 4.32%
Walmart: 3.18%
Google Play: 3.07%
Cash App: 2.22%
Apple 1.51%
Starbucks: 1.34%
Top incentives in Kentucky
State-level trends:
Kentuckians love PayPal: It was the #1 redeemed incentive by over 30%. Walmart took the #2 gift card spot behind Amazon.com, with Google Play claiming a spot on both lists.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 25.68%
PayPal: 23.82%
Bank Transfer: 15.59%
Amazon.com: 13.08%
Venmo: 6.01%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.01%
Walmart: 2.52%
Google Play: 1.37%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.27%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 46.61%
Amazon.com: 14.23%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 12.62%
Venmo: 6.45%
Bank Transfer: 4.45%
Walmart: 3.01%
Cash App: 2.90%
Google Play: 2.77%
Apple: 1.35%
Starbucks: 0.78%
Top incentives in Louisiana
State-level trends:
Gift cards were very popular by total redemptions, claiming 6 out of the top 10 slots. Prepaid Visa and PayPal stayed supreme in terms of total dollars redeemed and total volume.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 27.15%
PayPal: 24.58%
Bank Transfer: 12.34%
Amazon.com: 11.49%
Venmo: 7.47%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.13%
Walmart: 2.56%
Instant Debit Transfer: 2.02%
Apple: 1.39%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 45.35%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 14.00%
Amazon.com: 11.43%
Venmo: 8.50%
Bank Transfer: 5.37%
Walmart: 3.02%
Cash App: 2.76%
Google Play: 2.08%
Apple: 1.67%
Starbucks: 0.84%
Top incentives in Maine
State-level trends:
Maine conformed to similar payout trends seen across states. Walmart and Google Play also made the top list by dollars redeemed and total redemptions.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 25.24%
PayPal: 20.84%
Amazon.com: 15.42%
Bank Transfer: 12.32%
Venmo: 6.33%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.15%
Walmart: 2.07%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.79%
Google Play: 1.58%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 37.44%
Amazon.com: 19.25%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 11.41%
Venmo: 6.41%
Bank Transfer: 6.10%
Google Play: 3.51%
Walmart: 2.68%
Cash App: 2.05%
Apple: 1.67%
Starbucks: 1.25%
Top incentives in Maryland
State-level trends:
Marylanders love Walmart: The mega retailer was the #2 gift card choice by dollars and volume after Amazon.com. Apple claimed a spot on both the dollars redeemed and total redemptions list, and Starbucks was the #3 gift card by volume. It also had the lowest volume of PayPal redemptions compared to other states.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 29.64%
PayPal: 16.14%
Bank Transfer: 15.95%
Amazon.com: 14.15%
Venmo: 7.19%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 2.35%
Walmart: 1.60%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.48%
Apple: 1.02%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 27.84%
Amazon.com: 18.36%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 16.66%
Venmo: 9.94%
Bank Transfer: 7.67%
Walmart: 2.26%
Cash App: 2.09%
Starbucks: 1.85%
Apple: 1.82%
Google Play: 1.81%
Top incentives in Massachusetts
State-level trends:
Monetary options were the most popular by dollars redeemed and total redemptions. Apple was the #2 gift card behind Amazon.com on both lists, edging out Walmart. Cash App had a much smaller share of redemptions than Venmo.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 29.88%
Bank Transfer: 17.00%
Amazon.com: 15.96%
PayPal: 11.79%
Venmo: 10.52%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 2.95%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.58%
Apple: 1.05%
Walmart: 0.86%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 23.95%
Amazon.com: 22.38%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 15.99%
Venmo: 9.42%
Bank Transfer: 8.00%
Apple: 3.14%
Starbucks: 2.20%
Walmart: 1.78%
Google Play: 1.61%
Cash App: 1.22%
Top incentives in Michigan
State-level trends:
Bank transfers were the top incentive type by dollars redeemed, bucking the national trend toward PayPal or prepaid Visas. Google Play (#6) and Cash App (#7) were more popular by volume than in other states.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Bank Transfer: 23.65%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 21.72%
PayPal: 16.92%
Amazon.com: 14.05%
Venmo: 11.09%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 2.29%
Walmart: 1.34%
Google Play: 1.02%
Instant Debit Transfer: 0.85%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 39.90%
Amazon.com: 16.42%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 12.38%
Venmo: 9.80%
Bank Transfer: 6.84%
Google Play: 2.38%
Cash App: 2.24%
Walmart: 1.88%
Apple: 1.46%
Starbucks: 1.01%
Top incentives in Minnesota
State-level trends:
Apple made up a much higher percentage of redemptions than in other states: 7.55% of total dollars redeemed and 3.58% of total redemptions. Target and Walmart also made both lists.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 25.24%
PayPal: 16.06%
Amazon.com: 14.75%
Bank Transfer: 12.95%
Apple: 7.55%
Venmo: 6.46%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.72%
Target: 2.50%
Walmart: 1.78%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 33.33%
Amazon.com: 17.82%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 13.76%
Venmo: 8.61%
Bank Transfer: 4.98%
Apple: 3.58%
Google Play: 2.94%
Target: 2.63%
Walmart: 2.52%
Cash App: 1.79%
Top incentives in Mississippi
State-level trends:
Cash-like options dominated both lists, with gift cards representing a smaller percentage of transactions overall. Walmart was the #2 gift card after Amazon. Cash App and physical prepaid Visas appeared on both lists.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
PayPal: 31.32%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 21.60%
Bank Transfer: 14.50%
Amazon.com: 10.33%
Venmo: 6.37%
Walmart: 2.71%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 2.53%
Cash App: 1.31%
Prepaid Mastercard: 1.29%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 47.48%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 13.45%
Amazon.com: 11.42%
Venmo: 7.03%
Bank Transfer: 6.80%
Walmart: 2.90%
Cash App: 2.87%
Google Play: 1.86%
Apple: 1.42%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 0.63%
Top incentives in Missouri
State-level trends:
Prepaid Visa and PayPal remained champions in Missouri. Google Play and Walmart topped. the gift card list after Amazon.com.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 28.04%
PayPal: 21.39%
Amazon.com: 13.64%
Bank Transfer: 12.29%
Venmo: 8.16%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.12%
Walmart: 2.51%
Google Play: 1.56%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.25%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 42.23%
Amazon.com: 14.18%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 14.17%
Venmo: 7.70%
Bank Transfer: 4.70%
Google Play: 3.19%
Walmart: 3.02%
Cash App: 2.47%
Apple: 1.51%
Starbucks: 1.09%
Top incentives in Montana
State-level trends:
Montanans opted for Google Play after all the standard incentive winners (prepaid Visa, PayPal, and Amazon.com). Walmart also made both lists.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 28.35%
PayPal: 16.92%
Amazon.com: 16.64%
Bank Transfer: 11.20%
Venmo: 8.85%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.89%
Google Play: 2.27%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.97%
Walmart: 1.41%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 35.97%
Amazon.com: 18.35%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 13.37%
Bank Transfer: 6.15%
Venmo: 5.89%
Google Play: 5.86%
Walmart: 1.87%
Cash App: 1.71%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.49%
Starbucks: 1.48%
Top incentives in Nebraska
State-level trends:
Big retailer gift cards appeared on both lists, but top incentives by volume had more “treat” options (Google Play, Starbucks, Apple) than by dollars redeemed (Walmart and Target).
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
PayPal: 23.96%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 24.50%
Amazon.com: 13.48%
Venmo: 9.06%
Bank Transfer: 7.71%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.93%
Walmart: 3.07%
Google Play: 1.51%
Target: 1.45%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 39.48%
Amazon.com: 16.03%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 12.58%
Venmo: 8.28%
Bank Transfer: 4.07%
Walmart: 3.39%
Google Play: 3.00%
Cash App: 2.16%
Starbucks: 1.52%
Apple: 1.41%
Top incentives in Nevada
State-level trends:
Apple made both lists along with Walmart for gift cards. Google Play was also a fan favorite by volume of incentives.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 30.74%
PayPal: 17.46%
Bank Transfer: 16.12%
Amazon.com: 12.15%
Venmo: 6.53%
Instant Debit Transfer: 3.25%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 2.37%
Apple: 1.49%
Walmart: 1.46%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 34.28%
Amazon.com: 15.63%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 15.51%
Venmo: 8.72%
Bank Transfer: 6.28%
Apple: 3.10%
Google Play: 2.81%
Walmart: 2.60%
Cash App: 1.98%
Starbucks: 1.90%
Top incentives in New Hampshire
State-level trends:
Monetary options stayed on top in terms of dollars redeemed. Amazon.com represented a larger percentage of incentives, landing at #2 from a dollars redeemed and redemption perspective. Walmart and Google Play also topped the list of popular gift cards.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 24.86%
Amazon.com: 22.89%
PayPal: 15.95%
Bank Transfer: 12.02%
Venmo: 7.52%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.93%
Walmart: 1.70%
Google Play: 1.51%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.02%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 28.10%
Amazon.com: 24.15%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 13.14%
Venmo: 9.37%
Bank Transfer: 6.84%
Google Play: 3.48%
Walmart: 2.48%
Starbucks: 1.67%
Apple: 1.53%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 1.16%
Top incentives in New Jersey
State-level trends:
New Jerseyans are Team Apple: It was the #2 gift card behind Amazon.com by volume, and Google Play didn’t make either list. Walmart and Starbucks trail Apple by over a percentage point. Physical prepaid Visas were more popular than in other states, claiming the #5 slot by amount and the #6 slot by volume.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 36.39%
Amazon.com: 14.78%
Bank Transfer: 14.48%
PayPal: 12.17%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 7.07%
Venmo: 5.48%
Cash App: 1.43%
Apple: 0.92%
Instant Debit Transfer: 0.91%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 23.82%
Amazon.com: 21.79%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 20.31%
Venmo: 7.51%
Bank Transfer: 7.49%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.46%
Apple: 3.30%
Walmart: 1.71%
Starbucks: 1.53%
Cash App: 1.48%
Top incentives in New Mexico
State-level trends:
Bank transfers were more popular than PayPal by dollars redeemed, second only to prepaid virtual Visas. Walmart and Apple made both lists, but Google Play had more redemptions than Apple overall. Cash App redemptions represented a higher percentage than in other states (almost 3% of incentives by volume).
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 26.81%
Bank Transfer: 19.68%
PayPal: 16.48%
Amazon.com: 12.93%
Venmo: 7.10%
Instant Debit Transfer: 3.44%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 2.32%
Walmart: 1.97%
Apple: 1.43%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 39.11%
Amazon.com: 15.86%
Virtual Visa: 14.60%
Bank Transfer: 6.92%
Venmo: 6.13%
Google Play: 2.94%
Cash App: 2.83%
Walmart: 2.83%
Starbucks: 1.39%
Apple: 1.37%
Top incentives in New York
State-level trends:
Apple was the #2 gift card behind Amazon.com in both spend and volume. PayPal and Amazon.com were closely matched in terms of redemptions by volume. Walmart made both lists, and Starbucks, Google Play, and Cash App made the top 10 by volume.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 38.67%
Amazon.com: 14.67%
PayPal: 13.64%
Bank Transfer: 13.01%
Venmo: 5.27%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.02%
Apple: 2.01%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.81%
Walmart: 0.82%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 25.81%
Amazon.com: 19.34%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 18.31%
Bank Transfer: 9.06%
Apple: 7.85%
Venmo: 6.19%
Walmart: 1.43%
Starbucks: 1.34%
Google Play: 1.33%
Cash App: 1.27%
Top incentives in North Carolina
State-level trends:
Walmart was the #2 gift card behind Amazon.com. Cash App volume was stronger than in other states, claiming the #7 spot by volume. Apple had more dollars redeemed but placed behind Google Play in terms of volume.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 30.87%
PayPal: 19.69%
Amazon.com: 14.27%
Bank Transfer: 12.78%
Venmo: 5.61%
Physical Visa: 3.62%
Walmart: 2.00%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.55%
Apple: 1.06%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 37.94%
Amazon.com: 16.09%
Virtual Visa: 15.06%
Venmo: 7.60%
Bank Transfer: 5.77%
Walmart: 2.86%
Cash App: 2.47%
Google Play: 2.09%
Apple: 1.72%
Starbucks: 1.41%
Top incentives in North Dakota
State-level trends:
PayPal represented the vast majority of redemptions in North Dakota at 41.55%. Walmart, Target, and Google Play made both lists, while Cash App and Apple made the cut by redemption volume.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 27.79%
PayPal: 20.16%
Amazon.com: 17.63%
Bank Transfer: 8.36%
Venmo: 8.10%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.33%
Walmart: 2.39%
Target: 1.82%
Google Play: 1.81%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 41.55%
Amazon.com: 17.86%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 13.52%
Venmo: 5.75%
Bank Transfer: 3.76%
Google Play: 3.61%
Walmart: 2.55%
Cash App: 2.25%
Apple: 1.99%
Target: 1.61%
Top incentives in Ohio
State-level trends:
Virtual prepaid Visa was the #1 incentive by dollars redeemed by a wide margin, as was PayPal on the redemptions side. Walmart and Google Play were the #2 and #3 gift cards by total spend and volume behind Amazon.com. Cash App, Apple, and Starbucks also make the list by total redemptions.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 30.02%
PayPal: 18.45%
Amazon.com: 14.98%
Bank Transfer: 12.07%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 5.97%
Venmo: 5.84%
Walmart: 1.79%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.19%
Google Play: 1.09%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 38.88%
Amazon.com: 16.35%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 14.22%
Venmo: 7.90%
Bank Transfer: 5.28%
Walmart: 2.54%
Google Play: 2.40%
Cash App: 2.24%
Apple: 1.43%
Starbucks: 1.36%
Top incentives in Oklahoma
State-level trends:
PayPal was the clear winner both in terms of dollars redeemed and number of total incentives. Walmart and Google Play top the gift card list behind Amazon.com. Cash App, Apple, and Starbucks also made the list by redemption volume.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
PayPal: 31.49%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 23.28%
Amazon.com: 12.27%
Bank Transfer: 9.97%
Venmo: 6.29%
Walmart: 2.76%
Google Play: 2.19%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 1.96%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.51%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 50.39%
Virtual Visa: 13.23%
Amazon.com: 10.86%
Venmo: 6.42%
Bank Transfer: 3.68%
Google Play: 3.25%
Walmart: 3.16%
Cash App: 2.87%
Apple: 1.32%
Starbucks: 0.86%
Top incentives in Oregon
State-level trends:
Redemptions by dollar amount and volume were less concentrated in one or two incentive options. On the gift card side, Walmart and Apple topped the list by spend behind Amazon.com. Instant debit transfer was slightly more popular by volume than in other states (#7 slot).
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 24.43%
PayPal: 17.69%
Amazon.com: 15.75%
Bank Transfer: 14.61%
Venmo: 7.59%
Physical Visa: 2.52%
Instant Debit Transfer: 2.42%
Walmart: 1.81%
Apple 1.45%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 32.09%
Amazon.com: 18.19%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 13.73%
Bank Transfer: 9.15%
Venmo: 6.50%
Google Play: 3.24%
Apple: 2.74%
Walmart: 2.45%
Starbucks: 2.07%
Cash App: 1.73%
Top incentives in Pennsylvania
State-level trends:
Virtual prepaid Visa was the clear winner by dollars redeemed, and PayPal was the runaway leader by volume. After Amazon.com, Walmart, and Apple were the most popular gift cards by both spend and volume.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 30.62%
PayPal: 18.61%
Amazon.com: 14.90%
Bank Transfer: 11.59%
Venmo: 6.54%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 4.25%
Walmart: 2.06%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.57%
Apple: 1.26%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 37.66%
Amazon.com: 17.26%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 14.45%
Venmo: 7.88%
Bank Transfer: 5.44%
Walmart: 2.51%
Apple: 2.44%
Cash App: 2.15%
Google Play: 1.99%
Starbucks: 1.31%
Top incentives in Rhode Island
State-level trends:
Instant debit was slightly more popular in Rhode Island than in other states (#6 by volume). Walmart and Apple made both top 10 lists, but Google Play and Starbucks had more total redemptions than Apple.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 26.31%
Bank Transfer: 17.26%
PayPal: 15.73%
Amazon.com: 12.42%
Venmo: 9.57%
Instant Debit Transfer: 4.36%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.73%
Walmart: 1.39%
Apple: 1.14%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 30.85%
Amazon.com: 18.12%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 14.91%
Venmo: 9.04%
Bank Transfer: 7.81%
Walmart: 2.54%
Google Play: 2.08%
Cash App: 2.02%
Starbucks: 1.58%
Apple: 1.52%
Top incentives in South Carolina
State-level trends:
PayPal was the most popular incentive by total redemptions by a wide margin. Android users made their preference known: Google Play showed up in the top incentives by dollars redeemed and took the #8 spot in terms of volume. Cash App had a stronger showing than in other states (#7 redeemed by volume).
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 28.67%
PayPal: 19.16%
Amazon.com: 16.48%
Bank Transfer: 12.15%
Venmo: 6.08%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 4.18%
Walmart: 2.41%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.76%
Google Play: 0.92%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 37.32%
Amazon.com: 17.93%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 14.93%
Venmo: 6.53%
Bank Transfer: 5.89%
Walmart: 3.32%
Cash App: 2.43%
Google Play: 2.26%
Apple: 1.58%
Starbucks: 1.43%
Top incentives in South Dakota
State-level trends:
South Dakotans redeemed more rewards for gift cards than in other states, with gift card options taking 4 out of 9 slots for total spend and 5 out of 10 slots for total redemptions. Walmart, Google Play, and Starbucks were the top gift card options after Amazon.com, with Starbucks appearing on both lists.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 23.47%
Amazon.com: 19.44%
PayPal: 18.55%
Bank Transfer: 12.45%
Venmo: 7.41%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 5.97%
Walmart: 3.41%
Google Play: 1.26%
Starbucks: 1.05%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 37.85%
Amazon.com: 19.54%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 12.03%
Venmo: 8.08%
Bank Transfer: 4.21%
Walmart: 3.56%
Cash App: 3.08%
Google Play: 2.60%
Physical Visa: 1.60%
Starbucks: 1.46%
Top incentives in Tennessee
State-level trends:
Tennessee had one of the few outlier gift card options on the top incentives by dollars list: Shell. Walmart represented an outsized amount of dollars spent (7% vs. 3% average in other states). PayPal remained a top favorite by volume, far outpacing other incentives.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 25.12%
PayPal: 21.81%
Amazon.com: 11.76%
Bank Transfer: 10.71%
Walmart: 7.09%
Venmo: 5.91%
Shell: 3.67%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 2.21%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 42.40%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 13.10%
Amazon.com: 12.96%
Venmo: 7.63%
Bank Transfer: 5.77%
Walmart: 4.09%
Cash App: 2.46%
Google Play: 2.41%
Apple: 1.87%
Top incentives in Texas
State-level trends:
Texans preferred cash-like incentive options to gift cards overall in terms of dollars redeemed. Gift cards like Amazon.com, Walmart, and Apple appeared on both lists but with lower overall percentages.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 35.20%
PayPal: 17.43%
Bank Transfer: 13.25%
Amazon.com: 11.93%
Venmo: 4.85%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.66%
Instant Debit Transfer: 2.63%
Walmart: 1.93%
Apple: 1.32%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 35.16%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 17.71%
Amazon.com: 14.96%
Venmo: 7.48%
Bank Transfer: 6.00%
Walmart: 3.27%
Apple: 3.00%
Cash AppL 2.04%
Google Play: 1.74%
Starbucks: 1.36%
Top incentives in Utah
State-level trends:
Utah has a more even distribution of incentives versus other states with highly concentrated redemptions in PayPal and virtual prepaid Visa cards. Amazon.com represented a higher share of volume than in other states, taking the #2 slot. It was also one of the few states where Cash App didn’t make the top 10 list by volume, with Venmo showing a higher share of redemptions.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 27.10%
Bank Transfer: 16.41%
Amazon.com: 16.16%
PayPal: 14.93%
Venmo: 8.61%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.43%
Instant Debit Transfer: 2.27%
Walmart: 1.79%
Google Play: 1.03%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 28.05%
Amazon.com: 21.13%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 15.03%
Venmo: 10.85%
Bank Transfer: 6.47%
Walmart: 3.03%
Google Play: 2.77%
Apple: 1.52%
Starbucks: 1.36%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 1.15%
Top incentives in Vermont
State-level trends:
In Vermont, cash-like options represented the bulk of dollars redeemed. Gift cards made up a somewhat larger share of total redemptions, with Google Play, Apple, and Walmart trailing behind Amazon.com for most popular retailers.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 31.26%
PayPal: 16.98%
Amazon.com: 15.18%
Bank Transfer: 14.19%
Venmo: 7.02%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.62%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.36%
Google Play: 1.32%
Walmart: 0.99%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 32.22%
Amazon.com: 21.69%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 14.62%
Venmo: 7.72%
Bank Transfer: 6.27%
Google Play: 3.27%
Cash App: 1.72%
Apple: 1.69%
Walmart: 1.48%
Starbucks: 1.40%
Top incentives in Virginia
State-level trends:
Virginians preferred cash-like options in terms of total dollars redeemed. By volume, gift cards like Amazon.com, Apple, Walmart, and Google Play also made the list.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 29.52%
PayPal: 18.67%
Amazon.com: 15.04%
Bank Transfer: 12.85%
Venmo: 6.32%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 2.99%
Walmart: 1.71%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.40%
Apple: 1.24%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 32.69%
Amazon.com: 17.40%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 15.60%
Bank Transfer: 7.70%
Venmo: 7.46%
Apple: 2.48%
Walmart: 2.43%
Google Play: 2.01%
Cash App: 1.88%
Starbucks: 1.83%
Top incentives in Washington
State-level trends:
Washington-based recipients showed a strong preference for cash-like options across both lists. Behind Amazon.com, Apple and Google Play were the most popular gift card options by volume and dollars redeemed, showing a preference for tech and entertainment. Native retailer Starbucks claimed the #8 slot by volume.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 26.61%
Bank Transfer: 17.41%
Amazon.com: 16.08%
PayPal: 15.59%
Venmo: 7.96%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 2.42%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.71%
Apple: 1.63%
Google Play: 1.25%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 30.48%
Amazon.com: 18.32%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 13.41%
Bank Transfer: 10.81%
Venmo: 6.52%
Apple: 4.26%
Google Play: 3.27%
Starbucks: 2.02%
Walmart: 1.78%
Cash App: 1.66%
Top incentives in West Virginia
State-level trends:
PayPal was the clear favorite in West Virginia, claiming the top slot on both lists and representing the highest volume of redemptions in any state. Gift card redemptions were much lower for Amazon.com than in other states, with Walmart, Apple, and Google Play in the mix with relatively low percentages of total spend and redemptions.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
PayPal: 31.31%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 21.94%
Amazon.com: 11.64%
Bank Transfer: 10.88%
Venmo: 5.13%
Walmart: 2.80%
Apple: 2.38%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 2.22%
Google Play: 1.97%
Instant Debit Transfer: 1.73%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 51.68%
Amazon.com: 12.45%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 10.92%
Venmo: 6.05%
Bank Transfer: 3.66%
Cash App: 3.41%
Google Play: 2.62%
Walmart: 2.61%
Apple: 1.86%
Starbucks: 0.70%
Top incentives in Wisconsin
State-level trends:
Wisconsinites showed a strong affinity for cash-like options (PayPal and prepaid virtual Visas) and Amazon.com gift cards. National brands like Walmart, Target, Google Play, and Apple made up a smaller share of overall redemptions and dollars.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 33.93%
Amazon.com: 16.09%
PayPal: 15.01%
Bank Transfer: 10.39%
Venmo: 6.79%
Physical Visa: 5.18%
Walmart: 2.25%
Target: 1.33%
Google Play: 1.20%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 33.24%
Amazon.com: 19.64%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 14.94%
Venmo: 7.58%
Bank Transfer: 5.37%
Walmart: 3.06%
Google Play: 2.85%
Apple: 1.99%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 1.83%
Cash App: 1.78%
Top incentives in Wyoming
State-level trends:
By total spend, Wyoming had a more even split across incentive options, with a mix of cash-like options and gift cards (Amazon.com, Walmart, Apple, and Google Play) making the list. By volume, PayPal was the clear winner, followed by a mix of cash-like options and gift cards.
Top incentives by dollars redeemed:
PayPal: 19.31%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 19.04%
Amazon.com: 18.47%
Bank Transfer: 11.01%
Venmo: 8.19%
Walmart: 4.85%
Physical Prepaid Visa: 3.31%
Apple: 2.63%
Instant Debit Transfer: 2.38%
Google Play: 2.07%
Top incentives by total redemptions:
PayPal: 39.14%
Amazon.com: 18.11%
Virtual Prepaid Visa: 12.35%
Venmo: 6.78%
Bank Transfer: 5.30%
Google Play: 4.28%
Walmart: 3.76%
Cash App: 2.28%
Apple: 2.07%
Starbucks: 1.06%
* Cash App was added as a Tremendous catalog option in early September 2025.
† Prepaid Mastercards were sunset from the Tremendous catalog in mid-May 2025, replaced by virtual prepaid Visa cards.
