Fringe and Navigate Partnership FAQ
About
What is Fringe?
- A fringe benefits marketplace that gives you an easy way to offer employees their choice lifestyle benefits that they’ll love
- For more, see What is Fringe? (90-second introductory video)
How do points work on Fringe?
- Points gamify the experience of choosing lifestyle benefits on our platform.
- $1 buys 5 points
- Points never expire
What can employees buy with their points?
Fringe offers
- 130+ services to your employees that save them time, reduce stress, impact the family, and spark joy.
- Local, national, and international vendors
- No markups or hidden fees: most services on Fringe are priced at market value
Stats:
- 8 in 10 employees say that Fringe increased their loyalty to their company
- 87% of employees said that Fringe was more meaningful, or as meaningful, as their traditional benefits
- 84% of employees say they prefer lifestyle benefits over in-office perks
- 90% average utilization & engagement for programs with monthly contributions
Vendors & services
How do you determine which vendors are on the site?
- Fringe focus on services, not products
- You won’t find gift cards or marked up vacuum cleaners on Fringe
- Our vendor team hand selects vendors that reduce stress, give back time, impact the family, or spark joy.
Are services on Fringe marked up?
- No, services on Fringe are priced at market value
What is the average cost of a service in Fringe?
- Services range from $15 for food delivery to over a hundred of dollars for virtual therapy. Users can top off purchases with their credit card if they don’t have enough points.
How often do vendors change?
- New vendors are added to the platform regularly, and showcased in the New to Fringe category
Can employers edit or customize the marketplace to include standalone services they offer?
- Yes. They can remove services (such as competitors) or add services through a simple process.
- Adding a benefit the company already has to Fringe, like an EAP, is a great way to increase utilization. Please keep in mind that any marketplace additions do push out company launch times 2 – 3 weeks and may require intro emails between the Navigate Customer, Fringe and the vendor as well as an additional meeting or two.
Is there a fee for customizing the marketplace?
- There isn’t a fee on Fringe’s side. Navigate may choose to add a fee if desired.
Setup and Onboarding
What is the implementation process?
It takes only a few weeks to implement Fringe through Navigate.
- Edit the Fringe-Navigate Client Proposal (editable) and send to the client. Please BCC navigate@fringe.us
- The company signs the standard Navigate MSA indicating that they’d like Fringe to be one of their Delivery Methods for employees.
- Fill out a simple Customer Onboarding Form, attach the Navigate MSA addendum and send it to onboarding@fringe.us. Please CC: asprenkle@navigatewell.com, jbarclay@navigatewell.com, and corourke@navigatewell.com.
- Fringe will confirm receipt of the email, process it and then work with the Navigate Team through the Fringe-Navigate Integration to setup individual employee accounts so that Single Sign On directly into the Fringe marketplace is setup for all employees on the day of launch.
The Fringe Customer Success team will take it from there!
Pricing and funding
What are the program level options for Fringe: Essential vs Premium?
- Download the Fringe: Essential vs Premium PDF
How is a standard wellness program funded?
Points are billed when they’re issued, not when they’re redeemed. Here’s how it works:
- Employees complete wellness challenges on Navigate to earn Fringe points
- Employees spend their points for lifestyle benefits in Fringe
- Navigate invoices the employer on a monthly basis for all points distributed to employees
Can companies utilize Fringe for programs in addition to their Navigate wellness incentive?
Yes, Fringe Premium users can utilize any of the additional programs at no additional cost:
- Monthly point stipend for a flexible lifestyle (recommended for highest utilization & engagement)
- Rewards or recognition
- Manager spot bonuses and incentives
- Birthdays/Celebrations/baby shower/wedding
- Work anniversary & milestone gifts
- Free lunches & snacks/drinks for employees not in the office
Here’s a simple use case deck for easy distribution that can be used. If a company decides they’d like to expand their use cases with Fringe it’s best to connect with Navigate Partnership leadership to setup a meeting between the client, Fringe and Navigate to discuss further.
How do the employees of the Navigate customer hear about and begin to utilize Fringe through the Navigate platform?
- Navigate will include an introduction to Fringe during the standard new user email cadence.
- On the day of launch with Navigate, employees will be able to SSO into the Fringe Marketplace.
- If there are no additional use cases or initial funding by the employer, employee accounts will have zero points in Fringe but the employee will still be able to search the benefits at their fingertips!
What is the recommended minimum rewards amount to see value in the program?
- Lifestyle stipend programs that target $50-$100 /mo see the highest engagement
- For additional programs we recommend:
- Birthdays: $25 – 50 /yr
- Service anniversaries: $100-$1,000+ depending on tenure
- Manager rewards: $50/quarter
- Wellbeing subsidy program: varies
How to Get a Quote / Pricing:
- Contact your account representative at Navigate to request a custom quote.
Are there any minimums or requirements?
- The eligible employee count must be 100 or above.
- A minimum wellness incentive funding of $300/ee/year is required. We know not every employee will complete the program, but the minimum funding for employees needs to be $300 per employee.
Points
Can I use my credit card to buy up to additional items?
- Yes, you can use any available points and “top off” by adding a credit card during the check-out process.
Can I donate to a charity of choice?
- Yes, with Fringe Premium you can give your points to friends, family, coworkers, and any charity of your choice. Donations to 501©3s are tax deductible
Is there a minimum point balance for employees?
- Nope! And if an employee doesn’t have enough points to make a selection, they can top off the purchase with a credit card.
What can employees redeem with their points?
- Fringe offers 130+ services to your employees that save them time, reduce stress, impact the family, and spark joy.
- Categories of benefits include:
- Fitness apps
- Online therapy
- Life coaching
- Food and grocery delivery
- House cleaning services
- Family support, including virtual learning, educational activity subscriptions
- Caregiving for kids, pets, and aging family members
- Entertainment, including streaming, gaming, and more
- Available vendors may be customized at the client’s request
Do points expire?
- Nope! Points can be saved month to month and year to year, unless the employer chooses to set it up differently.
Invoicing and taxes
How does invoicing work?
- Rolling out Fringe through Navigate contains two types of charges: PEPM (a user fee) and Benefit Spend (Fringe Points).
- Navigate bills directly for all PEPM associated with Fringe. Fringe bills directly for all Fringe points allocated to employees through Navigate challenges.
- For answers to FAQs or to pass along to company Billing Departments, please use this Navigate Customer Billing FAQs resource.
- Here’s a 2023 W9 for Fringe if it’s requested.
Are Fringe selections tax deductible?
- At the beginning of the year, Fringe sends employers a report detailing total taxable income broken out by employee. This can then be added to a w2 as compensation.
- We do not handle pre-tax benefits — we leave that up to FSAs/HSAs
Tax Information for Employers:
- Taxable fringe benefit (treated by the IRS like a gift card; taxable income to the employee)
- Fringe provides employers with reporting of taxable income per employee (customized reporting may be available upon request)
- Customers typically add taxable income to W‑2s at the end of the year.
- Here is a tax guide for employers to further understand the tax implications of Fringe Benefits — A Guide to Fringe Benefits.
Other Questions? Email navigate@fringe.us