# Transfer budget or take it back

> Use Transfer on a holder's row to move points to another holder in the same country, or Return unused points to send their whole remaining balance back. You can't take back only part.

- Product: Rewards Hub › Budgets
- Who can do this: Super admins, Hr admins with allocate reward budgets
- Plan: Rewards Hub
- Where: Admin dashboard
- Last checked: 15 Oct 2026
- Web page: https://www.vantagecircle.com/en/help/rewards-hub/budgets/transfer-budget-or-take-it-back/

You can change a budget at any time during the current budget cycle. Both actions are on the menu at the end of each holder's row in **Rewards Hub → Budgets**. Pick one **Country** and the **Current** cycle first, or the actions stay greyed out.

You need to be a super admin, or an HR admin whose role includes **Allocate reward budgets**.

## Move points to another holder

Use this when a team shrinks or grows, or one manager isn't using their budget.

1. On the holder's row, open the menu and select **Transfer**. They're filled in as **From budget holder**, with "Available to transfer" showing their balance.
2. Under **To budget holder**, search for the person who should get the points.
3. Enter the **Amount (points)**: a whole number above 0, and no more than what's available.
4. Add a **Note (optional)** if it helps, then select **Transfer**.

You'll see "Budget transferred". Both people must hold budget in the same country and use the same fund. Transfers work between people only, not departments.

## Take back unused points

1. On the holder's row, open the menu and select **Return unused points**.
2. Check **Current balance**. This is what will go back.
3. Choose a **Reason**: **Reallocation** (the default), **Correction**, **Offboarded** or **Other**. Add a note if it helps.
4. Select **Return unused points**.

You'll see "Unused points returned". The holder's whole remaining balance goes back to the company wallet for that country. If your company splits budgets by department, a person's balance goes back to their department's budget.

You can't take back only part of a balance. To leave someone with less, return everything, then [allocate](/en/help/rewards-hub/budgets/allocate-budget/) the amount they should keep.

Points the holder has already awarded stay with the employees who received them. Neither action sends the holder an email.

## If something goes wrong

- **"Source and target can't be the same person."** Pick a different **To budget holder**.
- **"Couldn't read this holder's balance."** **Transfer** stays greyed out until the balance loads. Pick the holder again.
- **"There is nothing left to return to the wallet."** The holder has no remaining balance, so there's nothing to take back.
- **"Could not verify balance"** on a department. The department's balance couldn't be checked. Try again in a moment.

When someone leaves the company, their remaining budget goes back on its own. See [What happens to budgets when people join, leave or move](/en/help/rewards-hub/budgets/what-happens-to-budgets-when-people-join-leave-or-move/).