Get Rewarded for the Places You Already Go

Here is the simple version: Greenlight rewards you for doing what you already do. You go out. You get coffee, grab dinner, catch a show, walk the waterfront. Greenlight turns those visits into points, a place on the leaderboard and real perks from the spots themselves.

It is one free app for all your favorite local spots. And because you can watch your progress add up, it is a lot more fun than a wallet full of punch cards.

How it works, in three moves

1. Light it up. When you arrive at a spot on the Greenlight map, open the app and tap Light Up. The app uses your location to confirm you are really there. Some spots ask you to stay a little while before your light-up counts, so settle in.

2. Earn and climb. Every light-up earns points. Points move you up the leaderboards and count toward that spot's rewards.

3. Claim your reward. When you unlock something, it lands in your account. Show it to the staff at the spot that put it up, and enjoy.

That is it. No receipts, no scanning, and you never need to buy anything to earn points.

Three ways to win something real

Every spot on Greenlight can run any mix of these. They work independently, so there is usually more than one reason to come back.

Loyalty programs

A digital punch card you cannot leave in a coat pocket. Each spot sets its own milestones: light up a certain number of times and you unlock a reward, like a pastry, a dessert on the house or a branded tote. No competition, no luck involved. Just keep showing up at your pace.

Challenges

Challenges give your week a mission. A few shapes you will see:

• Keep a streak by lighting up a few days in a row.
• Take a tour by lighting up three of the five coffee shops on a list.
• Beat the clock by lighting up a spot during a set window, like a weeknight evening.
• Finish a quest, a short story told in steps: light up, snap a photo, find a code the staff will hand you.

Each challenge tells you up front how people win. Some reward everyone who finishes. Some go to the first few people to finish. And some are prize challenges, where winners are picked at random from everyone who completed it, under official rules. Not every challenge carries a prize, but every one you finish earns a badge for your profile.

Weekly prizes

Many spots put up a prize for the top player on their weekly board. Boards reset every Monday, so everyone gets a fresh shot. You do not have to be the most active person in the city, just the most dedicated regular at one place you love.

The leaderboard: watch it add up

This is where Greenlight stops feeling like a coupon app and starts feeling like a game.

• Weekly boards reset every Monday. This is where you chase the crown.
• All-time boards keep a running total. This is where legends live.
• Venue boards show the top regulars at each spot, so you can be number one at your local coffee shop even if you are not chasing the whole city.

Your profile keeps the other half of the story: the badges you have collected, the challenges you have finished and a running tally of the rewards you have won. It is a nice thing to look back on at the end of a month, and a good reminder of how much your normal routine is actually worth.

Make it yours: an avatar and an @handle

In the latest version of the app, your profile is an avatar you build yourself, not a selfie. Pick a head (yes, a lightbulb is an option), an outfit and a background. Then claim a unique @handle, so when you climb a board, everyone knows exactly who did it.

A few honest house rules

• No purchase needed. Lighting up is about being there. Nobody checks what you ordered.
• One light-up per spot at a time. You can light up the same place again later, just not over and over in one visit. Somewhere new is always fair game.
• Ages. Greenlight is for adults 18 and over. Any challenge that involves alcohol, and every prize challenge, is for players 21 and over. Everything else is open to everyone on the app.
• No alcohol rewards. Rewards are food, merch, experiences and other non-alcoholic picks, and no reward ever depends on buying a drink.
• Prize challenges are not a sure thing. They are a chance to win under official rules, which you can read before you join. Loyalty rewards and "everyone who finishes" challenges are the steady ones.

Your first week on Greenlight

Not sure where to start? Try this:

1. Monday: light up the spot where you get your morning coffee. That is your first point, and maybe the start of a loyalty card.
2. Midweek: open the Challenges tab and join one that fits your week. A streak at a place you already visit is an easy first win.
3. Weekend: try one spot on the map you have never been to, and light it up.
4. Sunday night: check the weekly board before it resets. You might be closer to the top than you think.

Ready to play?

Greenlight is free. Download it from the App Store (or update to the latest version), build your avatar, pick your @handle and light up the first spot you visit today. Your city is a little brighter because you showed up.