Name the item you want explained
Terms such as administration fee, processing cost, bonus adjustment, chargeback and revenue correction can refer to different parts of a calculation. Do not assume that one programme’s terminology describes another programme’s account report. Ask whether the item changes the revenue base, the calculated commission or the amount transferred by a payment provider.
Keep these questions separate from your own advertising and operating costs.
Compare the same basis
Two percentages are not directly comparable if they apply to different definitions of revenue. For an assessment, request an explanation using the same illustrative revenue amount, period and currency. Ask how negative balances and later corrections are handled. Avoid turning a hypothetical example into a promise of what your campaign will earn.
The final account-specific agreement takes priority over an unsourced summary or a screenshot from another affiliate.
Keep a deduction checklist
- Which revenue figure is the starting point?
- Which adjustments occur before the percentage?
- Are any items applied after commission is calculated?
- How are currency conversion and receiving costs treated?
- Where can you see the relevant entries in reports?
For example, if reported commission and the received amount differ, identify whether the difference arose inside the programme calculation or at the receiving provider. Send the period, currency and masked payment reference so the issue can be reviewed without exposing sensitive payment credentials.