Waze Points: What You Can Do & Why They Are There

Are you giving yourself a headache trying to figure out what Waze Points can do and why they exist?

Take a number! Wondering about this is much more common than you think. In fact, I’d go as far as to say it’s likely crossed every Wazer’s mind at a certain point.

There must be a good reason to have a whole system based on points, a scoreboard, and rank leaders on the platform, right? Well… the answer is not as straightforward as you might think.

Below, I’ve prepared a small piece to explain what you can do with Waze Points and why they’re there in the first place. Rest assured that by the time you reach the end, your most burning questions will have been answered.

The 3 main reasons why Waze Points exist are to incentivize people to become Map Editors, encourage casual users to navigate with the platform more often, and improve the platform through competition.

Keep reading to learn more!

#1 Getting New Map Editors

The first thing I’d like us to cover is how important Map Editors are for Waze. If you have no idea what these people do, it might surprise you to learn that they’re the unsung heroes of the platform.

In a nutshell, Map Editors are Wazers just like you that have asked the platform’s developers to verify them so that they can make changes to locations and maps. Anyone can become a Map Editor, but there’s a process that must be followed.

The job Map Editors do is commendable, as they help other Wazers stay safe and updated. So, as you can imagine, it’s critical for Waze to keep them in steady supply, as they do great work for free.

Now, where do points come into the equation? Well, it turns out that editing maps makes verified users high earners in no time. To put this into perspective, every mile driven will grant you 5 points, whereas your first edit as a Map Editor will reward you with a massive 200!

By making map editing so attractive points-wise, Waze incentivizes people to contact them for vetting in hopes of getting approved and start making the big bucks (so to speak).

#2 Encouraging Frequent Use

Another reason why Waze Points are there is to encourage casual users to become “addicted” to the platform.

Our minds might be much more complex than that of Pavlov’s dog, but they’re still conditioned to react positively to feeling rewarded. There’s a little neurotransmitter within all human brains called dopamine, which gives us pleasurable feelings after earning a prize.

Now, I won’t go down that psychological rabbit hole. But it’s important that you know that Waze is, in fact, conditioning all users to want more points and feel good when they’re earned. By taking advantage of this basic trait of the human brain, Waze encourages infrequent visitors to become everyday users.

I bet that one blew your mind, huh? I know it did mine.

#3 Competition Is Key

Lastly, let’s talk about one of the main drivers of progress throughout the history of humanity – competition. While I wasn’t there to witness it, I’m almost 100% certain that people have been trying to beat each other in different areas since we evolved from apes.

Thanks to competition, we have cars, airplanes, electricity, and many other inventions we enjoy in our daily lives. And Waze is not one to shun this proverbial gold mine.

At the end of the day, this navigation platform is what we call crowdsourced, which means that it relies heavily on user input and contribution to thrive. If you’ve been using Waze for a while, you’ve probably noticed that the more you interact and add to the app’s dynamic, the more points you get.

Before you know it, you’ll be looking at the scoreboard trying your best to be #1, and that’s one of the main reasons why Waze Points are there to being with. By giving users the possibility to rise through the ranks, the platform can keep getting useful reports and edits for free, while keeping Wazers happy.

Win-win.

Conclusion

That about covers it.

Wondering what you can do with Waze Points and why they’re there is only natural. At first, it would seem like they’re pointless… and they kind of are, but there are some good reasons why the developers have kept them in place.

I hope this piece has helped you better understand what their uses are and how you can earn more within shorter periods. If you’re interested in leading the scoreboard, you can always apply to become a Map Editor and try to navigate with the platform more often.

I really appreciate you sticking with me all the way to the end. If this article piqued your interest and answered your most burning questions, it’ll make you very happy to know that we upload new content every week. While our latest work comes out of the oven, please check out our other incredible resources below to become a Tech Detective yourself!

On the site, you can find all sorts of solutions for common Waze issues, such as points not updating, or a failing scoreboard.

Best of luck to you.