Reddit announced Wednesday that it is reintroducing the awards system after shutting down the program last year. The company said that most of the mechanics related to awards will remain unchanged, but some new additions will be made. Examples include a new design for awards, a new awards button below eligible posts, and a leaderboard to show you the top awards earned by comments and posts.
Earlier this month, Reddit talked about the return of its recognition program during its first earnings call as a publicly traded company.
Image credit: Reddit
Last year, the company discontinued its awards program as well as the ability for users to purchase coins. At the same time, Reddit introduced “Golden Upvotes,” which are purchased directly with cash. The company said in a new post that the system is not as expressive as the award.
“The golden yes vote was certainly simple in theory, but it missed the mark in practice. It wasn't as fun or expressive as previous awards, and it was unclear how it would benefit the winner. ” said the social network.
Users who wish to award prizes for their posts and comments must purchase “gold”, which is a substitute for coins. The company said on its support page that perks cost on average between 15 and 50 gold. Gold packages for Reddit's mobile app currently start at $1.99 for 100 gold. Users can purchase up to 2,750 gold for $49.99.
The company has also added several safeguards to its perks system, including disabling perks on NSFW subreddits, trauma and addiction support subreddits, and subreddits with adult content. Additionally, users will be able to report awards to avoid being used for moderator removal.
Last year, Reddit introduced a community rewards program for its US users and began paying people for valuable contributions. With the latest announcement, the social media company has expanded its program to 35 countries.