A reward tier is a payout level in a bug bounty or vulnerability disclosure program. Each tier maps to the value, impact, or severity of a finding, so a low-risk report may earn a small payment while a critical, exploitable flaw can qualify for a higher one. Tiers help standardize how vendors judge reports and how researchers understand what kind of evidence is needed.
In cyber security, reward tiers matter because they shape behavior. Defenders use them to prioritize useful reports, encourage responsible disclosure, and budget for the most important weaknesses first. Researchers often try to meet higher tiers by showing a clear attack path, reproducible proof of concept, or real security impact. A well-designed tier system reduces ambiguity, speeds triage, and rewards findings that are most likely to prevent abuse in the wild.