Example · From request to run

Anna pays all partners in one morning.

Anna does the accounting for a sports shop that works with some 60 partners: running clubs, yoga studios, blogs and a few influencers. Payout wishes used to come in by email; today the plugin creates a request for every partner on the first of the month. Anna reviews the requests in a list, creates a SEPA file for online banking and sends the PayPal payouts out with one click. Every payout comes with a document listing the orders behind the amount.

Review first, then pay

Every request goes through a review list with hints such as "First payout" or "New account".

SEPA file or PayPal

A file for online banking or transfers through the PayPal API, every run with its result.

One document per payout

A PDF with a consecutive number and the orders behind the amount, attached to the email and in the partner area.

How it works

How does a payout request come about?

A partner with the type of remuneration Payout or Voucher and payout enters Your payout details under Settings in the partner area: account holder and IBAN for the SEPA bank transfer, or the address of a PayPal account. Under Commission the partner picks As a payout and the amount. With the automatic payout, the plugin creates the request itself on the payout day.

  • Payment in staggered amounts: five fixed amounts, 10, 25, 50, 100 and €250 by default. Free amount: any amount from the minimum amount up to the available commission.

  • A request only goes through with complete, valid payout details. If they are missing, the partner area shows Payout details missing. With the request, the amount is taken off the available commission.

  • Origin: every request shows who made it, Partner, Automatic or API.

What do you check before money moves?

Under SEPA payouts and PayPal payouts you find the open requests per method. Review payouts opens them one after another in a window with the recipient, earlier payouts, other open requests and the Orders behind this payout. Anna clicks Approve and next or Reject and next.

  • First payout: this partner has never been paid before.

  • New account: the last payout went to a different account. A freshly changed account right before a payout is the usual pattern of a taken-over customer account.

  • New payout details: the partner changed the details after the request. The payout goes to the details of the request until Pay to the new details switches it.

  • When rejecting, an Internal reason (optional) goes into the history; the partner never sees it. The commission stays used. If the partner should be able to redeem it again, you add a credit under Bookings at the partner.

How do the approved payouts go out?

In the SEPA payouts review list, Create SEPA file starts the run. The window shows the count, the sum, the Debtor and the Execution date; Create file writes the file, and Anna uploads it to online banking. For PayPal, Transfer now sends the orders one by one through the PayPal API, with progress line by line.

  • Once the SEPA file is created, the payouts count as paid. Whether the bank executes them is not followed by the plugin.

  • What PayPal accepts counts as paid; the partner receives the full amount, the shop bears the fees. If PayPal refuses an order, it is open in the list again, and Details explains the error.

  • Payout runs shows every SEPA file and every PayPal run with Date, Started by, Sum and Result, such as All paid. The SEPA file can be downloaded there again.

Which states does a payout have?

Under Payouts every payout is listed with Number, Affiliate, Amount, Origin, Method and State. Every change is recorded with time and user in the payout's History.

StateWhat it meansIn the partner area
Openrequested, waiting for the reviewRequested
Approvedreviewed, waiting for the next runApproved
Being transferredin a run that is in progressApproved
Paidin the SEPA file or accepted by PayPal, finalPaid on date
Rejectednot paid, commission stays used, finalRejected

If you ever pay outside the plugin, by hand in online banking for example, Confirm payout on the detail page of an open or approved payout sets the state to Paid.

What is in the payout document?

For every request of a partner with a customer account, the plugin creates a PDF of the document type Payouts, carrying the payout number from a number range of its own, from 50000 by default. Company, address, bank details and logo come from the configuration of your invoices.

  • Per order Pos., Order date, Order number, Customer and Commission, credits as Manual booking. Below that Payout (net): and Payout to account with account holder and IBAN or the PayPal account.

  • In the administration, Download document loads the PDF in any state. With the "Payout confirmed" email the partner gets it as an attachment as soon as the payout is paid.

  • In the partner area it appears in the History as Receipt (PDF), for paid payouts and with the setting Offer the payout document as a download.

The calculation

How much does Jan get with one request?

Jan writes a blog about running and has €187.46 of available commission. The shop pays out in staggered amounts, 10, 25, 50, 100 and €250 by default. If Jan requests himself, he picks one amount; the automatic payout takes the whole balance in whole euros.

Requested himself, staggered

Available commission€187.46

Largest amount up to €187.46-€100.00

Left afterwards€87.46

Automatic payout on the 1st

Available commission€187.46

Request, rounded down to whole euros-€187.00

Left afterwards€0.46

The automatic payout only requests once the balance reaches the smallest staggered amount, or the minimum amount with a free amount. The 46 cents stay and come with the next payout.

What happens if an order is cancelled after the payout?

The €187.00 are paid. A week later one of Jan's customers cancels an order whose commission of €12.50 was part of the amount paid. By default the plugin adds a negative booking to offset it. The available commission drops below zero, and the next commissions make up for that first.

Jan's commission until the next payout day

Left after the payout€0.46

Cancellation: commission offset-€12.50

Available commission after the cancellation-€12.04

New commission in the following month€64.30

Available commission on the payout day€52.26

Automatic payout, whole euros€52.00

The payout of €187.00 stays paid, nothing is reclaimed. Jan sees the offset with a public note on the cancelled order in his partner area.

How to set it up

Which methods and amounts partners can choose

Type of remuneration and payout methods apply to all sales channels or per channel; you change the type of remuneration for a single partner at the partner.

Where to find them in the settings (affiliate program menu on the left under System → Settings):

  • Payout · Compensation card → Type of remunerationIn what form should your partners receive their commission?

    Voucher:
    The partner can convert their commission into vouchers independently and can redeem them directly in the shop.

    Payout:
    The partner can request payment of the commission, or it is created by the automatic payout. To do so, they enter their bank account or their PayPal account; you check and confirm the payouts and pay them out by SEPA file or through PayPal.

  • Payout · Compensation by payout card → Type of payoutIn what amount or on what scale may the partner have their credit paid out?

    Free amount:
    The partner chooses the amount, from the minimum amount up to their available commission.

    Payment in staggered amounts:
    The partner may only have their credit paid out in predefined scales. The individual scales can be defined below.

  • Payout · Compensation by payout card → Minimum amount (in EUR)With “Free amount”, the least amount (in EUR) of a payout.

  • Payout · Payout methods card → Offer SEPA bank transferPartners can enter an account holder and an IBAN. Payouts are paid with a SEPA file for your online banking.

  • Payout · Payout methods card → Offer PayPalPartners can enter the email address of their PayPal account. Payouts are paid through the PayPal API.

  • Payout · Payout methods card → Remittance informationTwig as in the mail templates: {{ payout.number }} payout number, {{ payout.value }} amount, {{ partner.name }} partner. Empty or faulty, the default applies. At most 140 characters. Used in SEPA files and as the message of PayPal transfers.

Which account pays out

Every sales channel can have a shop account of its own. SEPA files exist in euro only. Test connection checks the PayPal credentials after saving.

Where to find them in the settings (affiliate program menu on the left under System → Settings):

  • Payout · SEPA bank transfer card → Name of the shop accountAccount holder of the account the SEPA file pays from.

  • Payout · SEPA bank transfer card → IBAN of the shop accountIBAN of the account the SEPA file pays the payouts from; spaces are allowed. Required for SEPA files: if it is missing or invalid, no file can be created. A sales channel can have a shop account of its own.

  • Payout · SEPA bank transfer card → BIC of the shop accountThe international bank code (BIC, 8 or 11 characters, e.g. COBADEFFXXX) of the bank that holds the shop account. Optional: within the SEPA area the bank finds the account by its IBAN and does not need the BIC. Only enter it if your bank asks for it in the SEPA file. An entered BIC must be valid, otherwise no SEPA file can be created.

  • Payout · PayPal card → Client IDClient ID of a REST app in the PayPal developer dashboard with payouts enabled.

  • Payout · PayPal card → SecretSecret of the same REST app as the client ID above, from the matching environment (sandbox or live, see the “Sandbox” switch). After saving, check both with “Test connection”.

  • Payout · PayPal card → SandboxSends payouts to the PayPal sandbox with test accounts instead of real money.

When requests are created automatically

The automatic payout reads only the values under "All sales channels" and applies to every partner with the type of remuneration "Payout". At the partner you switch it off individually in the Automatic payout card.

Where to find them in the settings (affiliate program menu on the left under System → Settings):

  • Payout · Automatic payout card → Activate automatic payoutsOn the payout day the extension creates a payout of the whole balance, rounded down to whole euros, for every partner whose type of remuneration is "Payout". The same limit applies as for a request of the partner: the smallest staggered amount or the minimum amount of the card "Payout · Compensation by payout". The payouts are reviewed like every request.

  • Payout · Automatic payout card → IntervalHow often the automatic payout runs. The payout day is set by the weekday or the day of the month below.

  • Payout · Automatic payout card → Weekday (only for "Weekly" and "Every two weeks")Applies to "Weekly" and "Every two weeks". Every two weeks counts from the first payout day after switching the automatic payout on.

  • Payout · Automatic payout card → Day of the month (only for "Monthly")Applies to "Monthly": on the 1st, on the 15th or on the last day of the month.

  • Payout · Automatic payout card → With an automatic payout, partners may also request payouts themselvesApplies only when the automatic payout is activated above and only to partners with the type of remuneration "Payout"; otherwise partners always request their payouts themselves. On: besides the automatic payout partners may request a payout at any time. Off: money only comes by the automatic payout. Default for all partners, changeable for each partner in the card "Automatic payout".

Document, emails and cancellations

An email only goes out when both its switch and its flow are on.

Where to find them in the settings (affiliate program menu on the left under System → Settings):

  • Partners · Partner area card → Offer the payout document as a downloadShould the payout document be made available to the partner as a download?

  • System · Emails to partners card → Activate email when a payout is confirmedShould the partner be informed by email as soon as their payout has been confirmed?

  • System · Emails to partners card → Activate email when a payout was created automaticallyShould the partner be informed by email as soon as an automatic payout has been created for them?

  • System · Emails to the shop card → Activate email with the summary of automatic payoutsShould the shop operator get an email with the summary of the automatic payouts after every payout day?

  • Commission · Cancelled orders card → Automatically settle canceled ordersShould a negative manual posting be created automatically for canceled orders to clear them?

Common questions

When does a payout request come about?

Either the partner requests it in the partner area, or the automatic payout creates a request for the whole balance on the payout day, rounded down to whole euros. If the partner still has an open payout, incomplete payout details or too little balance, no automatic request is created. Every request waits for your review.

Does the plugin already transfer the money with the SEPA file?

No. You upload the file in the online banking format to your bank, and only then is the money transferred. Once the file is created, the payouts count as paid in the plugin; whether the bank executes them is not followed by the plugin.

Who bears the PayPal fees?

The shop. The partner receives the full amount. What PayPal accepts counts as paid; if PayPal refuses an order, it is open in the review list again. With the Sandbox switch, payouts run through test accounts instead of real money for testing.

What happens to the commission if I reject a payout?

It stays used, and the available commission does not go up again. If the partner should be able to redeem the amount again, you add a credit under Bookings at the partner. If the Payout rejected email is switched on, the partner learns of the rejection; the internal reason is never shown to them.

If the partner changes the IBAN after the request, where does the money go?

To the details that applied at the request. The review list shows the New payout details hint, and the review window shows both accounts. Pay to the new details switches an open payout to the new details.

May a partner request payouts in addition to the automatic payout?

By default yes. The setting applies to all partners and can be changed for a single partner with Also request payouts himself. If it is off, money only comes through the automatic payout, and the partner area says so.

What happens with a cancellation after the payout?

The payout stays paid. By default the plugin adds a negative booking for the commission of the cancelled order. The available commission can drop below zero that way; new commissions make up for it first before the next payout.

In detail in the manual

More examples

Partners recruit partners Multi-level marketing Partners earn from the orders of the partners they recruited, down to level 5. Read on → Consultants recruit consultants Direct selling and network marketing Consultants build teams, and the team leader earns from the orders of her team. Read on → Priority in the network Which rate applies on levels 2 to 5? Level rate, partner group and commission rules: how the plugin decides. Read on →

Try it in the demo shop.

The demo shop shows the partner area and the administration fully set up. The manual shows every setting.

Open the demo shop Manual View in the store