---
title: Independent manual & custom rewards
slug: independent-manual-and-custom-rewards
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-10-09T23:00:16.023Z
---

Independent manual product rewards and custom rewards let you gift ambassadors directly — without attaching the reward to a campaign or a milestone. They work for any brand, on any e-commerce platform, because you fulfill them yourself. Roster tracks who's owed what and gives your team a clear fulfillment workflow, so nothing slips through the cracks.

Use a **manual product reward** for a physical item you'll ship yourself, or a **custom reward** for anything else — a gift card, a shoutout, a call with your founder, event tickets, and more. An independent reward has no trigger or timing — you create it, choose who receives it, and can auto-gift it to new program members as they join.

:::BlockQuote
ℹ️ Manual and custom rewards don't require a Shopify store. If you're on Shopify and want fulfillment handled automatically, see [Independent automated product rewards](docId:8gHRY47zaOOWRlbQXPUa1) instead.
:::

***

## Step-by-step instructions

### Create the reward

1. Go to the Rewards page from the left-hand menu.
2. Click `Create reward` in the top right.
3. Under `Manual fulfillment`, choose `Manual product reward` or `Custom reward`.
4. Fill in the details — a manual product reward adds a few extra fields (name, optional URL, value, description, images); a custom reward just needs a name and any details for the ambassador. No reward timing to set.
5. Click `Save`. It appears in the Rewards list marked as `Independent` in the `Linked to` column.

### Reward ambassadors from a program (recommended)

1. Open the reward and click `Reward ambassadors`.
2. Choose `Add from Programs`.
3. Select one or more programs. Every approved member receives it now, and every ambassador who joins later gets it automatically.
4. When prompted, choose whether to also give it to existing members who don't have it yet.
5. A summary bar shows which programs are auto-adding members. Use `Manage programs` to change this anytime.

### Reward individual ambassadors

1. Open the reward and click `Reward ambassadors`.
2. Choose `Add individual ambassadors`.
3. Select ambassadors from your contact list — only approved program members can be selected. You can filter through ambassadors similar to a `Campaign`.
4. Anyone who already has it is labeled `Already rewarded`— one grant per ambassador.
5. Review the recipient count and estimated cost, then confirm.

### Fulfill the reward

1. Rewards needing action show a `Needs Fulfillment` status in the recipients table.
2. Click a recipient to open the fulfillment drawer — name, email, reward details, and shipping address you can copy to fulfill outside Roster.
3. Once sent, click `Mark as Fulfilled`. The status updates instantly for the ambassador and your team.
4. If something changes, use `Mark as Won't Fulfill` to clear it from your queue.

### Use bulk fulfillment and exports

1. Click `Export` for a CSV with each ambassador's details and shipping info — handy for your team or fulfillment center.
2. Select recipients and use `Mark as Fulfilled` to update many at once.
3. Select recipients to `Send email` or `Revoke reward `(revoke only before redemption).

## What ambassadors see

Ambassadors get a **"Reward available"** email — *"A gift from \{your brand}"* — if notifications are on. The reward appears under `Awarded`. Because you fulfill it, there's nothing to check out; once you mark it fulfilled it moves to `Redeemed`. Never shown under "Up Next."

***

## Need help?

Reach our support team at [support@getroster.com](mailto\:support@getroster.com).