Admins create a QR code or shareable link. Anyone outside your company can scan it, write a short message, and submit recognition. No Bonusly account required. Admins review submissions, approve the ones that fit your culture, and post them to the recognition feed as zero-point recognition.
How it works
The flow is simple:
An admin creates a QR code and chooses who it can recognize.
Someone outside your company submits a message.
An admin reviews it on the Submissions tab.
On approval, Bonusly posts a zero-point recognition to the feed.
Nothing posts until admins approve it. That keeps open links safe while still making customer and guest praise visible where your culture already lives.
Availability
External recognition is controlled by a feature flag (external-recognition). When it's enabled for your company, people with global admin access can manage QR codes and submissions under Admin Settings > Recognition > External recognition.
Setting up External recognition (admins)
Go to Admin Settings > Recognition > External recognition. You'll see two tabs:
QR codes: Create and manage the codes and links people can scan.
Submissions: Review messages waiting for approval, plus ones you've already approved or rejected.
When submissions need approval, you'll also see a notification indicator on Recognition in the admin menu.
Creating a QR code
Open the QR codes tab and click Create QR code.
Give the code a clear name (for example, "Clinic family shout-outs" or "AC service follow-up").
Choose recipients: one person, several people, or a group such as a department, location, or team.
Set a start date. Add an end date if the program should close on its own, or leave it blank to keep it open until you pause or delete it.
Customize the prompt so submitters know what kind of recognition you're looking for.
Choose whether the submitter's name is required or optional.
If your company uses company value hashtags, you can include them on the public form (optional for the submitter).
Use Preview form to see what customers, patients, or guests will see.
Save, then download, print, or copy the link.
Managing QR codes
From the three-dot menu on a QR code you can:
View the code (download, print, or copy the link)
Edit details (you can't change recipients after the code has received submissions)
Pause or resume a code
Delete a code you no longer need
Use bulk actions when you need to update several codes at once.
Reviewing submissions
Open the Submissions tab to see what's waiting. Each submission shows the QR code name, recipients, submitter name (if provided), message, any company value hashtags, and when it was submitted.
For each submission you can:
Approve: Posts a zero-point recognition to the feed for the recipients on that QR code.
Reject: Declines the submission so it doesn't post. You'll get a confirmation before it's rejected.
You can also approve or reject several submissions at once.
Until zero-point recognition is enabled from Program Settings for your company, approved actions stay disabled, and a banner explains what to turn on.
What recipients and your team see
After approval:
The recognition appears in the homepage feed.
Recipients get the usual recognition notification experience, including email.
Admins can filter the feed and the Recognition Activity report by type External.
Best practices for every team
Treat External recognition like a program, not a one-off QR dump.
Make the prompt specific. "Tell us how they made your visit better" gets stronger messages than a blank box.
Put the QR where the moment happens. Badges, counters, waiting rooms, invoices, exits, and follow-up emails beat a buried link.
Match one code to one moment. A front desk code, a care unit code, and a store location code are easier to review than one company-wide code.
Review on a rhythm. A daily or weekly approval pass keeps praise fresh.
Approve with culture in mind. Celebrate real moments. Reject spam or anything that shouldn't land on the company feed.
Celebrate approved posts internally. Comment, call them out in huddles, or add on so customer praise feels as valued as peer recognition.
Start small. Pilot one location or role, learn what works, then expand.
Best practices by industry
Healthcare
Patient and family recognition often lives in surveys or portals. Bring the best moments into Bonusly so caregivers see the impact of their work.
Place QR codes at checkout desks, waiting rooms, and nursing stations.
Use a prompt like: "Tell us how someone on our team made your visit better."
Consider requiring a submitter name when you may want to follow up.
Create separate codes for units or locations (ED, pediatrics, outpatient) so stories stay easy to review.
Share approved posts in huddles so compassionate care becomes a shared example, not a private reply.
HVAC and air conditioning service
Trust is earned on the job site, often when no manager is watching. Capture praise while the customer still feels the relief of a working system.
Add a QR code to the service invoice, work order, or post-visit text.
Prompt for clarity and honesty: "How did our technician help today?"
Point codes at technicians, crews, or locations so leaders can spot standout service.
Review submissions after peak heat days, when volume is highest and great work is easiest to miss.
Use approved posts in training: real customer words land harder than a generic "be transparent" reminder.
Hospitality and food service
Guest thank-yous fade fast. Make it easy to catch them before the next table or checkout.
Print codes at the host stand, tip jar, room key packet, or exit.
Keep the ask light and optional so guests aren't slowed down.
Use role or location codes (front desk, housekeepers, café team) instead of one hotel-wide code.
Approve before the next shift when you can, so the recognition still feels fresh.
Pair External posts with peer recognition so guest praise and teammate praise live side by side.
Retail
Associates who listen and help often get a verbal thanks that never reaches a manager.
Place a "Recognize your associate" QR near the register or fitting room.
Keep submitter name optional for speed.
Use store or district codes so leaders can filter External posts by location.
Call out strong External recognition in store meetings to reinforce the service behaviors you want.
Other customer-facing teams
Entertainment, automotive repair, field services, and home services can use the same pattern: put the QR at the moment of trust, ask for a specific story, approve quickly, and celebrate inside Bonusly.
FAQs
Do submitters need a Bonusly account? No. Anyone with the QR code or link can open the form and submit recognition without signing in.
Does external recognition include points? No. Approved posts are zero-point recognition. Your company must allow zero-point giving before you can approve submissions.
Who can create QR codes and approve submissions? People with global admin access, when External recognition is enabled for your company.
Can a QR code recognize a group, not just one person? You can point a code at one person, several people, or a group such as a department, location, or team.
What happens if I need to stop a code temporarily? Pause it. New submissions stop. You can resume later. Delete only when you're done with that code for good.
Can I change who a QR code recognizes after people have already submitted? No. Once a code has submissions, recipients are locked so submission history stays accurate. Create a new code if you need different recipients.
Is the submitter's name required? Only if you turn that setting on for the QR code. By default, name is optional.
How do we prevent spam? Every submission still needs admin approval before it posts.
Where do I find external recognition in reports? In the Recognition Activity report, use the type filter and choose External. You can also filter the homepage feed by type External.