Reconcile an outstanding commission estimate
Enter attributed sales before refunds, refunded eligible sales, the commission rate, and commission already paid, all amounts in USD.
- Result
- $690.00
- Result
- $490.00
How this estimate works: Use your own store data before making a commercial decision. All monetary amounts are USD.
Start from a consistent eligible sales cohort
Begin with the attributed merchandise sales covered by this reconciliation period, after applicable discounts but before the refunds entered separately. Exclude sales that do not qualify under your program. The calculator subtracts refunded eligible revenue, applies the commission percentage, and then deducts commission already paid. It cannot verify eligibility, approval status, or attribution against your Shopify order records, so review those inputs before treating the balance as payable.
Choose a clear cutoff date for the payment run. Keep sales after that cutoff in the next period, and enter only previous commission payments that relate to the sales included here. A partner statement should trace the balance back to individual transactions. That detail matters more than a single unexplained total, especially when an order refund and its original commission payment fall in different calendar months.
Reconcile refunds and previous payments
Enter the refunded portion of eligible merchandise sales, not the amount of commission you want to reverse. The tool applies the entered rate to the remaining sales. For partial refunds, include only the relevant refunded revenue. This simple model assumes one commission rate across the cohort; fixed bonuses, rate changes, or item-specific rules need separate calculations. Keep the original order and refund references together so the same adjustment is not applied twice.
Commission already paid is deducted after earned commission is calculated. Use the payment amount associated with this cohort, not every historical payout to the partner. Transfer fees, currency conversion, one-off credits, and minimum payment thresholds are outside the worksheet. If the merchant bears a transfer fee, record it as a program expense. Any deduction from the partner requires the agreed policy and should be itemized separately in the actual statement.
Close the payment run with evidence
Check any minimum payout threshold, holding period, and recipient details through your normal workflow before initiating payment. A mathematical result above zero does not remove those checks. If adjustments would make a balance negative, investigate the underlying records and apply your documented carry-forward policy; do not interpret the calculator as an instruction to debit the partner or recover money automatically.
After sending an approved payment, record the payment reference, date, currency, and actual amount, and distinguish initiated, failed, and completed transfers. Never mark a payout completed solely because an estimate was generated. Share a statement that shows eligible sales, refunds, earned commission, previous payments, any separately agreed adjustment, and the resulting amount. This creates a useful audit trail for both merchant and partner at the next reconciliation.
Worked example · illustrative scenario
Worked example: a remaining balance
An illustrative cohort has 5,000 in attributed merchandise sales before refunds, 400 in refunded eligible sales, and a 15% commission rate. Earned commission is 690. If 200 has already been paid for this cohort, the outstanding estimate is 490 before any separately agreed fees or adjustments. Eligibility and payment timing still need review.
Frequently asked questions
Does this calculator send the payment?
No. It only estimates a reconciled amount. Use your actual payout workflow to review the recipient, initiate payment, and record the result.
How should pending commission be handled?
Keep pending and approved cohorts distinguishable. You can estimate a pending cohort, but do not describe its balance as payable until it has passed your program’s review.
What does a negative outstanding balance mean?
Recorded payments exceed commission calculated for the entered cohort. Review sales, refunds, and payment references; the result is not an instruction to debit the partner automatically.
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.