How affiliate commissions work
The states a commission moves through from a sale to a payout, and why one can be reversed after it was earned.
- Who can do this
- Owner, Admin
- Plan availability
- Compare current packages
- Last checked
- September 20, 2026
What this does
Explains what each commission state means, so you know what you owe and when.
Before you start
An affiliate program with at least one sale.
Steps
A commission moves through these in order:
- Pending — the order is credited but not yet settled.
- Qualified — the order is paid and counts.
- Payable — your return window has passed and the money is safe to pay out.
- Paid — it has been sent.
Two other states exist: reversed, when the order behind it was refunded or returned, and disputed, when something needs a human decision.
What happens next
Only payable commission is included in a payout run. That delay is deliberate: paying commission on an order that is refunded a week later means asking for it back.
Common problems
A partner asks why they have not been paid. Look at the state. Qualified means the return window has not passed yet; the date is on the commission.
Commission was reversed. The order was refunded or returned. The sale happened and then un-happened, so the commission does too.
A lot of reversals at once. Worth looking at — it usually means a product is being returned rather than that anything is wrong with the program.
Still stuck?
Ask Torva from inside your account. It knows everything in this article and can also see what your own store is currently doing, so it can answer for your situation rather than in general.