Pay & Payroll Information

Quizmaster/Bingo Caller Pay Rates

As of October 2, 2021, these are the basic pay rates for quizmasters and bingo callers for regularly scheduled events of all quiz brands (GWD/SBT/DNB) and bingo (BNG):

Quizzes #1-99: $60/event
Quizzes #100-249: $70/event
Quizzes #250+: $80/event*

*Pay rate audits are conducted on the 1st of every calendar month. The next higher pay rate takes effect with each event worked after the pay rate audit.

Event hosts (Quizmasters, JBL Hosts, BNG Callers) are responsible for submitting a complete event report within 24 hours of the start time of their scheduled event (e.g. by 7pm Wednesday for an event that started at 7pm Tuesday) in order to promote the event and claim their pay. Any event reports submitted beyond that point are considered late.   

Failure to submit reports can result in missing pay. It is the host’s responsibility to submit event reports for their pay. If an event report has not been submitted within 7 days of the event, please email qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com with the date and location of the event.   

Excessive late or missing reports can lead to remedial action up to and including termination from Geeks Who Drink.

Pay rates for private event (PE) quizzes vary by event. The Events team will let you know the pay rate for QMs/BCs and Scorekeepers (SKs) prior to the event. The Events team can be contacted at events@geekswhodrink.com but please reserve questions about PE pay until you've been booked for an event.

Pay Period

We pay once a month on the fifteenth of the month. Our pay periods run from the beginning to the end of the calendar month and pay on the fifteenth of the following calendar month. (If the 15th falls on a weekend, pay will be issued on the first business day prior to the weekend, e.g. the 13th or 14th.)

For example, the paycheck issued on September 15 will cover all work performed during the month of August.

Pay is calculated based on event reports submitted on obeyyourquizmaster.com.

Here's the 2024 pay calendar:

Food and Beverage Tab

During GWD, SBT, and DNB quizzes and Boombox Bingo events, QMs and BCs are also entitled to a $25 food and beverage tab at the venue.

Food availability differs by venue, but the rate is the same. Please make sure to close your tab before leaving the venue! If you exceed the allotted $25, you are responsible for the difference. This $25 does not include gratuity for the server or bartender. Please take care of your servers. We cannot require you to tip but we strongly encourage it, especially if you want to establish a good rapport with the venues where you're working.

If you are refused a tab at one of our events, please keep your receipt and let the QM Support team know ASAP at qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com. It's usually a simple misunderstanding, so please be patient with the staff at the venue.

Training Pay

Trainee Pay

Pay rates for trainees vary depending on the time and duration of the training.

The standard pay rate for a 2.5 hour in-venue training is $40. ($42 for California residents)
The standard pay rate for a 30 minute online training is $20.
The standard pay rate for a 45 to 90 minute online training is $30.
The standard pay for online trainings between 90 minutes and 2 hours is $40.

If a trainee has to travel for training, the Recruiting and Training team will arrange for reimbursements and stipends while scheduling training.

For questions about trainee pay rates, please email the Recruiting and Training team at qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com.

Trainer Pay

When QMs/BCs are scheduled to train a new hire at a live event, they will receive a Trainer Pay of $20. This is in addition to the trainer's ordinary pay rate for hosting the event. Trainer pay was instituted on July 1, 2023.

Trainers are responsible for submitting feedback about their trainee within 24 hours of the quiz start times. Training new hosts is one of the basic responsibilities of QMs/BCs.

For questions about trainee pay rates or training, please email the Recruiting and Training team at qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com.

Chaperone Pay

Chaperones are paid $50 for chaperoning events they were not scheduled to host. No tab is included.

Chaperones are paid at the equivalent of their hosting rate if they chaperone an event they were originally scheduled to host. e.g. The training team schedules a trainee to host your event and asks you to chaperone, or the training team schedules a trainee at an event you were scheduled to sub. No tab is included.

Referral Bonuses

Quizmaster/Bingo Caller Referral Bonus/Finder's Fee

Recruiting is hard! We always welcome the help of our QMs and BCs to refer friends, colleagues, and anybody else who might be good at doing the job. Just send them to our website to apply or email recruiting@geekswhodrink.com with their basic information (name, phone, email, and location) and we'll take it from there.

The standard bonus rate is $100 if we hire your referral and they successfully host a quiz solo. (e.g. If the referral hosts their first solo quiz on April 14, you'll receive your bonus on May 15. See Payroll Period above.)

If you are due a QM referral bonus that you don't receive, please reach out to recruiting@geekswhodrink.com.

Breakdown:
Basic referral bonus or finder's fee (as of 25 April 2023): $100
Payable after: New QM/BC hosts their first solo event successfully

Venue Referral Bonus/Finder's Fee

If you think a venue would be a perfect fit for Geeks Who Drink, we have a form for you! Someone on the sales team will reach out to you and if they green-light the bar, then they might ask you to make a formal introduction between sales and the bar’s decision maker. Once you have made the introduction, sales will take it from there. If you’ve sent a recommendation in before and didn’t hear back, please resend.

You’ll need: the venue name, address, manager/owner/decision maker’s first and last name, phone number, and email address, and of course some notes for why it’d be a good venue!

NOTE: If sales is already in contact with the venue prior to you referring them, it is not eligible for a bonus. Unfortunately, sometimes more than one person has a great idea.

If the venue signs a contract, you’ll get a nice $200 bonus! The venue referral bonus/finder's fee is paid after the new venue hosts their first event. (e.g. If the venue hosts their first event on April 14, you'll receive your bonus on May 15. See Payroll Period above.)

If you are due a venue referral bonus that you don't receive, please reach out to qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com.

Breakdown:
Venue referral bonus or finder's fee (as of 25 April 2023): $200
Payable after: New venue hosts their first event

Private Event Referral Bonus

We know you're making those plugs at your quiz and bingo nights, so if anyone is interested in a private event, be sure to grab their info, let us know, and get a referral bonus! This isn't limited to players - maybe your coworkers/chuch group/D&D adventuring party are having a team building or icebreaker event and need trivia or music bingo!

Please send an email to events@geekswhodrink.com with the name of the person interested and all contact information (name, phone number, email, location, event info, etc) you've got.

The referral bonus is $50 after the client books and has their event, and we'll still be asking you if you're available to host that event, too!

Breakdown:
Private event referral bonus (as of 9/1/2025): $50
Payable after: The private event has taken place

Sick Pay

See this section of the handbook for information on requesting sick pay if you aren't able to host one of your regularly scheduled events.

Reimbursements

Reimbursements for parking, AV, or just about anything need to be approved by your manager. Receipts are always required for reimbursements.

If you have questions about reimbursements, please contact qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com.

Never accept a cash reimbursement directly from a venue/client.

If you are told to submit a reimbursement form, that is located here.

For recurring reimbursements (like venues where one has to pay for parking), those are usually reimbursed automatically when hosts submit an event report/log. If you have any questions, please email qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com.

FAQ

How do I view my paychecks?

You should see your paycheck in your account on the fifteenth (unless it is a holiday or weekend). You are paid for any training, quizzes, bingo events, co-hosting, and chaperoning for the previous calendar month. We pay via Direct Deposit or ADP Wisely, which allows you to choose between a pay card or a self-issued check.

We do not mail out paystubs. Your paystub can be viewed at any time on ADP. Once you have been set up in the payroll system you will receive an email with instructions on setting up your ADP account. The nutshell version, go to https://workforcenow.adp.com, click “sign up” at the bottom below the login box, and use our registration code geekswho-1234.

You will need an ADP account not only to view your paystubs, but to change your direct deposit information and view your year-end tax information. Tax forms are available through ADP access. For more information about your W2, see the "W2 Access" portion of this chapter.

How is my paycheck calculated?

Payroll for hosts is tracked by event reports/blogs entered into obeyyourquizmaster.com by the QM/BC following their event.

If you are a new QM/BC in training, your training events will be manually entered by the Recruiting and Training team. For questions about training pay, please email the Recruiting and Training team at qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com.

If you have questions about your paycheck that ADP isn't able to answer, please email payrollsupport@geekswhodrink.com, and Aldo Monterrey will help you out.

When will I get my W2?

Geeks Who Drink provides electronic copies of your W2 via ADP's website. GWD does not automatically mail physical copies of the W2. If you need a physical copy of your W2 mailed to you, please request one by emailing payrollsupport@geekswhodrink.com.

ADP publishes W2s by the end of January, usually by January 15-24. Please check ADP for your W2.

Please make sure you are at workforcenow.adp.com and not a different ADP login/Site. They have a bunch just to keep everyone on their toes!

If you are looking for instructions on how to access your W2 on the Workforcenow portal, here are some quick instructions:

1. Navigate to workforcenow.adp.com and log in.

2. Click "Myself" in the top navigation bar.

3. Select "Pay & Tax Statements" from the options.

4. Scroll down to the "Tax Statements" section.

If you're still having trouble, email payrollsupport@geekswhodrink.com.

How much will I be paid next month?

Visit obeyyourquizmaster.com. Select "Payroll Records."

That should show all your quiz events for the current month.

If you're missing an event for that month (e.g. October) and it's still the current calendar month (e.g. You're doing this on October 28), email qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com.

If it's a missing event for the previous calendar month (e.g. You're missing an October event and it's November 2), email payrollsupport@geekswhodrink.com.

Here's a look at the payroll tool on OYQ:

I just hit 100 or 250 quizzes and am due for a pay raise. When will that happen?

Pay increase goes into effect on the first of the month. It is counted by hitting the proper tier prior to the first. That means if you hit quiz number 100 on March 10, you'll see your higher rate go into effect on your April quiz events.

What do I do if I'm moving?

If you are moving within the same state, simply notify your manager of your new address.

If you are moving to a different state, you will need to notify your manager of your new address and copy payrollsupport@geekswhodrink.com to let them know as well. This is extremely important for tax reasons.

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