Vendor Earning Potential Explained
Drive hundreds of new customers through your front door.
Treasure Hunts USA is launching a massive, city-wide community puzzle hunt in your county. We are selecting just a few premier local businesses to feature as official clue stops — where players have to physically walk into your venue to advance in the game.
The Value Proposition
Unlike traditional ads where you pay for clicks or views and hope people show up, Treasure Hunts USA acts like a physical GPS routing active, local customers directly into your business.
Hunters Choose Their Stops
Hunters open the app, look at the map, and choose which participating businesses to visit as they work through the hunt.
They Receive a Unique Code
To unlock their next puzzle clue, hunters choose participating businesses to visit and meet the qualifying requirement you set — like spending a specific minimum amount or completing a quick, approved activity.
Turnkey & Trackable
Our staff sets everything up. You get a dedicated vendor portal where you can track exactly how much customer activity and revenue this event brings you in real time.
The Investment
Vendor fees and payment options are listed with each event. Select your event to review its current offer.
Your fee doesn't just put you on the map — it pools into a massive shared advertising budget that promotes the hunt across the entire region. We handle the hunter registration, the app infrastructure, and the local marketing. All you have to do is welcome the foot traffic and verify hunters through the app.
Hunters receive a personal code after meeting your business’s published requirement. You may choose a minimum purchase—for example, $25—or an approved visit activity with no purchase required. Your approved requirement appears in the app so hunters know what to expect before visiting.
Will Treasure Hunts USA Deliver Customers?
No one can guarantee future results. Hunters choose which participating businesses to visit as they work through the hunt — your business is one of the available stops they may select.
Our event runs for two weeks. Hunters gather clues by visiting participating businesses and meeting each vendor's qualifying requirement. Hunters select which stops to visit — the vendor sets the minimum purchase or visit activity required.
Hypothetical Example
If 500 hunters choose to visit your location:
500 × $25 spend each = $12,500 in gross sales
Using the same hypothetical:
500 customers × $25 = $12,500 in gross sales
Customers may spend much more. Actual hunter participation and visits will vary.
Why This Is a Slam Dunk for Your Team
Low Staff Friction
Players don't need help solving riddles. Staff verifies the hunter and the business's qualifying requirement, then assigns the hunter's unique code through the app.
Upsell Opportunity
Treasure hunters rarely travel alone. They hunt in groups, families, and on dates — meaning that $25 minimum baseline easily turns into $50–$100 tables.
Long-Term Retention
You aren't just getting a transaction. You are introducing local neighborhood residents to your atmosphere, your menu, and your hospitality — hunters who chose to visit you.
Understanding Your Return on Investment
Calculating your return based on gross sales vs. net profit is a crucial distinction for businesses operating on tight profit margins.
Why This Matters: The Profit Margin Trap
If a business spends $1,100 on advertising and generates $4,000 in gross sales, the gross ROI looks like approximately 3.64:1. But here's how the net profit actually breaks down in this illustration:
Illustrative Vendor Earnings
In this hypothetical example, $12,500 in sales leaves $3,900 after the assumed business costs and $1,100 participation fee. Actual results vary.
Line Item Financial Impact
Side-by-Side Advertising Return Comparison
Sales are what customers spend. Profit is what remains after your business costs and the vendor fee. The comparison below uses the same $1,100 investment and 60% cost assumption for both options.
| Calculation | Traditional Advertising | Treasure Hunts USA |
|---|---|---|
| Assumed customer sales | $4,000 | $12,500 |
| Business costs — 60% of sales | −$2,400 | −$7,500 |
| Amount remaining before advertising or vendor fee | $1,600 | $5,000 |
| Advertising expenditure or vendor fee | −$1,100 | −$1,100 |
| Estimated profit after listed costs | $500 | $3,900 |
| Profit for each $1 spent on advertising or participation | $0.45 | $3.55 |
| Profit return on the $1,100 expenditure | 45.45% | 354.55% |
Illustrative comparison using a $1,100 prepaid vendor fee. Actual event fees, attendance, sales, costs and profit vary. The vendor sets its own qualifying purchase requirement.
Common Questions Answered
Do hunters have to make a purchase at my business?
You choose your qualifying requirement, subject to event approval. You may require a minimum purchase—for example, $25—or offer an approved visit activity with no purchase required. Hunters must meet your published requirement at your location before receiving a personal code.
What does my staff need to do?
Staff finds the hunter using their check-in PIN, confirms their presence, verifies the qualifying purchase or activity, records any eligible purchase amount, and issues a personal code through the app. Staff does not create clues or solve puzzles. The hunter enters the code in their own app to reveal a private clue.
What does the vendor fee include?
Your participation includes a business listing on the event map, your published visit requirement, access to vendor tools for recording visits and sales, and the event promotion described in your agreement. Select your event in the app to review its fee, advertising package and participation details.
Time to Take Action
We are capping the number of participating stops in this specific neighborhood to keep the hunt competitive and maximize the traffic for each business. Secure your spot as the premier vendor choice for your zone.
Vendor RegistrationTreasure Hunts USA is operated by May Management, LLC.
See What Your Customers Will See
Visit the Treasure Hunts USA website to see how the event is presented to hunters.
View the Hunter WebsiteOpens in a new tab