Default commission rates
The default commission rate applies to every referred order unless overridden by a per-product rate, a per-affiliate rate, or a special campaign.
Set the default
Affiliates → Settings → Commissions → Default rate.
Two formats:
- Percentage (e.g.
10%of order subtotal) - Flat amount (e.g.
$5per order, regardless of order value)
Most stores use percentage. Flat amounts make sense for low-AOV products where percentage feels insignificant.
What’s included in “subtotal”
By default, commission is calculated on order subtotal excluding:
- Shipping
- Tax
- Discounts (applied before commission)
Toggle each at Settings → Commissions → Calculation basis:
- Include shipping (default: no)
- Include tax (default: no)
- Apply commission to pre-discount subtotal (default: no)
When commissions become “approved”
Default: when the order moves to completed status. Configurable at Settings → Commissions → Approve commissions when:
- Order is
processing(faster — pay before refund window ends) - Order is
completed(default — safer) - After N days from order completion (e.g. 30 days — buffer for refunds)
Pending vs approved vs paid
- Pending — order hasn’t yet hit your approval trigger
- Approved — eligible for payout
- Paid — included in a completed payout
Industry baselines
- Digital products — 10–30%
- Physical products with margin — 5–15%
- High-margin services / subscriptions — 20–50% first-month, lower trailing
- B2B / high-AOV — 5–10%