Who uses Qwen Code gift cards, and how

Hiring: coding challenges with an AI assistant, paid by the hiring team

Many take-home exercises now expect candidates to work with an AI coding assistant. If the candidate pays for that assistant, the exercise costs them money before they have a job offer. Candidates who cannot or do not want to pay are at a disadvantage, and the team does not see their real work.

With a gift card, the hiring team pays for the AI usage and every candidate starts with the same budget.

Example: a mobile messenger take-home challenge

A hiring team asks iOS candidates to build a small messenger app against a test API, with Qwen Code as the AI assistant. For each candidate, a recruiter:

1. Buys a $20 card with the candidate's email in "Send to". The candidate gets the code and, if needed, a new account by email.
2. Sends the invitation with the challenge, the API credentials, the deadline and a link to the set-up guide.
3. Lets the candidate work. The candidate redeems the code with qc redeem, connects Qwen Code and builds the app. qc usage shows them every charge.

$20 is about 1,800 typical requests, which is more than a take-home exercise of a few days needs.

• No cost to the candidate. No subscription, no cloud account, no credit card.
• Same budget for everyone. Each candidate gets the same card value, so the comparison is fair.
• Known maximum cost. The team pays the card price and nothing more. Requests stop when the balance reaches zero.
• Fast to start. Set-up takes about five minutes, so the candidate spends the time on the exercise.
• Candidate privacy. We do not give the buyer of a card access to the candidate's prompts or usage.

To evaluate how a candidate uses the AI assistant, ask them to include their notes or chat history in the submission.

Workshops, courses and hackathons

Give each participant a card so the whole group uses the same tool from the first minute. Nobody has to sign up for a trial or enter a credit card during the session. Buy up to 10 cards in one order and send one code to each participant.

Contractors and short projects

Give a contractor or a temporary team member a fixed AI budget for one project. You do not share company cloud credentials, and a leaked key can only spend the balance on that card.

A gift for a developer

Add a friend's email at checkout and the code goes straight to them. Credits last 5 years, so there is no rush to use them.

Try Qwen Code with a hard limit

Start with a $10 card to see if Qwen3 Coder Next fits your work. You cannot spend more than the card value, and you do not need a cloud account. To compare the two options, read gift card vs your own cloud account.

Questions

Can I send cards to several candidates in one order?

One order sends all its codes to one email address. To send each candidate their own code directly, buy one card per candidate. Or buy up to 10 cards to your own email and forward one code to each candidate.

What happens to the balance the candidate does not use?

After a candidate redeems a code, the balance is on their account and stays there. If you want to keep a code for the next candidate, do not send it until you need it. An unredeemed code can be refunded within 30 days.

Can the hiring team see the candidate's prompts or usage?

No. Prompts and usage belong to the account that redeemed the code. We keep prompts for 30 days for abuse and billing disputes only, as the privacy policy explains.

Which value should I give a candidate?

For a take-home exercise of a few days, $20 is enough for most candidates. Use $50 for longer projects.

Buy a gift card