Transactions can change after a commission has been generated. A customer may add products, ask for modifications, return an order, or cancel altogether, and when that affects the value or validity of the transaction, the commission originally calculated may no longer be right. Discrepancy handling and clawbacks let you reconcile those changes so partner commissions keep reflecting the final outcome.
A discrepancy is when a transaction's value changes after commission was generated. Say a partner generates a $10,000 transaction and earns commission on that amount. The customer then adds a product and the value rises to $12,000. The transaction is still valid, but the commission no longer reflects the latest amount. The same applies when products are removed, extra discounts are given, or the value otherwise falls.
When a transaction linked to a commission record is modified, the system identifies the difference between the original and updated values. Administrators can review the discrepancy and decide whether to adjust the commission, after which the commission record is updated to the latest value.
Resolving a discrepancy can lead to reduced commission, reversed commission, or updated earnings based on the revised values. If a $10,000 transaction rises to $12,000, the commission can be adjusted upward, and if it falls to $8,000, it can be adjusted downward.
This is the period during which adjustments can be made. It is set as a number of days, counted from a reference event you choose, such as created time or modified time. It typically lines up with business policies like return or refund periods and payment verification timelines. Only discrepancies found inside the window are eligible for adjustment.
Where discrepancies deal with changed values, clawbacks deal with transactions that no longer qualify for commission at all. A clawback lets you recover commission that was already approved or issued when a transaction is cancelled, refunded, returned, or otherwise invalidated. If a $10,000 order is cancelled or fully refunded after the commission was approved, you can recover all or part of it.
When a clawback event occurs, the system finds the commission tied to the affected transaction and applies your clawback rules. Depending on your commission policy, the recovered amount may be deducted from future payouts or shown as an adjustment in commission records.
You control when clawbacks apply using criteria on record fields, for example apply a clawback only if deal status equals cancelled, or if payment status equals failed. These conditions are evaluated against the module chosen as the event trigger in the plan, so the available fields are limited to that module, and subform fields are excluded. This keeps adjustments to relevant cases and makes commission changes follow defined business rules.
| Discrepancy handling | Clawbacks |
|---|---|
| Used when a transaction value changes | Used when a transaction becomes invalid |
| Adjusts commission amounts | Recovers previously issued commission |
| The transaction stays active | The transaction is cancelled, refunded, or reversed |
| Maintains commission accuracy | Prevents overpayment |
Consider enabling both when transaction values often change after creation, refunds or cancellations are common, commissions are based on finalised revenue, or accurate commission tracking is critical to the business.