# Commission System
> Configure percentage or flat commissions with 7-level priority: affiliate, product, category, tier, campaign, lifetime, and default rates.
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- Last updated: 2026-09-04
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Configure percentage or flat commissions with 7-level priority: affiliate, product, category, tier, campaign, lifetime, and default rates.
## Commission Priority
Royal Affiliate Pro features the most flexible commission engine available for WordPress, with 7 priority levels. The system evaluates each level in order and uses the first match it finds.
Tier Availability
Pro plans include levels 2, 3, and 7 (affiliate override, product rates, default). Business+ adds levels 1, 4, 5, and 6 (lifetime, category, tier, campaign) — Business unlocks the full 7-level priority chain.
### Priority Chain (First Match Wins)
| Priority | Source | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **1** | Lifetime Commission Rate | If the affiliate has lifetime commissions enabled with a custom rate |
| **2** | Affiliate-Specific Rate | Per-affiliate override set in the affiliate edit screen |
| **3** | Product-Specific Rate | Rate set for the specific WooCommerce product being purchased |
| **4** | Category-Specific Rate | Rate set for the product's WooCommerce category |
| **5** | Tier Rate | Rate from the affiliate's assigned commission tier |
| **6** | Campaign Rate | Rate from the currently active campaign |
| **7** | Default Rate | Global default rate from plugin settings |
### Commission Types
| Type | Calculation | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Percentage** | Sale amount x rate / 100 | $100 sale at 15% = $15 commission |
| **Flat** | Fixed dollar amount per sale | $10 flat = $10 commission regardless of sale amount |
Maximum Flexibility
This 7-level priority chain gives you more granularity than any other WordPress affiliate plugin. Set a default rate for everyone, then override with product, category, tier, or affiliate-specific rates as needed.
## Product & Category Rates
### Product-Specific Rates
Set unique commission rates for individual WooCommerce products. This is useful when certain products have higher margins or when you want to incentivize affiliates to promote specific items.
- **Select2 search** - Quickly find products by name
- **Percentage or flat rate** - Choose the commission type per product
- **Active/Inactive toggle** - Enable or disable individual product rates without deleting them
### Category-Specific Rates
Set commission rates per WooCommerce product category. When a product belongs to multiple categories, the category with the highest priority wins.
- Set rates for any product category
- Priority system resolves conflicts when products belong to multiple categories
- Highest-priority category rate is applied
## Tiered Commissions
Create multiple commission tiers with automatic progression to reward your top-performing affiliates with higher rates as they grow.
Business+ Feature
This feature requires a Business or Agency license.
### How It Works
- **Thresholds** - Set minimum referral count AND/OR minimum earnings to advance
- **Auto-progression** - Affiliates automatically advance when thresholds are met
- **Custom rates** - Each tier has its own commission rate (percentage or flat)
- **Tier badges** - Visible on the affiliate dashboard to motivate progression
### Example Tier Structure
| Tier | Requirement | Commission Rate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Bronze** | Default (all new affiliates) | 10% |
| **Silver** | 50 referrals or $1,000 earnings | 15% |
| **Gold** | 200 referrals or $5,000 earnings | 20% |
| **Platinum** | 500 referrals or $15,000 earnings | 25% |
## Lifetime Commissions
Reward affiliates with recurring commissions from customers they originally referred. Once a customer is linked to an affiliate, all future purchases by that customer earn commissions for the affiliate.
Business+ Feature
This feature requires a Business or Agency license.
### Qualification Criteria
Control which affiliates qualify for lifetime commissions using multiple criteria:
- **All Affiliates** - Every affiliate earns lifetime commissions
- **By Tier** - Only affiliates at specific commission tiers
- **By Campaign** - Only affiliates in specific campaigns
- **Minimum Referrals** - Requires a minimum number of approved referrals
- **Minimum Earnings** - Requires a minimum total earnings threshold
- **Specific Affiliates** - Manually select individual affiliates
### Custom Lifetime Rate
Optionally set a custom lifetime commission rate that overrides the default rate. This lets you offer a different (often lower) rate for repeat purchases while still rewarding the original referrer.
## Campaigns
Create time-bound campaigns with custom commission rates to drive focused affiliate activity during promotions, launches, or seasonal events.
Business+ Feature
This feature requires a Business or Agency license.
### Campaign Features
- **Start/End dates** - Set precise campaign duration
- **Custom commission rates** - Campaign-specific rates override the default
- **Campaign slugs** - Track via URL parameter: `?campaign=slug`
- **Creative assignment** - Link campaigns to specific marketing materials
- **Campaign tracking** - Track referrals by campaign in reports
[← Previous: Getting Started](https://royalplugins.com/support/royal-affiliate/getting-started/)
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