What are points, and what are they used for?

Introduction

Points are the rewards system / virtual currency of Midwest Nudists. You earn points through various contributions on the website and in the community. Those points can then be used for various things as a virtual currency. We will explain all of this here.

Points Balance, Life-time Points, and Gift Points

Here is an explanation of the differences between each of these three terms used on your points profile:

• Points balance: The number of points you have that you can spend or send as you please
• Life-time points: The total number of points you ever earned or received; this is not necessarily the number of points you have available to use. Your usergroup rank uses life-time points.
• Gift points: Once you reach certain ranks, you will be awarded gift points. These are points you cannot spend (nor do they count towards your life-time points), but you can send them to other members. When you send points to other members, if you have gift points, then the points will first be deducted from your gift points before touching your points balance (they become spendable / regular points for the other member). That way, you can send points to other members without it affecting the points you have to spend for yourself.

Earning Points

The following is a list of ways you can earn points automatically:

 You can also earn points through various other means:

• Sometimes points may be awarded for submitting approved entries on catalogues (such as the venues / clubs directory)
• Members or staff may send you points through your profile or by clicking the "Thank" button on one of your posts
• You will be awarded points if your content gets featured by staff
• Staff may award you points for various other reasons at their discretion

Using Points

You can use the points you have in your balance in a number of ways:

• You can purchase something from the store, such as banner advertising, a virtual gift to send to another member, etc. More items will be added over time. Your points act as a discount towards these items at a rate of $1 for every 250 points.
• You can send points to other members (via their profile points tab or the "Thank" button on one of their posts) as a thank-you for something good they did or for quality content they provided. If you have gift points, then those will be used first (and become spendable points for them) before touching your points balance when sending points to members.
• You can escrow points with other members as a transaction for goods or services from them
• More uses may be added in time