Twitch Channel Points: Reward Ideas, Settings and Icon Sizes
How viewers earn points, every reward setting explained, the icon sizes Twitch needs, and reward ideas that people actually redeem — grouped by what they do for your stream.
Channel Points are Twitch's built-in loyalty currency. Viewers earn them simply by watching, then spend them on rewards you create — highlight a message, pick the next game, name a character. Done well, they give regulars a reason to stay for the whole stream and a way to take part without spending money. This guide covers the numbers, the settings, the icon sizes, and reward ideas that actually get redeemed.
Who can use Channel Points
Channel Points have long been an Affiliate and Partner feature. Twitch has been opening monetisation tools to more streamers during 2026, so the quickest way to know what your account has is to open Creator Dashboard → Viewer Rewards → Channel Points. If the page is there, you can set it up. If you are working toward Affiliate, our beginner setup checklist lists the current criteria.
How viewers earn points
| Watching | 10 points every 5 minutes of active watching |
| Bonus chest | 50 points when a viewer claims the chest, which appears roughly every 15 minutes |
| Subscribers | Earn faster: 1.2× at Tier 1, 1.4× at Tier 2, 2× at Tier 3 |
| Rough total | About 300+ points per hour for a viewer who claims every chest |
That last number is the one to design around. If a viewer earns about 300 points an hour, a 300-point reward is something they can redeem every stream, and a 10,000-point reward is something they save up for over weeks. Price rewards on purpose, not at random.
Every reward setting, explained
| Name and description | Name up to 45 characters. Say exactly what happens — "Pick my next song", not "Fun reward". |
| Cost | From 1 to 1,000,000 points. |
| Require viewer to enter text | Adds a text box. Essential for rewards like "name the boss" or "ask a question". |
| Limit per stream / per user | Stops one viewer or one evening from draining a reward. |
| Cooldown | A gap between redemptions, from 1 minute up to 7 days. |
| Skip reward requests queue | On: the reward fulfils instantly and cannot be refunded. Off: it goes to a queue where you or a mod complete or reject it — rejecting returns the points. |
| Custom icon and colour | Makes the reward recognisable in the menu. |
Twitch caps each channel at 50 custom rewards, counting disabled ones. Twenty you actually use beat fifty nobody reads.
Rule of thumb for the queue: anything that needs you to act — play a song, do a challenge — should go through the queue, so you can reject it if it arrives at a bad moment. Anything automatic, like an on-screen effect, can skip it.
Channel Points icon sizes
| Sizes | 28 × 28, 56 × 56 and 112 × 112 px |
| Format | PNG with a transparent background |
| File size | Keep each file small — Twitch rejects heavy uploads |
You can replace two things: the channel points icon itself (the little symbol next to every viewer's balance) and the name of your points. Both are cheap, high-visibility branding. A cat channel with "Paws" and a paw icon is more memorable than one with the default purple symbol.
Design the icon at 112 px and check it at 28 px — that is the size people actually see. The same rules apply as for emotes and badges: one simple shape, thick outline, strong contrast. We cover those in detail in our emote and badge sizes guide.
Twitch BadgesCozy Cats Twitch Sub Badges + Channel Point Icons
$4.99
Twitch BadgesFantasy Tavern Twitch Sub Badges + Channel Point
$9.99
Twitch BadgesCoffee Twitch Sub Badges + Channel Point Icons
$4.99
Reward ideas that actually get redeemed
Cheap and frequent (100–500 points)
- Hydrate! — you take a drink on stream. Silly, constant, and keeps chat engaged.
- Highlight my message — built into Twitch; costs nothing to set up.
- Say my name in an accent or any small personal shout-out.
- Posture check — a running joke that works on almost every channel.
Mid-range, shapes the stream (1,000–5,000 points)
- Pick the next game / map / character — with text input and the queue on.
- Choose my loadout or a handicap for the next round.
- Name the next pet, boss or save file.
- Song request — only with music you have the rights to play.
Expensive, saved up for (10,000+ points)
- Join me in a game — the strongest reward most channels have.
- Your name on the overlay or in the credits for a week.
- Design an emote idea for the channel.
Rewards that trigger something on screen
Rewards that visibly change the stream are the most satisfying to redeem, because everyone sees them happen. Tools like StreamElements can link a redemption to a sound or an on-screen effect, and chat-driven overlays take it further — see our guide to interactive stream overlays.
Common mistakes
- Prices with no logic. If every reward costs 1,000 points, nothing feels special and nothing feels easy.
- Rewards you forget to fulfil. Unfulfilled redemptions sitting in the queue teach viewers that points are worthless. Check the queue at every break.
- Too many rewards. Viewers scroll a short list. Retire rewards nobody uses.
- Default icon. A custom icon and points name are the cheapest branding on Twitch.
FAQ
How many channel point rewards can I have?
Up to 50 custom rewards per channel, including disabled ones.
What size is the Twitch channel points icon?
Three PNG files: 28 × 28, 56 × 56 and 112 × 112 px, ideally with a transparent background.
How many channel points do viewers earn per hour?
About 300 or more for a viewer who watches actively and claims every bonus chest. Subscribers earn faster.
Can I refund channel points?
Only if the reward goes through the requests queue. Rejecting a redemption returns the points; rewards that skip the queue cannot be refunded.
Can I rename my channel points?
Yes. You can change both the name and the icon in the Channel Points settings.
Do channel points cost viewers money?
No. They are earned by watching. That is what makes them a good way for non-paying regulars to take part.
