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WI bucks are a new reward feature put into place in
WI on ____(official date here)which "rewards" members with a "play" cash and allows them to purchase features later available.
But what does it reward?
WI bucks are designed to reward activity based on user groups.Basically, it looks at everything you do on
WI and estimates a increase or decrease in your funds. Certain things cost bucks but others increase them significantly.
These activities are also affected by your user group. For example, a webkinz may not gain as much
WI bucks by posting as a gifted member. And vice versa.
What is a user group? This is the rank of users you belong to, for example I belong to the user group "gift coach" - while you may belong to webkinz, lil kinz, gifted, gift guru, etc.
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A break down of features -
Here is a simple break down of the features & what you can expect to find. Some features may take away bucks but there are plenty of them that reward bucks to balance that.
There is no "set" reward/fee yet for these features as it is being adjusted to find a fair balance. More helpful threads may receive more bucks then others, etc.
In some features, the fee or reward depends on the user group interaction.For example a moderator may not receive a fee for private messages as they are required to send many out.
As mentioned before, when this is known it is noted by the
icon.
User group induction -
What it is:a feature that rewards you with "bucks" when you move up in user groups. For example when you move from being a gifted member to a gift guru.
Referrals -
What is is: a referral is like an invitation to join something. - When you tell your friends about WI and they put your username into the referral box - you get bucks!
Visits & Activity based on user group -
What this means: The activity (participation) and visits to WI and how much "bucks" you get for participating in things are based upon your user group. For example - if a webkinz may earn more then a lil kinz for visiting, this may be not be as high as a gift guru.
Birthday present -
What this means: Remember that birthdate you gave WI when you registered? Well now you get a birthday gift on your birthday! Woo hoo!
Reputation given & received -
What this means: When you give reputation to another user, you will earn bucks. Same with giving it away. A nice reward for spreading a little bit of joy around!
New threads & popularity -
What this means: When you create a new thread - you are rewarded for participating in WI & the community. When people post on your thread you also may receive bucks.
Thread ratings -
What this means: By rating threads you also will receive bucks. Give it an honest rate & Let the user know how much you appreciate that information! You may also receive bucks for people rating your own threads.
Posts - on your threads & else where!
What this means: When you post on your own thread, you will receive some "bucks" for participating in the community. You will also receive bucks for posting comments on other people's threads as well. - It should be noted that "fluff" or copy & pasted messages may result in a loss of bucks as well.
Profile popularity -
What this means: When someone visits your profile, expect to see some bucks awarded! So get out there & visit some friends, you'll be leaving a friendly smile and some bucks to help out as well!
PM usage -
What this means: Update - thanks dogluver620. No user should be charged for PMs anymore, if you are let an admin know~
Calendar Usage
-
What this means: when you put in an event or view the calendar, you may find yourself rewarded with WI bucks!
Voting in polls -
Thanks to Ilovemom619 for the information!
What this means: when you vote in polls you will receive some bucks!
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Okay - so what can I do with them?
Currently the
WI bucks feature is undergoing development and testing. There are no features available to purchase at this time.
This section will be updated as the information becomes available.
Thanks to Ave for providing this link to living avatars (a feature being looked into by WI) -
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Banking! the basics & how to save those bucks!
The bank feature (like in real life) can be a great way to save your money & collect interest on large sums. However, it should be noted that these features also come with a bit of a fee. -- But from my opinion, it is really worth the small fee!
There is also a great feature that you can send bucks as a gift to a friend!
First off - it should be noted that everyone has two types of accounts. Savings (found at the top) and loans. I'll briefly explain savings and then on to gifting!
It should be noted that Loans are not really available right now ~
Balance -
You can check your balance by clicking on [Balance] below your notifications (above the activies on the left hand banner) or by clicking [Balance] underneath your avatar.
Savings -
The amount of savings you can hold in your account is effected by your user group.
UPDATE: Thanks to ClaraZ25 - The limit appears to now be un-limited for all user groups.
A gifted member may be able to save more then a webkinz and a gift guru more.
A minimum of 500
WI bucks must be put in the savings account to receive 3.5% interest on the bucks (interest is you earning bucks!) every 30 days. Every deposit takes a minimum of one day to complete & withdrawing the transaction before then will result in a fee of 5.0% of that amount. (Example: If I deposit 500 I would lose 25 (math??) bucks by withdrawing early).
All savings transactions (taking money out or in) receive a 2.0% fine. So, if you deposit 1,000 bucks you are going to see 980 go in. It is a small fee for a good feature.
If you have a lot of bucks, put some away to save & earn interest. Do your best not to touch these and you will see it pay off in due time!
Gifting -
Gifting of bucks is a nice way to say "thanks for being a great friend" or "thanks for the help! here is a gift" or even "Thanks for just being friendly!" - Whatever you choose to say, it's a great option to give a big thanks to someone.
All gifts have a -5.0% fee, if you were to gift someone 1,000 bucks, you would see a 50 bucks fee. It is not that much & really is a great price to pay for a smile to a friend's face.
Simply press on the [Give WI bucks] below their post count
and fill out the form!
You can now also give a gift anonymously -
When you receive a gift of
WI bucks, you will be sent a PM from the admin noting who it is from (it may be marked anonymous) and the comment. - You can also see your gifts on your balance page.
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Frequently asked questions -
Why does my friend not get charged for sending a PM?
Your friend should no longer be charged for PMs. But it is good to note that different user groups have different pros/cons for activities (Private messages, posting, profile messages, reputation given and received, etc) - it is best to experiment and see the results you get!
Can anyone else see my WI bucks?
The only one that can see your Bucks are you and the staff/system. This is discourage contests between members as this is a feature of reward, not competition.
What about lil kinz, do they get bucks?
All users start with a small balance & by participating in features around
WI they can earn more! Just like you and I
.
What about younger members?
Younger members can gain bucks by visits to their profile, by visiting and participating in popular thread (or by creating a popular thread) among other things. There is no "one way" to get Bucks!
Why do I already have xxxx WI Bucks?
When the system "kicked in" it took into account all the reputation given/received, posts, threads, etc. And rewarded everyone an amount based upon it's findings. What a neat surprise!
When should I gift someone with WI bucks?
Think of WI bucks like another form of "thank you" (such as reputation is) - When you see someone being helpful, want to thank someone for being a great friend, or just to spread the joy feel free to do so! It is really up to to decide what you want to give and when ~
What is a WI subscription?
From what I understand you will be able to "subscribe" to WI like you do a magazine or something. There will be perks to this; I think some of the items mentioned are less ads - more PM space, a badge to say you've subscribed...
I'm not sure how this will fit in directly with the WI bucks yet - there could be a conversion or something to real $$ - but I'm sure Justin will be speaking to all of these & what the goals are of the two systems when the official guide (added section to the FAQ) comes out later ~
I tried to move 10,000 but it is only moving 10, why?
When you are transferring funds, make sure you remove the comma from large sums. It will read it as 10 - 30 - 20, etc ~
I Can't see "Give WI bucks" under my avatar!! help?
You can't give yourself
WI bucks, you will only see it underneath your friend's avatars ~
Am I giving away my WI bucks?
Yes, when you give away
WI bucks you are giving bucks right out of your "checking" account. (Your main account where bucks are) ~
What if I want to say Thanks for the gift?
I think Rep is the best option if you want to say thank you. It's a great way to spread bucks and say thank you privately ~ I use the rep system for private messages at time... just find a post and fill out the form.
If you know them a PM is great too, but I would think a profile message could be a little too public, personally. They may want the gesture to be kept between the two of you.
Can you add a chart to the front? I want to know how to make WI bucks!
I know that many are trying to figure out values on this, however I am not sure if I will put up a chart of activities and how many bucks for what usergroup, etc. -- The system is meant to be an "added" bonus for participating in things around the community; and while it is nice to see those bucks go up, I'm not sure it would support the ... philosophy behind the idea of it? (if that makes sense?).
I guess what I am trying to say -- is half the fun is getting a little bonus for doing things we already do. & Maybe encouraging someone to participate in a new way. And by adding a chart it may take away from that.
It is something I will have to speak to the staff about and/or think about carefully.
I am often busy on just one thread -- as I enjoy it and help keep things going there, will I get bucks?
I believe you will, from my understanding of the system a popular thread you have will award bucks every time a post is made. And even less popular threads will gain bucks for the owner if they or a friend makes good original posts~
I can't figure out how to deposit ____ exactly! - this answer comes from claraZ25:
I found a very easy way to figure out how to actually make your 5000 be 5000 in savings. When ever you want 5000 in your savings you have to actually give up an extra 2% to cancel this out. The math is actually quite simple. You just take the amount you want to put into your account and divide it by 0.98 (or 98%) For example: I want to put 1000 exactly into savings so i do the following to figure out what money to actually put into the amount line:
1000/0.98=1020
So if I want to have 1000 in saving I should actually put 1020 into the amount line.
Do I have to wait awhile to make a profit in savings? - thanks to peacock noodle for finding the error.
Yes, it appears you have to leave savings in for 2 months (60 days aprox.) to make a significant profit with the fee applied ~
Do different sections award more WI bucks?
I believe all sections award the same amount of bucks - the amount you receive for posting would be influenced by the length of your post & user group.
I can't give a new member WI bucks!
Lil kinz can not use
WI bucks & need to post 10 times to gain access to the system as a webkinz. Once they do so, you can then give away bucks to new members ~
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Comments & suggestions are great!
Thank you! All of you, the suggestions & questions are great. And I do read every one carefully & continue to add to clarify things as they come up
WI Bucks? 
Re: WI bucks -- what they are & how to use them! 
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