Commission Types
Avada Affiliate Marketing has two top-level commission rules plus an optional per-product override. You pick one rule per program — and run several programs in parallel if you need different structures for different groups.
The two commission rules
The Commission rule dropdown on the program form has two options:
| Rule | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed commission | A single rate applied to every order. The rate can be a Percentage of the order subtotal or a Flat amount per order. | Most stores. Simple to explain. |
| Tiered by order value | Different rates for different order totals (e.g. 5% up to $100, 10% from $100, 15% from $500). Higher orders = higher rate. | High-AOV stores, rewarding big-basket referrals. |
There is no separate "Product-specific" rule today. Per-product overrides live inside the Fixed commission flow as Special product commissions — see the section below.
Fixed – Percentage
Pick Fixed commission as the rule. Then set:
- Value type =
Percentage. - Commission amount = e.g.
10(means 10%).
Commission = order subtotal × rate / 100. The subtotal means line item totals before tax and shipping (and after any discounts applied to the order).
Example: A referral order has a subtotal of $120, $12 shipping, $10 tax. Commission at 10% = $12 (10% of $120, not $142).
Fixed – Flat amount
Pick Fixed commission as the rule. Then set:
- Value type =
Flat amount. - Commission amount = e.g.
5(means $5 per order).
Commission = $5 per order, regardless of subtotal.
Example: Orders of $30, $300, and $3,000 all pay the affiliate $5. Easy to budget but less motivating for the affiliate on big orders.
Tiered by order value
Pick Tiered by order value as the rule. The form replaces the single Commission amount field with a list of tiers. Each tier has:
- Min order value ($) — the threshold to enter the tier.
- Type — Percentage or Flat amount (per-tier choice).
- Commission — the rate for that tier.
The default tiers when you switch to Tiered are:
| Min order value | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 5% |
| $100 | 10% |
| $500 | 15% |
Click Add tier to add more, or the trash icon to remove one.
The highest-applicable tier applies to the whole order, not a marginal calculation.
Example: A $250 order falls into the $100+ tier (10%). Commission = $25. A $600 order falls into the $500+ tier (15%). Commission = $90.
Special product commissions (per-product overrides)
While on Fixed commission, scroll down to Special product commissions to override the default rate for specific products. Useful when some products have tighter margins than others.
- The program has a default rate (say 10%).
- Add one or more product overrides, each with its own value type (Percentage / Flat) and commission.
- When an order contains a product with an override, that line item uses the override rate; other line items use the default.
Example: Program default = 10%. Product A override = 20%. An order with:
- 1× Product A ($100)
- 1× Product B ($50)
Commission = (100 × 20%) + (50 × 10%) = $25.
Special product commissions are only available alongside Fixed commission. Tiered programs apply one rate per tier to the entire order — no per-product overrides.
Product scope (which products earn commission)
Independent of the rate type, you can also restrict which products earn commission at all:
- All products (default) — every product in the order earns the rate.
- Specific products — enter Shopify product IDs; only those products earn commission. Other items in the order do not.
This is different from Special product commissions: scope decides whether a product earns; overrides decide how much it earns.
Changing commission types later
You can change the commission rule, rate, or tiers on a program any time. Changes only affect new conversions — any existing conversions keep the rate they were created with. This protects affiliates from retroactive cuts.
Which option should you pick?
- Starting out? Go with Fixed commission – Percentage at 10%. It works for almost any store.
- Want to reward volume? Use Fixed commission – Flat amount — affiliates focus on bringing orders, not basket size.
- High-AOV store? Use Tiered by order value — every big order pays them more, incentivizing bigger referrals.
- Mixed-margin catalog? Use Fixed commission + Special product commissions to push high-margin items without changing the default rate.
You can always run several programs at once — one for influencers (tiered), one for friends-and-family (flat $5), etc.
Next step
- Create a Program — step-by-step walkthrough.
- Commission Calculation — exact formulas and edge cases.