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Cost-of-living index (COLI) lets you scale the redemption value of reward points by where the employee is based. A point earned in San Francisco can spend differently than the same point earned in Bangalore, and COLI makes the underlying purchasing power match by applying a multiplier per site.

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Video walkthrough

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Before you start

  • You must be a Super Admin.
  • Site entries must already exist under org structure — COLI multipliers attach to sites.
  • Decide your COLI philosophy before configuring. Common approaches:
    • Equal earning, scaled redemption — Everyone earns the same points; multipliers adjust what those points buy.
    • Scaled earning, equal redemption — Earnings already include geography; no COLI needed.
    • Hybrid — COLI on benefits and gifts only; reward points untouched.

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How COLI works

1

Site multipliers are defined

For each site, you set a multiplier — 1.0 is the baseline, >1.0 multiplies up (higher purchasing power needed), <1.0 multiplies down.
2

Empuls applies the multiplier at redemption time

When an employee redeems, Empuls checks their site, looks up the multiplier, and adjusts how many points are deducted for a given catalog item.
3

Catalog stays geo-aware

The redemption catalog already filters by country and currency. COLI layers on top so the point cost of an item matches its real cost in the employee’s region.

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Enable COLI

1

Open Cost of Living

Navigate to Admin Hub → Finance → Cost of Living, or open it directly.
Cost of Living settings page under Admin Hub > Finance in Empuls
2

Toggle COLI on

A confirmation banner appears explaining that COLI will affect all future redemptions. Existing point balances are unchanged.
3

Set per-site multipliers

For each site, enter a multiplier. Multipliers must be positive decimals (for example, 0.4, 1.0, 1.6).
4

Preview impact

The preview pane shows what a sample catalog item would cost an employee at each site with the multipliers applied.
5

Save

COLI goes live. Employees see the adjusted point cost in the catalog and at checkout.
COLI enabled with per-site multipliers saved and live for redemptions

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Worked example

Suppose a $50 Amazon gift card costs 5,000 points at baseline (1.0 multiplier).
  • San Francisco (multiplier 1.6): the same $50 card costs 8,000 points.
  • Mumbai (multiplier 0.4): the same $50 card costs 2,000 points.
  • London (multiplier 1.2): 6,000 points.
The card’s monetary value to Empuls’s redemption wallet is the same ($50) regardless of who redeems — Empuls absorbs the geo difference via the COLI mechanism, not the employee.

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Edit a multiplier

Change a site’s multiplier any time. The new value applies to all subsequent redemptions; nothing already redeemed is retroactively adjusted.

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Disable COLI

Toggle COLI off. The catalog reverts to baseline point costs for all sites. Existing point balances are unchanged.

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Limits and gotchas

  • COLI requires every employee to have a site assigned. Employees without a site fall back to the baseline multiplier (1.0).
  • COLI applies only to the standard redemption catalog. Perks store and Tax Benefits are not adjusted.
  • Multipliers should reflect purchasing power, not local currency exchange rates. Use a reputable cost-of-living index when setting values.
  • Frequent multiplier changes confuse employees. Set quarterly or annually; communicate changes in advance.

Org structure

Define the sites COLI multipliers attach to.

Redeem points

Employee-facing redemption experience.

Redemption wallets

Wallet that funds adjusted redemptions.