FAQs for Businesses - H-Town Rewards

Please note that these FAQ are subject, but not intended to modify the terms of the Reimbursement Agreement entered between you and the City of Houston.

Rewards/Houston H-Points

How does the Houston H-Town Rewards program work?

Your customers can earn Houston H-Points by making Qualifying Purchases which they can then spend at Redeeming businesses, like yours, through the H-Town Rewards app. Earning those H-Points will encourage them to purchase locally and strengthen the City of Houston's community and its businesses.

What are Houston H-Points?

The City of Houston offers customers the opportunity to be rewarded with H-Points (Houston's city exclusive local point system) for supporting participating local businesses. Users can earn H-Points upon completion of Qualifying Purchases included in the reward offers published on the H-Town Rewards app, and exchange H-Points for goods and services at Redeeming businesses, like yours. The redemption value of each H-Point is equal to one U.S. dollar ($1.00). 

What are reward offers?

Reward offers are concurrent campaigns that are published on the H-Town Rewards app in cycles, to empower community members (your customers) to shop local and support local businesses. Each reward offer will focus on an initiative that the City of Houston wishes to promote. Reward offers change over time, and you will be notified if your business is included in one or more. Each reward offer will have its own terms and conditions by which a user may be rewarded with H-Points. To earn Houston H-Points, users of the app can join reward offers published on the H-Town Rewards app by linking their credit/debit card and hitting the “Join reward offer” button for a specific reward offer that interests them.

What is a qualifying purchase?

Generally speaking, a Qualifying Purchase would be made through a linked payment card at a business that is participating in an ongoing reward offer. Each reward offer has its own terms defining a Qualifying Purchase. For example, a requirement for one reward offer might be a minimum of a $1 purchase at a participating business and for another, it could be a minimum of a $5 purchase. The terms will always be specified on the App in the “How it works” section of each reward offer.

Who’s initiating the reward offers/who funds them?

H-Town Rewards is brought to you by the City of Houston, which is also funding the Houston H-Points earned from reward offers.

In addition to redeeming Houston H-Points, will Users earn H-Points when shopping at my business? 

They might; we will let you know if your business is included in one of the active reward offers on the City of Houston and give you details of the reward offer terms. Note that only purchases through a User’s linked card may be eligible for earning H-Points, according to the reward terms which the User has joined. H-Points cannot be earned on H-Town Rewards redemption transactions. 

When will my customers receive H-Points for shopping at my business?

If your business is included in an active reward offer on H-Town Rewards, Users that make Qualifying Purchases at your business will be awarded with H-Points. Houston's H-Points will automatically be added to a User’s balance in the app once the transaction is confirmed through the third-party vendor, ‘Plaid’, and determined to be a Qualifying Purchase under the terms of that reward offer. This process can take up to 10 business days and the Houston H-Points should appear in their H-Town Rewards account once the process is complete. 

Redeeming Houston H-Points

How do my customers redeem H-Points in my business? 

They should inform you that they will be paying by redeeming H-Points. Once a User redeems a selected amount of H-Points, a notification screen will appear on the User’s app confirming the H-Point redemption. Additionally, you will receive a confirmation email with the details of the H-Point redemption and your updated balance.

What if I want to cancel a purchase that was paid for with redeemed H-Points? 

All redemptions of H-Points are final and irrevocable. The terms of the cancellation and any refund are agreed upon directly between you and the customer. If your customer wants to return purchased goods and get a refund, you can cancel the transaction, but your customer’s H-Points will not be returned to their account. Since you will be fully reimbursed for the H-Points redeemed by the customer, you can refund the customer in dollars. Please note that The City of Houston is not responsible for crediting or debiting H-Points to the customer’s account or yours in connection with such a cancellation.

How do I receive payment for the H-Points that were redeemed at my business into my bank account?

The payment for the H-Points you’ve accumulated will be made to your bank account in dollars, via a bank transfer from the City of Houston's selected money transmitter, Tipalti. The payments will be processed no later than the 8th of each month. For any assistance on this matter please contact us at h-townrewards@colu.com.

How can I make sure my customer has paid with Houston H-Points?

Make sure the customer shows you or your staff member the confirmation screen on their phone. In addition, you will receive an email immediately upon redemption with the details of the redemption transaction and an indication of your updated redeemed Houston H-Points balance.

How do I enter a purchase with Houston H-Points into my POS?

During your onboarding process, your City of Houston representative likely guided you through the process of configuring your POS. In most cases, you can simply enter a purchase with H-Points by selecting 'Other' as the payment option in your POS or by creating a new tender type named 'H-Points' and selecting this as the payment option. Further instructions on how to set up your POS system my be found at the following link: guide.

Need a refresher? We’re happy to help. Just reach out to us at h-townrewards@colu.com and mention the POS system that you use. 

Do I need to give a receipt for H-Points redemption?

Yes. Redemption of H-Points in your business requires a receipt from you to your customer because an exchange of goods was made between you and your customer, and the H-Points are a form of payment.

Can customers pay with Houston H-Points online? 

No, a customer can currently redeem H-Points only in the store itself.

Are there limitations of what goods H-Points may be redeemed on?

There may be laws limiting the use of Houston H-Points to purchase certain goods, like alcohol, tobacco, lottery and pharmaceuticals. The City of Houston makes no representations with regards to those types of redemptions. If your business sells those types of goods, it is your responsibility to be familiar with and follow any applicable laws.

What to do if a customer has a problem paying with Houston H-Points (technical issues)?

In this case, the customer can reach out to the H-Town Rewards support team at h-townrewards@colu.com. 

How do I check my account balance? 

Each time a redemption of H-Points is made in your business, you’ll receive a confirmation email with the amount you’ve received for that transaction and your current balance of Houston H-Points.

I have a question about my account balance/redemption payment - who do I talk to?

For any questions or assistance, please contact h-townrewards@colu.com. A City of Houston representative will reply to your inquiry within 2-3 business days. Some exceptions may apply.

What email will the Houston H-Points transaction notifications go to?

The confirmation notification will be sent to the email address you have provided us on the application form. For any issues or questions, please send an email to h-townrewards@colu.com.