> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.rivalryze.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.rivalryze.com/contests/entry-fees-and-prizes.md). # Entry Fees, Prize Pools & Donations This page explains the money side of Contests — how gems flow in and out. ## Entry fee The entry fee is what each player pays to join the Contest. It's paid in **gems** from your wallet, the moment you click Join. Entry fees are set by the host. Common ranges: * **Low (10–50 gems)** — casual, accessible to most players. * **Medium (50–250 gems)** — competitive, more serious participants. * **High (250+ gems)** — tournaments, high-stakes events. {% hint style="info" %} Hosts can set any entry fee, including zero. A free Contest still grows a prize pool if someone donates. {% endhint %} ## Prize pool The prize pool is the total gem reward distributed when the Contest ends. It grows from three sources: 1. **Entry fees** — every player who joins adds their fee. 2. **Host boost** — the host can seed the prize pool from their own wallet when creating the Contest. 3. **Donations** — anyone can donate gems to increase the prize pool. ### Example A host creates a Contest with: * Entry fee: 50 gems * Host boost: 100 gems Four players join (50 gems each = 200 gems). Two community members each donate 25 gems. **Final prize pool: 100 + 200 + 50 = 350 gems** (the 100 boost, 200 in entry fees, 50 in donations). How that 350 splits at the end depends on the Contest type. ## How the prize pool pays out The payout depends on whether the Contest is a Battle or a Bounty, and which reward distribution the host picked. ### Battles (leaderboard) Battles rank players by score. Common distributions: | Distribution | Split | | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------- | | **Winner Takes All** | 100% → #1 ranked | | **Top 3** | 60% / 25% / 15% | | **Top 5** | 40% / 25% / 15% / 10% / 10% | | **By Participant Count** | Auto-scales based on joiner count (default) | A Battle has a single ranked outcome — the leaderboard locks at the end and payouts flow top-down. ### Bounties (objective-based) Bounties pay based on whether you hit the objective. Common distributions: | Distribution | Behavior | | ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Winner Takes All** | First player to hit the objective takes 100%. Pure race — Bounty ends immediately. | | **Equal Split** | Every player who hits the objective during the window splits the pool equally. | | **By Participant Count** | Auto-scales based on joiner count. | This is why Bounties can have **multiple winners** while Battles have a ranked single-or-Top-N outcome. See [Battles](/contests/battles.md) and [Bounties](/contests/bounties.md) for more on each format. ## Donations You can donate gems to any Contest's prize pool — even if you're not playing. This is a way to: * Boost a friend's Contest to make it more attractive to joiners. * Sponsor a community event. * Cheer on a Contest by pumping up the prize. ### How to donate 1. Open the Contest's page. 2. Click **Donate**. 3. Enter the gem amount and an optional message. 4. Confirm. The Contest's prize pool updates instantly, and the host gets notified. Your message is visible on the Contest page. {% hint style="success" %} Donations are public — your username shows on the Contest page next to your donation amount. Good for shoutouts. {% endhint %} ### Are donations refundable? If the Contest gets **cancelled** before starting, all donations are refunded along with entry fees. If the Contest **runs to completion**, donations go to the winners — they're not refunded. ## Refunds Entry fees and donations are refunded automatically when: * The Contest is **cancelled** by the host before it starts. * The Contest **expires without starting** because it never met its minimum participant count. * You **leave a Contest** before it starts (entry fee only — donations are non-refundable to the donor). Refunds appear in your wallet within seconds. ## Auto-claim vs. manual claim Hosts can configure rewards to **auto-claim** — meaning winners get their prize automatically deposited as soon as the Contest ends. This is the default for gem prizes. For side rewards (gift cards, cosmetics, game codes — Pro feature), the host can require **manual claim**, where the winner has to confirm the reward to receive it. You'll get a notification with a claim button. ## Transaction history Every Contest entry fee, donation, win, and refund appears in your **Wallet → Transactions** page. You can filter by: * Contests you joined * Contests you hosted * Donations you made or received * Wins and payouts This is your full audit trail. If a balance ever looks off, start here. ## Tips for setting a fair entry fee (for hosts) * **Match the time commitment.** A two-hour race shouldn't cost the same as a 30-day Battle. * **Consider the audience.** Friends-only Contests can have higher fees because everyone trusts each other. Public Contests should start lower to attract joiners. * **For Bounties, calibrate to the objective difficulty.** A platinum that takes 200 hours shouldn't have a low entry fee — the prize pool needs to feel worth the grind. * **Add a host boost if you want guarantees.** Seeding the prize pool makes the Contest look more attractive even before joiners pile in. ## Related * [Battles](/contests/battles.md) — leaderboard payout rules * [Bounties](/contests/bounties.md) — objective payout rules * [Hosting Your Own Contest](/contests/hosting-a-contest.md) * [Auto-Start Rules](/contests/auto-start-rules.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. 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