Partner programs and commissions
Run a referral program with links, coupon codes, milestones and a referee discount — commission accrues only on collected revenue into an append-only ledger, flagged accruals wait for your review, and partners track everything in a self-serve portal.
Run a partner or agent program whose commissions live inside your books. Commission accrues only when the referred client's payment is actually collected — never on clicks — into an append-only ledger. Finocket never moves money: it computes exactly what each partner is owed, and your CA executes the payout.
How do I set up a program and invite partners?
- Turn on Partner programs in Modules & features and open Partners.
- Create a program: commission rate (in basis points — 500 bps = 5%), a hold period (days a commission waits before becoming payable, your refund buffer), a cookie window for link attribution, and an optional referee discount % for the referred client's first invoice.
- Optionally add milestones — conversion or revenue thresholds that pay a one-time bonus and can step the partner up to a higher rate from then on.
- Invite a partner by name and email. Finocket emails the invite (with a copyable link as fallback); when they sign up at the partner portal with that email, their account links automatically.
- Write your share kit once — WhatsApp-ready messages partners copy with their referral link already appended.
How does attribution work?
Referral links (/r/<code>) set a cookie for the program's cookie window; a lead who arrives through one is attributed first-referral-wins — the first partner keeps the credit, later touches never overwrite it. Coupon codes cover WhatsApp and in-person referrals with no cookie needed: mint a code per partner (optional usage cap and expiry, deliberately hard-to-guess), and when the client quotes it on their invoice, attribution lands the same first-touch way. If the program has a referee discount, it's applied automatically as a visible line on that client's first invoice only.
What does my partner see in the portal?
Balances per currency in three tiles — eligible (payable now), on hold, and paid — plus a step-by-step timeline per referral: captured → lead → first invoice → payment collected → accrued → on hold → paid. “Where's my commission?” answers itself. Partners see their attributed-lead count but never lead contact details, copy the share kit, track milestone progress, and self-serve their tax details — PAN (India), ABN (Australia, checksum-validated), or US tax ID — and upload the document itself (PAN card, W-9, ABN declaration). Uploaded documents go to a private vault and are never displayed back.
What gets flagged for review?
If a referral's email or phone matches the partner's own, the accrual is still recorded — books stay honest — but it's flagged and held out of the payable balance. The needs-review card on Partners shows every flagged accrual: approve it (owner-only) and it joins the normal hold-and-release flow; reject it and it never becomes payable. Refunds claw back the matching commission automatically.
Who can manage the program?
Owners run everything; assistants help day-to-day, but approving or rejecting flagged accruals is owner-only. Accountants see the console read-only. Partners only ever see their own rows.
Related: Commission statements, Invite your CA.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate agent commission with GST and TDS?
Commission is rate × collected amount; if the partner is GST-registered they invoice you commission + 18% GST, and you deduct TDS under Section 194H before paying. Finocket's monthly statement lays out payable, GST and 194H columns per partner so your CA applies both correctly.
Why did commission accrue only after payment, not after the invoice?
Because a commission owed on an unpaid invoice is a liability on imaginary money. Finocket accrues when the payment is actually collected, holds it for the program's hold window (your refund buffer), and claws it back automatically if the payment is refunded.
Can I run a referral program without my partners installing anything?
Yes. Partners get a link and a coupon code they share on WhatsApp, and a web portal to check earnings — no app, no training. You mint the code, they share it, and the client quoting it at invoice time completes the attribution.
What stops a partner referring themselves for commission?
Finocket auto-flags accruals where the referral's email or phone matches the partner's own. Flagged amounts are recorded but excluded from the payable balance until the owner explicitly approves or rejects them — so nothing suspicious reaches a statement without your decision.
Does Finocket pay my partners?
No, deliberately. Finocket computes each partner's payable with holds, clawbacks and tax context, and produces the monthly statement — but your CA (or you) executes the actual transfer and records its payment reference back. Your money never routes through Finocket.
How is this better than tracking payouts in Excel?
The ledger is append-only and idempotent: corrections are new rows, a replayed payment counts exactly once, and money is stored in integer paise so totals never drift. Partners self-serve their own status in the portal, ending the 'where's my commission?' WhatsApp thread.