From the moment a creator earns a commission to the moment they get paid, Modash gives you full visibility at every step. No surprises, no guesswork - just a clean, predictable payment flow you can trust.
Payment stages
Every payment moves through clear stages in your Pay dashboard:
Payment created
Payment Approved
Invoice uploaded
In Processing
Payment is sent
How the affiliate payment timeline works
Here's a real example of how the affiliate payment timing plays out:
A sale is made on June 15
With a 30-day hold period, the commission becomes eligible on July 15
Eligible commissions are paid out from the 1st of the following month - in this case, August 1
Commissions must also meet the minimum payout threshold before they're included. The default minimum is $50, but this is customisable per brand during onboarding. If a creator hasn't reached the threshold yet, their balance carries forward to the next cycle.
Fixed fee vs affiliate payments
Both payment types flow through the same approval and payout pipeline, but they start differently:
Affiliate commissions are automatically calculated based on sales data from your connected Shopify store. Commissions are based on net revenue: order total minus shipping, taxes, returns, and refunds. You review the totals and approve.
Fixed fees are set manually per creator. You create the payment by adding the amount, and attaching the contract. The creator then uploads their invoice and Modash processes the payment. There are no hold periods for fixed fee payments.
Pro tip: With affiliates, you can choose between manual or automatic payment approval. Automatic approval works well for established programs with trusted creators, while manual gives you line-by-line control over every payout.
Fixed Fee Payment Approval Rounds
Need an extra layer of review before payments go out? Approval Rounds let you create draft payments that require a second team member's approval before they're released.
This is perfect for teams that need dual sign-off for compliance, or simply want a second pair of eyes on payouts before money moves.
Here's how it works:
Create a payment as normal
Save the payment as a Draft
A second team member reviews and approves the payment.
Once approved, the payment moves forward for processing.
Every approval is logged with a full audit trail, giving you a clear record of who reviewed and approved each payment. Creators also get early visibility into pending payments, so they can upload their bank details ahead of time - speeding up the entire payout process.
FAQs
FAQs
When are affiliate payments processed?
Affiliate payments are processed from the 1st of each month for commissions that have cleared their hold period and exceed the minimum payout threshold.
When are fixed fee payments processed?
Fixed fee payments are processed daily from Monday to Friday.
Can I set up automatic approval?
Yes. You can choose manual or automatic approval when setting up your affiliate program. With automatic approval, eligible payments are processed without you needing to review each one.
Fixed fee payments are automatically approved once you create the payment.
What happens if I don't approve payments by the 1st?
Payments will wait until you approve them. There's no penalty for delayed approval, but creators appreciate timely payments.
Can I reject a payment?
Yes. If there's an issue with a specific commission, you can reject it and add a note explaining why.
How are affiliate commissions calculated?
Commissions are based on net revenue: order total minus shipping, taxes, returns, and refunds. The percentage is set when you create your commission tiers.
Do creators get notified at each stage?
Yes. Creators receive notifications when payments are approved, processing, and completed. They can also track everything from their own dashboard.
What if my account balance is too low for payouts?
Modash will notify you if your balance is insufficient. You'll need to top up your balance before payments can be sent.
What are Approval Rounds?
Approval Rounds let you create draft payments that need a second team member's approval before being released. It adds an extra layer of review for compliance or error-catching.
Are Approval Rounds required for all payments?
No. Approval Rounds are optional. Save as a draft when you need dual review, and continue using standard approval for everything else.