Estimate commission on eligible sales
Enter eligible merchandise sales in USD after applicable discounts and refunds, then enter the proposed commission rate.
- Result
- $1,500.00
- Result
- $8,500.00
How this estimate works: Use your own store data before making a commercial decision. All monetary amounts are USD.
Define the amount that earns commission
A percentage rate is incomplete without a commission base. A creator hearing “10% per sale” needs to know whether that means the original product price, the amount after a coupon, or another agreed figure. This worksheet uses the eligible merchandise amount you enter, so deduct applicable discounts and refunds before entering it. Keep shipping and tax outside the input when your program excludes them. The calculator does not inspect your Shopify settings or determine which items are eligible.
Write the base into your program terms and walk through an actual basket with the creator. If only selected products earn commission, enter their eligible value rather than the whole checkout total. For bundles, document how you allocate a shared discount. A consistent definition makes a future payout statement understandable and reduces disputes when the shopper pays a different total from the commissionable amount.
Compare rates against the same basket
Commission equals eligible revenue multiplied by the rate divided by 100. Keep the basket constant when comparing alternative offers so that the difference comes from the rate itself. Then repeat with a lower-value basket and a heavily discounted basket. These cases reveal what the creator would actually earn across your catalogue, instead of assuming every referred customer purchases the same item at full price.
The highest percentage is not automatically the most useful offer. A smaller percentage on a larger eligible basket can generate a larger payout, while a high percentage on a narrow product selection can disappoint partners. Explain the expected customer purchase and the exclusions alongside the percentage. Use your own recent order mix for planning; the sample inputs here are illustrations, not typical Shopify results.
Separate a calculated amount from an approved payout
An order-level estimate is a starting point for reconciliation. Your actual payable amount may depend on whether the order qualifies, whether it is refunded, the agreed review period, and any previously recorded adjustments. A calculation cannot establish that a creator caused the sale. Keep the order reference, affiliate identifier, commission base, applicable rate, and approval status together in your operating records.
Before publishing a rate, run the same order through your chosen tracking workflow and compare the result with this worksheet. Investigate differences in rounding, discounts, excluded items, or attribution instead of manually forcing totals to agree. Once the arithmetic matches the written rules, explain when approved commissions enter the payout process. That is a separate decision from how much an individual sale earns.
Worked example · illustrative scenario
Worked example: a discounted accessory order
An illustrative merchandise order is 80 in USD. A 10% customer discount leaves 72 of eligible revenue. At a 12% affiliate rate, the estimated commission is 8.64. This excludes shipping, tax, returns, and payment fees; it does not tell you the remaining profit.
Frequently asked questions
Is commission calculated before or after a discount?
Enter revenue after the customer discount; the tool multiplies that eligible amount by your rate. Your actual program must explicitly define its base and match that definition in configuration and partner terms.
Can I use a fixed commission instead?
A fixed reward is a different rule. To compare it with a percentage, divide the fixed amount by eligible revenue and multiply by 100, then repeat across different basket sizes.
Does the result include refunds or payout fees?
Deduct refunded eligible revenue before entering sales. The tool does not calculate refunds or transfer fees separately; review those amounts before treating the result as payable.
Put your Shopify affiliate plan into practice
Use Afivio to organize your affiliate campaigns, partners and commission records. Review the integration guide and current app listing before choosing your setup.