Channel Points are a built-in Twitch feature that lets viewers earn points by watching your stream, then spend those points on rewards you create

To add Channel Point rewards, you first enable the feature in your Twitch Creator Dashboard, then build a list of rewards that viewers can redeem. The rewards can be anything from a shoutout or a custom emote to a game request or a five-minute chat slowdown. Twitch handles the points automatically — viewers earn them just by watching — and you decide what each reward costs and what happens when someone redeems it.

The whole setup takes about 10 to 15 minutes if you already know what rewards you want to offer. If you're starting from scratch, spend time thinking through what your audience actually wants, because rewards that don't appeal to your viewers sit unused and waste the feature.

Key Takeaways

  • Channel Points must be turned on in your Creator Dashboard under Community settings before you can create any rewards.
  • Viewers earn points passively by watching your stream, and the earning rate is set by Twitch — you cannot change how fast they accumulate.
  • Each reward you create needs a name, description, point cost, and an action (like a chat message, channel event, or manual fulfillment).
  • Some rewards trigger automatic actions in chat or on your stream, while others require you to manually complete them after someone redeems.

Turn on Channel Points in your Creator Dashboard

Log into your Twitch account and go to the Creator Dashboard. Click Community in the left menu, then select Channel Points. If you see a toggle that says "Channel Points" with an off position, click it to turn the feature on. If the toggle is already on or grayed out, Channel Points are already active on your channel.

Once Channel Points are enabled, you'll see a section called Create Custom Rewards. This is where you build the list of things viewers can spend their points on. You can have up to 50 active rewards at any time, though most streamers use far fewer.

Create your first reward

Click the Create Custom Reward button. A form will open asking for several pieces of information. Start with the Reward Title — this is what viewers see in the redemption menu, so make it clear and specific. "Shoutout" works better than "Reward 1". The Description field is optional but useful; it tells viewers exactly what they're paying for, like "I'll say your name and follow your channel on stream."

Set the Cost in Channel Points. This is entirely up to you. Popular rewards like shoutouts or song requests often cost between 500 and 2,000 points, while bigger asks like playing a specific game for an hour might cost 5,000 or more. Viewers earn roughly 10 points per minute of watching, so a 500-point reward takes about 50 minutes to earn. If your reward costs too much, nobody will redeem it; if it costs too little, you'll be swamped with redemptions you can't handle.

Choose what happens when someone redeems

Below the cost field, you'll see options for what the reward does. The simplest option is No Action Required — the redemption just shows up in chat and you handle it manually. This works for rewards like "pick my next game" or "I'll draw your character," where you need to see the request and decide how to fulfill it.

If you want something automatic, Twitch offers preset actions. Add Moderation Hold puts the redemption in a queue for you to approve or deny before it takes effect. Add Channel Event triggers something on your stream, like a raid, host, or clip creation. Add Chat Message posts a message to chat when someone redeems — useful for rewards like "Streamer says [custom text]" where the viewer types what they want you to say.

Some rewards let the viewer type custom input. If you enable Require the user to enter text, viewers will see a text box when they redeem, and their input will show up in the redemption details. This is how you handle rewards like "name my next character" or "pick a game from this list."

Set limits and cooldowns

You can restrict how often a reward can be redeemed. Under Cooldown, you can set a waiting period between redemptions — for example, "this reward can only be redeemed once every 10 minutes." This prevents viewers from spamming the same reward over and over.

You can also set a Maximum per stream limit. If you set a reward to a maximum of 3 per stream, it will automatically pause after the third redemption and resume the next time you go live. This is useful for rewards you can only handle a few times, like "play a game with me" or "I'll draw your OC."

Manage and edit rewards after they're live

Once you create a reward, it appears in the Channel Points section of your Creator Dashboard. You can edit it anytime by clicking the pencil icon next to the reward name. Changes take effect immediately, even if you're currently streaming.

If a reward isn't working out, you can pause it by clicking the toggle next to its name. A paused reward won't appear in the viewer redemption menu, but it stays in your dashboard so you can turn it back on later. If you want to remove it entirely, click the three-dot menu and select Delete.

Check your redemption queue regularly. Go to Community > Channel Points and look for the Redemptions tab. This shows all pending redemptions, completed ones, and any that are on hold. If you set a reward to "No Action Required," you'll need to manually mark it as fulfilled once you've done what the viewer asked for.

Common reward ideas that work well

Shoutouts are the most popular reward because they're easy to fulfill and viewers like the recognition. Set the cost between 500 and 1,500 points depending on how often you want to give them.

Song or game requests work if you're willing to honor them during your stream. Make the cost high enough that you won't get overwhelmed — 2,000 to 5,000 points is common.

Chat effects like slowmode, emote-only mode, or a message in chat are low-effort and fun. These can cost less because they don't take your time to fulfill.

Custom emotes or channel cosmetics reward loyal viewers and cost you nothing after the initial setup. These tend to be popular because they feel exclusive.

Raid or host rewards let viewers send your audience to another channel. These work well if you have a community of streamers you want to support.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast do viewers earn Channel Points?

Twitch sets the earning rate, and you cannot change it. Viewers earn approximately 10 points per minute of watching, with a bonus if they have Twitch Prime or are subscribed to your channel. The exact rate varies slightly, but it's consistent across all channels.

Can I see how many points a specific viewer has?

No. Twitch doesn't show you individual viewer point balances in your dashboard. You can only see redemptions that have been made. Viewers can check their own balance in the Channel Points section of your channel.

What happens if I delete a reward someone already redeemed?

Deleting a reward doesn't affect redemptions that already happened. If someone redeemed a reward before you deleted it, that redemption stays in your queue and you can still fulfill it. The reward just won't be available for new redemptions.

Can viewers refund their points if they change their mind?

Viewers cannot refund themselves. If someone redeems a reward and you haven't fulfilled it yet, you can manually refund the points through the redemption queue. Click the redemption, then select the refund option.

Do I need to enable Channel Points to get paid by Twitch?

No. Channel Points are separate from Twitch's monetization features like subscriptions and ads. You can use Channel Points without being a Twitch Affiliate or Partner, and enabling them doesn't affect your may be able to access for other programs.