# Give points to many employees with a CSV file

> Go to Rewards Hub → Reward points → Award points, choose the upload type, fill in the CSV template and select Submit for approval. No points move until an approver approves the batch.

- Product: Rewards Hub › Points and transactions
- Who can do this: Super admins, HR admins, Uploaders assigned in upload approvals
- Plan: Rewards Hub
- Where: Admin dashboard
- Last checked: 15 Oct 2026
- Web page: https://www.vantagecircle.com/en/help/rewards-hub/points-and-transactions/give-points-with-a-csv-file/

Go to **Rewards Hub → Reward points** and open **Award points**. Submitting a file creates a batch for approval. No points are issued until the uploader's approver approves it.

## Before you start

- Make sure you have an approver. If nobody is assigned to approve your uploads, the batch goes to a default approver at Vantage Circle and won't show in anyone's **Approvals** tab at your company. See [Choose who approves points uploads](/en/help/rewards-hub/points-and-transactions/choose-who-approves-points-uploads/).
- Super admins, HR admins and assigned uploaders can submit a file. Anyone else sees "You are not authorized."

## Upload the file

1. If you see **Wallet**, choose the balance the points come out of. It only shows if your company has more than one wallet. Wallets other than the rewards wallet only offer **Points CSV with custom email**.
2. Choose the **Upload type**:
   - **Primary** for ordinary points.
   - **Work from home**, if your company has a work-from-home programme.
   - **Appreciations** to post appreciations in bulk. They carry no points, so the template has no points column.
   - **Points CSV with custom email** to send one of your own email templates with the points.

   ![The Upload type choice with Primary selected, above the Download CSV template button](https://cdn.vantagecircle.com/image/upload/q_auto,f_auto/v1792133435/vantagecircle/help-centre/en/rewards-hub/points-and-transactions/rewards-hub-upload-type-d67f3604923f8593.png)

3. If you see **Country**, choose the country the recipients belong to. Everyone in the file must be in that country. It starts on your own country.
4. Select **Download CSV template**. The columns depend on the upload type, so choose the type first. Don't change the column names.
5. Fill in one row per employee and save it as a CSV file. Give the file a name you haven't used before.
6. Drag the file into **CSV file** or pick it from your device. The first rows show on the right so you can check them.
7. Turn **Email each employee** on or off. Your company sets whether it starts on for each upload type.
8. For **Points CSV with custom email** with the email on, pick an **Email template**. Leave it on **Use the default template** if you haven't made one in **Rewards Hub → Emails**.
9. Select **Submit for approval**.

You'll see "Batch submitted". The approver gets an email saying a batch is waiting.

## If something goes wrong

If the file can't be used, you'll see "We could not use this file" with the reason. Fix the file and submit it again. Common messages:

- "The selected file is already submitted for processing": a file with the same name was uploaded before. Rename the file.
- "Error in row 4: Points not found or not an integer": points must be whole numbers.
- "Error in row 4: receiverEmployeeId Not found or invalid domain": the employee ID or email doesn't match anyone at your company.
- "Error in processing file, please check the sample file format.": the columns don't match the template.
- "Please split the file in a batch of 500": an **Appreciations** file can have up to 500 rows.

If your company takes uploaded points out of budget holders' budgets, the approval can fail with "Insufficient balance for :" followed by the holder. Top up that budget, then ask the approver to try again.

## After approval

- Points are added in the background after the approver confirms.
- People who haven't signed up yet get their points once they register.
- People who are in a different country from the one you chose don't get the points.
- If **Email each employee** was on, each person gets an email.
- If your company has points expiry turned on, the points carry an expiry date. See [How reward points work](/en/help/rewards-hub/points-and-transactions/how-reward-points-work/).

To take back points sent by mistake, see [Take back points from an award](/en/help/rewards-hub/points-and-transactions/take-back-points-from-an-award/).