Commission approvals make sure calculated commissions are validated before payout. They help keep payments accurate, enforce internal controls, and prevent incorrect or premature payouts. Once commissions are generated, they go through an approval process before they are finalised.

How Approval Works

1. Commission is calculated. A commission record is generated when the plan's conditions are met.
2. An approval request is triggered. The commission goes to the configured approvers.
3. Review and decision. Approvers review the details and approve or reject.
4. Finalisation. Approved commissions are finalised for payout. Rejected ones need re-evaluating.

Configuring Approval in a Plan

Approval is set up as part of the commission plan. See Configure Partner Commissions for where this sits in the setup.

Approvers

You can assign one or more approvers as specific users, as a role (anyone in that role, for example finance manager), or as a group of users responsible for approvals.

Approval Type

When several approvers are involved, choose how approvals are processed:

• Anyone. Approval from any one approver is enough. Faster.
• Everyone. All the selected approvers must approve. Stricter validation.

Approval Order (Everyone Only)

• Sequential. Approvals happen one after another, and each stage must finish before the next begins.
• Parallel. All approvers get the request at the same time, and approval completes only when all have responded.

What Happens on Rejection

• Restart approval. The commission goes through the full approval flow again.
• Retry current stage. It is sent back to the same approver or stage.
• Let approver decide. The approver determines how the flow continues.

What Approvers Can Do

Approvers can approve, reject, or delegate the approval to another user where that applies. They can review the commission amount, the associated transaction details, and the approval status and history.

After Approval

• The commission is finalised and locked, and becomes eligible for payout processing.
• It is visible for tracking and reporting.
• If discrepancies occur later, adjustments can still be applied under your configured rules. See Discrepancy Handling and Clawbacks.

When and How to Use Approvals

Approval workflows matter when payouts need validation from finance or management, several stakeholders are involved, you need control over high-value or complex commissions, or compliance and auditability are required. Zoho's suggested practice:

• Single-level approval for simple plans, multi-level for high-value or sensitive payouts.
• Parallel approval to speed decisions up, sequential when hierarchy matters.