Canonical URL: https://chargezen.com/docs/spark/affiliate-management/commission-structures

# Commission Structures

Design commission models that motivate your affiliates

Last updated: 2026-01-19

Spark! supports flexible commission structures to fit any business model. Design commissions that motivate affiliates while protecting your margins.

## Commission Types

Choose from three commission models:

*   **Percentage** — A percentage of the order total (e.g., 15% of $100 = $15)
*   **Flat Rate** — A fixed amount per sale (e.g., $10 per order)
*   **Hybrid** — Combine both (e.g., 10% + $5 per order)

##### Which Model to Choose?

**Percentage** works best for variable AOV products. **Flat rate** is ideal for subscription businesses or when you want predictable costs. **Hybrid**balances both incentives.

## Product-Specific Commissions

Set different commission rates by product or collection:

*   **High-Margin Products** — Offer higher commissions to push profitable items
*   **New Launches** — Temporarily increase commissions for product launches
*   **Exclusions** — Set 0% commission for already-discounted or low-margin items

## Tiered Commissions

Reward top performers with tiered commission rates:

##### Example Tier Structure

**Bronze (0-10 sales/mo):** 10% commission  
**Silver (11-50 sales/mo):** 15% commission  
**Gold (51-100 sales/mo):** 20% commission  
**Platinum (100+ sales/mo):** 25% commission

Tiers can be based on:

*   Number of sales per period
*   Revenue generated per period
*   Lifetime sales value
*   Manual assignment (for VIP affiliates)

## Performance Bonuses

Add bonuses on top of base commissions:

*   **First Sale Bonus** — Extra $50 when an affiliate makes their first sale
*   **Milestone Bonus** — Bonus at 10, 25, 50, 100 sales
*   **Monthly Contest** — Top performer gets extra bonus
*   **New Customer Bonus** — Extra commission for acquiring new customers vs. returning

## Recurring Commissions

For subscription products, configure recurring commissions:

*   **First Order Only** — Commission on initial purchase only
*   **Lifetime** — Commission on every recurring charge
*   **Limited** — Commission for first X months (e.g., 12 months)
*   **Declining** — Higher commission initially, decreasing over time

##### Subscription Best Practice

For subscriptions, offering lifetime commissions at a lower rate (5-10%) often yields better affiliate engagement than one-time higher commissions.

## Commission Rules

Create rules to automatically adjust commissions:

*   Exclude commissions on orders with specific discount codes
*   Cap maximum commission per order
*   Require minimum order value for commission
*   Different rates for new vs. returning customers

## Next Steps

[

### Affiliate Tiers

Create and manage performance tiers

Learn more



](https://chargezen.com/docs/spark/affiliate-management/tiers)[

### Payouts

Configure how affiliates get paid

Learn more



](https://chargezen.com/docs/spark/payouts/overview)

### Related Articles

[

#### Affiliate Tiers

Create performance-based tiers



](https://chargezen.com/docs/spark/affiliate-management/tiers)[

#### Payouts Overview

How affiliates get paid



](https://chargezen.com/docs/spark/payouts/overview)

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