Understanding Commissions and Tiers
Published March 3, 2026
Understanding Commissions and Tiers
Cockato's partner program uses a tiered commission structure to reward both Master Partners and their Affiliate sub-partners. This article explains how tiers work, how commissions are calculated, and how payouts are tracked.
Commission Structure Overview
Partners earn commissions on the Cockato subscriptions paid by merchants they have referred. Commissions are split into two time periods:
| Period | Description |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | Higher commission rate during the first 12 months of a referred merchant's subscription |
| Recurring | Lower ongoing rate from month 13 onwards |
This structure rewards partners for actively acquiring new merchants.
Partner Tiers
Super Admins configure partner tiers in SAAS Admin → Partner Tiers. Each tier defines:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Tier Name | e.g., Silver, Gold, Platinum |
| Year 1 Commission % | Percentage of Year 1 subscription revenue |
| Recurring Commission % | Percentage of ongoing subscription revenue |
| Minimum Referrals | Number of active referrals required to qualify |
Partners are automatically assigned to tiers based on their active referral count.
Master vs Affiliate Commission Sharing
When a Master Partner recruits an Affiliate Partner:
- The Affiliate earns a direct commission on their referred merchants
- The Master earns a commission override — a share of the Affiliate's commissions
The split is configured in the affiliate relationship settings:
| Share Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Year 1 Share % | Master's share of Affiliate Year 1 commissions |
| Recurring Share % | Master's share of Affiliate recurring commissions |
💡 Example: If an Affiliate earns $100 in Year 1 commissions and the Master Share is 20%, the Master earns $20 and the Affiliate nets $80.
Viewing Your Commissions
Partners can view their commission history at Partner Portal → Commissions:
- Total earned (all time)
- Pending (not yet paid)
- Paid (confirmed payouts)
- Per-merchant commission breakdown
Commission Processing
Commissions are calculated by the process-partner-commissions edge function, which runs on a scheduled basis. Each run:
- Identifies new subscription payments linked to partner referral codes
- Calculates the commission based on the partner's active tier
- Applies any master/affiliate share splits
- Creates a commission record in the
partner_commissionstable
⚠️ Important: Commission records are created automatically. Payouts (bank transfers) are handled manually by the SAAS Admin team outside the platform.
FAQ
When do I move to a higher tier? Tier upgrades are processed automatically when your active referral count meets the threshold for the next tier.
Do commissions reset if a merchant cancels? Commissions stop accruing when a merchant's subscription lapses. If the merchant resubscribes, commissions resume from the reactivation date.
How are disputes handled? Contact the SAAS Admin team through the support channel.
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