Commission tiers let you define exactly how creators earn from sales, save the setup once, and reuse it every time you onboard a new affiliate. Different rates for different creator segments, applied in seconds.
How to create a commission tier
You can create commission tiers from two places: when adding a creator to the affiliate program in a campaign, or directly from the Tiers tab in the Affiliate Program.
From a campaign:
Open your campaign in Track and select the creator you want to add to your affiliate program.
Click Add to affiliate program and select Create new tier.
From the Affiliate Program:
Go to the Tiers tab in your Affiliate Program.
Click + New commission tier.
Once you're in the tier creation flow, configure the following:
Name your tier with something descriptive like "VIP Creator 15%". You'll see this name when assigning future creators, so make it easy to identify.
Select your Shopify store to connect this tier to the right storefront.
Choose your commission type:
Percentage - Creators earn a percentage of each sale. Great for scaling with order value (e.g., 10% of a $100 order = $10 commission).
Fixed amount - Creators earn a set dollar amount per sale, regardless of order value (e.g., $5 per order whether it's $50 or $500).
Set your reward structure:
First sale commission - The rate applied to the first purchase made by a newly referred customer.
Repeat sale commission - Optionally set a different rate for subsequent purchases from the same customer. For example, 10% on first sales and 5% on repeat orders.
Optionally, add product or collection-level commission rates to override the default rate for specific items:
Add rules for specific products or collections, each with its own commission rate
Any products not covered by a specific rule fall back to the tier's default rate
Product overrides are available for percentage-based tiers only
Optionally, add tier automations. These are actions that happen automatically every time a creator is added to this tier:
Discount code template - Modash creates a brand new discount code in your Shopify store for each creator added
Tracking link with UTM parameters - Modash generates a unique affiliate link for each creator added
Gift order - Modash creates a new gift with unique codes for each creator added
Click Save and your tier is ready to use.
⚠️ Important: Tier automations generate new codes and gifts every time a creator is added to the tier. If a creator already has an existing discount code or tracking link, don't use a tier with automations - they'll end up with duplicate codes. See the scenarios below for how to handle this.
How commission tiers work
A commission tier works as a template. When you assign a creator to a tier, Modash automatically applies everything set up in that template.
A tier can include a commission percentage, a discount code, a tracking link, and a gifting bundle. If you leave the discount code or gifting settings empty in the template, Modash will use whatever is added separately for that creator in the Discount codes, Tracking links, and Gifts columns.
Setting up tiers for different scenarios
Not every creator joining your affiliate program is starting from scratch. Some already have discount codes from Shopify, others are existing affiliates moving up. Here's how to set up your tiers to handle each situation cleanly.
Scenario 1: Brand new creator with no existing codes or links
This is the simplest setup. The creator is new to your program and needs everything created from scratch.
Create a tier with automations enabled - attach a discount code template, tracking link, and gift order (if applicable).
When you add the creator to this tier, Modash automatically generates a unique discount code, tracking link, and gift for them.
Share the details with the creator and they're ready to go.
This is the "set it and forget it" approach. Every new creator added to this tier gets their own fresh set of codes and links without any manual work.
Scenario 2: Existing Modash creator becoming an affiliate
You want to move an existing creator into a commission tier while keeping their current discount code.
Create a tier without automations - leave the discount code template, tracking link, and gift fields empty.
Add the creator to this tier. No new codes are generated.
Manually assign the creator's existing Shopify discount code to them in the campaign. Modash will sync and track sales from that code.
Scenario 3: Migrating affiliates from another platform
If you're migrating affiliates from another platform who already have discount codes:
Make sure your Shopify store is connected, so its existing codes are available in Modash.
Create a separate commission tier for migrated affiliates with the discount code setting turned off and only tracking links and gifting enabled. There's no limit on how many tiers you can create.
Modash will generate the tracking link and gift, but not a discount code.
Scenario 4: Existing affiliate moving to a higher tier
Your creator has been performing well and deserves better commission rates. They already have their discount code and tracking link from when they first joined.
Create a separate "upgrade" tier without automations - set the higher commission rates but leave code/link/gift fields empty.
Move the creator from their current tier to this new tier.
Their existing discount code and tracking link stay active. Only the commission rate changes.
If you used a tier with automations here, Modash would generate a brand new discount code and link - leaving the creator with two codes and potential confusion over which one to use.
💡 Pro tip: Plan your tier structure upfront. Create tiers with automations for onboarding new creators (e.g., "Starter 10% - New") and separate tiers without automations for upgrades (e.g., "VIP 15% - Upgrade"). This way, moving creators between tiers never accidentally generates duplicate codes.
Moving creators between tiers
You can change a creator's tier from two places:
Affiliate Program: go to the Affiliates tab, click the three dots next to the creator, and select Edit affiliate setup.
Campaign: find the Commission tier column and click the pencil icon.
The creator's current tier is highlighted in blue. Click the tier you want to move them to, or create a new one.
Before the change is saved, you'll see a confirmation with the following details:
The creator's commission will update based on the new tier
Existing affiliate codes and links will automatically reflect the new commission template
New codes and links will only be generated if the code type changes or the destination store is different
Discount values for codes of the same type (e.g., order amount) will update to match the new tier
If a gift is included, it will be generated and assigned to the creator
What the creator sees: the creator receives an email every time you move them to a different tier, even if only the discount code changes. This is so they can review and accept the new terms.
Removing a creator from the affiliate program
You can remove a creator from their commission tier from the same two places used to move creators between tiers (see above).
Click Remove from tier. Before the change is saved, you'll see a warning:
Sales from the creator's unique codes or affiliate links will no longer generate commission
Affiliate links will still work, but sales won't be attributed unless the creator is re-added to the same tier or assigned to a new one
Gifts for the creator will expire
Discount codes for the audience will remain active unless expired
What this means for discount codes: removing a creator from a tier doesn't deactivate their code. Customers can still use it to get a discount, but the creator won't earn commission on those sales. If you want the code to stop working, expire it. Expiring keeps all historical data while making sure the code can't be used anymore.
Reusing tiers across creators
Once saved, your commission tier becomes a template. The next time you add a creator to your affiliate program, you can select the existing tier from the dropdown instead of building one from scratch.
This is where tiers really shine at scale. Onboard 5 creators or 500 - the setup takes seconds each time.
How commissions are calculated
All commissions are based on net revenue - the order total after any discount codes are applied, minus shipping, taxes, returns, and refunds.
Example: A product costs $100. The customer uses a 10% discount code, so they pay $90. If the creator's commission rate is 20%, they earn $18 (20% of $90).
Want a visual walkthrough? Here's a short video on this topic from Ava, our Customer Success Manager 👇
FAQs
FAQs
What's the difference between percentage and fixed amount commissions?
Percentage commissions scale with order value (10% of a $100 order = $10). Fixed amounts stay the same regardless of order size ($5 commission whether the order is $50 or $500). Percentage works best when you want creators to push higher-value purchases. Fixed works best for consistent, predictable payouts.Can I set different rates for first sales vs. repeat sales?
Yes. You can set one rate for when a creator brings in a new customer, and a different rate for repeat purchases from that same customer. For example, 10% on first sales to incentivize new customer acquisition, and 5% on repeat orders.How does the fulfilled orders setting work?
When enabled, creators only earn commission after you fulfill and ship the order in Shopify. This protects you from paying commission on cancelled or returned orders.Can different creators on the same tier have different terms?
No. All creators assigned to a tier share the same commission structure. If you need different terms for certain creators, create a separate tier.Can I edit a tier after creating it?
No, tiers are not editable after a creator has been added. You can remove all creators, delete the tier, and then create a new one if changes are needed.How can I move creators between tiers?
From the Affiliate Program's Affiliates tab (three dots > Edit affiliate setup) or from the campaign's Commission tier column (pencil icon). The creator's current tier is highlighted, and you can select a new one. The creator will be notified by email.Can a creator belong to multiple tiers?
No. Each creator can only be assigned to one commission tier at a time.How many tiers can I create?
As many as you need. There's no limit, so create different tiers for different creator segments, products, or campaigns.When do creators start earning commissions?
Commissions are attributed within 5 minutes of a purchase in Shopify. However, payouts are processed monthly and only after the hold period you've configured has passed.What happens if I add a creator to a tier that has automations and they already have a discount code?
Modash will generate a brand new discount code for them regardless of any existing codes. The creator will end up with two active codes. To avoid this, use a tier without automations and manually assign their existing code instead.Can I move a creator to a different tier without changing their discount code?
Yes. Move them to a tier that doesn't have automations enabled. Their existing discount code and tracking link stay active - only the commission rates change.