Discrepancies between a merchant’s advertised commission and your final payment are typically due to affiliate network fees, currency conversion fluctuations, or specific product-category exclusions set by the brand.
Common Reasons for Commission Differences
Understanding the math behind your affiliate revenue:
- Network Fees: Most affiliate networks (e.g., Awin, CJ) charge a platform fee or a "network override." Skimlinks receives the commission after these fees are deducted, which is then shared with you.
- Product Exclusions: Many brands offer different rates for different products (e.g., 10% for clothing but only 2% for electronics). If your sale was in a lower-tier category, the payout will differ from the "headline" rate.
- Currency Conversion: If a sale happens in USD but your account is paid in EUR or GBP, the daily exchange rate and conversion fees will affect the final amount.
- VAT/Tax Deductions: In some regions, commissions are calculated on the net price of the item (excluding taxes and shipping), which can result in a lower-than-expected total.
Resolution: How to verify your commission?
- Check the Hub: Look at the Performance by Merchant report. We display the commission we received from the network.
- Review Merchant Terms: Visit the merchant’s profile in the Hub to see if they have specific "Non-commissionable items" or "Vat-exclusive" rules.
Action: Please do not contact support for minor decimal differences. These are almost always caused by the factors above. Only open a ticket if a sale shows a 0% rate or is significantly lower than the stated minimum tier.
Recommended for you
What is EPC (earnings per click)? – Skimlinks Publishers
Why would a Merchant cancel a commission? – Skimlinks Publishers
Comments
0 comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.