This guide explains how Affiliate and Referral Program for WooCommerce decides what commission every referred order pays: how the amount is calculated, the six rule types you can combine, and — the question that matters once rules overlap — exactly which rule wins. Almost every rule lives on one screen — WooCommerce > Affiliate & Referral > Commission — with product-specific amounts entered on the product itself. Part of the plugin documentation.
How the commission amount is calculated
↑ Back to topCommission is calculated per order line, on the product’s line total after discounts and excluding tax and shipping. A rule pays a Percentage of that base or a Fixed amount; product-level rules can also combine both. Because the base is the discounted total, a coupon the customer uses reduces the commission with it — affiliates are paid on what the store actually earned.
Which rule wins
↑ Back to topYou can define several rules that all match the same order line. Only one applies — the most specific. The plugin checks in this order and stops at the first match:
- Commission per Affiliate – a rate for one named affiliate, optionally narrowed by Product Tag.
- Commission per Affiliate per Category – one affiliate’s rate for one product category.
- Special offers per Category – a promotional category rate with a Start Date and End Date; it applies only inside that window.
- Commission per Product – the rate set on the product itself.
- Commission per Category – a rate for everything in a category.
- Commission for All Products – the store-wide fallback.
Rules do not stack. A per-affiliate rate replaces the product rate — it is not added on top of it.
Set a store-wide commission
↑ Back to top- Go to: WooCommerce > Affiliate & Referral > Commission.
- Under Commission for All Products, choose the Commission Type — Percentage or Fixed — and enter the Commission Amount.
- Save Changes.
Every affiliate now earns this rate on every product, unless a more specific rule below overrides it.
Rates for specific products and categories
↑ Back to topProduct commission works in two parts: choose the mode — Percentage, Fixed Price, or Percentage + Fixed Price — under Commission per Product: on the Commission screen, then enter each product’s amount in the Add Commission box on the product edit screen (with an inline shortcut on the Products list). Category rates are set on the Commission screen under Commission per Category. Both are covered step by step in Commission per Product or Category.
Rates for specific affiliates
↑ Back to topUse Commission per Affiliate to give an individual partner their own deal — a flat rate for everything they sell, or a rate limited to products carrying a chosen Product Tag. Commission per Affiliate per Category narrows one affiliate’s rate to one category. These are the strongest rules on the screen: whatever else matches, a named-affiliate rule wins.
Run a time-limited commission promotion
↑ Back to topTo rally affiliates behind a season or a launch, add a Special offers per Category rule: pick the categories, a higher rate, and a Start Date and End Date. Inside the window it beats product and category rates (only named-affiliate rules outrank it); when the window ends, orders fall back to your normal rules automatically.
Worked examples
↑ Back to topA customer arrives through Jane’s referral link and buys two hoodies at $40 each, using a 10% store coupon. The commission base is the discounted line total: $72.
- Only a store-wide 10% rule exists – Jane earns 10% of $72 = $7.20.
- The hoodie also carries a 5% product rate – the product rule is more specific than the store-wide rule: Jane earns 5% of $72 = $3.60.
- Jane additionally has a 15% per-affiliate deal – the named-affiliate rule outranks everything: Jane earns 15% of $72 = $10.80.
Cap what an affiliate can earn per month
↑ Back to topMaximum commission to an Affiliate in a month sets a monthly ceiling per affiliate; 0 means unlimited. When a commission would cross the ceiling it is reduced to fit, and anything past the cap is recorded as capped rather than paid. By default the cap counts an affiliate’s direct earnings; turn on Include MLM commission in monthly cap if upline commissions from a multi-tier network should count toward the same ceiling.
Limit where commission applies
↑ Back to top- Exclude products from affiliate commission – products listed here never pay commission. Leave empty to allow all products.
- Restrict commission on sale items – no commission on products currently on sale.
- Restrict commission on own referral – stops affiliates earning on their own purchases. Off by default — most stores will want this on.
- Commission for only the URL opened? – pays only when the purchased product is the one the shared link pointed at. Works with referral links (not referral codes), and not together with lifetime commission.
- Reject commission on refund – when a refunded order’s commission is still pending, it is rejected automatically.
Refund handling rejects pending commissions only. A commission you have already approved stays in the affiliate’s wallet even if the order is later refunded — review refunds on recently approved orders yourself.
Related commission features
↑ Back to top- Two-Way Commission and Referral Discounts – give the referred customer a checkout discount while the affiliate keeps earning.
- How to Set Up Lifetime Commissions for Affiliates – tie a customer to the affiliate who introduced them, so later orders keep paying.
- Recurring Commissions on Subscription Renewals – pay commission every time a referred subscription renews.
- Affiliate Levels with Auto Upgrades – swap the rules ladder for per-affiliate levels whose rates rise with performance.
FAQ
↑ Back to topIs commission calculated on the order total?
↑ Back to topNo — per product line, on the discounted line total excluding tax and shipping. An order with three products can match three different rules.
Can I combine a percentage and a fixed amount?
↑ Back to topYes, at the product level — set the product commission mode to Percentage + Fixed Price on the Commission screen, and each product then carries both amounts. The mode applies to all product-level rules; store-wide, category and affiliate rules pay one or the other.
What happens when an order is refunded?
↑ Back to topWith Reject commission on refund enabled, a still-pending commission is rejected automatically. An already-approved commission is not reversed — handle those case by case.
