Partner Commission and Payments

5 minutes Referring Customers

SAPI partners earn commission on every successfully funded referral. This guide explains commission structures, payment timing, tracking, and how to resolve commission queries.

Commission varies by:
- Partnership type (Introducer vs. Payment Partner)
- Referral volume (higher volume = better rates)
- Integration level (API partners may earn more)

Typical structures:

Introducer Partners:
- Percentage of funded amount (e.g., 3-7% of advance)
- Fixed fee per deal (e.g., £300-£1,500 per funded referral)

Payment Partners:
- Upfront commission (similar to introducer)
- Ongoing revenue share (% of collections over advance lifetime, for strategic partners)
- Volume bonuses (hit X referrals/month = bonus payment)

Your specific commission rate:
Outlined in your Partnership Agreement and visible in your partner portal.

Trigger event: Business is funded (receives advance into their bank account)

Not earned if:
- Application is declined
- Business declines the offer
- Business abandons application
- Business is approved but doesn't complete sign-up

Example timeline:
- You refer: 1 January
- Business applies: 3 January
- Approved: 5 January
- Business accepts offer: 6 January
- Funded: 8 January ← Commission earned on this date
- Commission paid: 7 February (30 days after funding)

Your rate: 5% of funded amount

Referral details:
- Business: Acme Ltd
- Funded: £25,000
- Your commission: £25,000 × 5% = £1,250

Paid: 30 days after funding date

Your rate: £500 per funded deal (regardless of size)

Referral details:
- Business: Beta Corp
- Funded: £40,000
- Your commission: £500

Paid: 30 days after funding date

Your rate (volume-based):
- Deals 1-5/month: 4% of funded amount
- Deals 6-10/month: 5% of funded amount
- Deals 11+/month: 6% of funded amount

Your performance in January:
- 8 deals funded
- First 5 deals: 4% commission
- Deals 6-8: 5% commission

Commission varies by deal based on when funded that month.

Sent: Around 5th of each month

Contains:
- All deals funded in previous month
- Each deal: Business name, advance amount, funding date, commission amount
- Total commission owed for that month
- Payment date (typically 30 days after each funding)

Example statement (February):

Standard: 30 days after each business is funded (not 30 days after month-end)

Example:
- Business A funded 5 January → Commission paid 4 February
- Business B funded 20 January → Commission paid 19 February

Payment method:
Bank transfer to your registered business bank account (provided during onboarding).

Payment reference:
"SAPI Commission - [Month] - [Partner Name]"

Dashboard shows:
- This month's funded deals and commission
- Pending commission (funded, awaiting payment)
- Paid commission (historical)
- Total YTD earnings

Export:
- Download commission reports as CSV/Excel
- Filter by date range, business name, or status

Monthly email:
Commission statement sent to your registered email address.

Store securely:
Keep for accounting/tax purposes (at least 6 years).

If you believe commission is missing:

Step 1: Check partner portal for referral status
- Is the business marked as "Funded"?
- Is commission showing as "Pending"?

Step 2: Verify timing
- Has it been 30+ days since funding?
- Check if payment was made but not yet reflected in your bank (allow 1-2 days for banking delays)

Step 3: Contact SAPI
- Email: [email protected]
- Subject: "Commission Query - [Business Name] - Funded [Date]"
- Include: Referral date, business name, funding date, expected commission amount

Resolution time: 3-5 business days for investigation

If commission amount seems wrong:

Check:
- Your commission rate in Partnership Agreement
- Whether tiered rates apply (volume-based)
- Whether any deductions apply (chargebacks, clawbacks)

Contact SAPI:
​[email protected] with calculation question and expected vs. actual amounts.

Resolution: 3-5 business days

Rare, but may occur if:
- Business cancels during 14-day cooling-off period (before advance starts)
- Fraudulent referral discovered
- Business was ineligible and funded in error

Process:
SAPI notifies you and deducts clawback from future commission payments (or requests refund if no future earnings).

Commission is taxable income for your business.

You're responsible for:
- Recording commission as business income
- Paying corporation tax (or income tax if sole trader)
- VAT (if you're VAT-registered and commission is subject to VAT—consult your accountant)

SAPI provides:
Monthly statements for your accounting records. SAPI does NOT withhold tax—you handle your own tax obligations.

Q: Is commission paid on the gross advance or net (after our commission)?
A: Gross. If business receives £25k and your rate is 5%, you earn £1,250 (5% of £25k). The business still receives the full £25k.

Q: What if a business we refer tops up—do we earn commission on the top-up?
A: Depends on your agreement. Typically, yes—you earn commission on top-ups to businesses you originally referred (even months or years later).

Q: Can commission be negotiated?
A: Commission rates are set during partnership agreement negotiations. Once agreed, they're fixed unless you renegotiate (typically at renewal or if your volume increases significantly).

Q: What if the business repays early—do we still keep full commission?
A: Yes. Commission is paid 30 days after funding, regardless of how long the business takes to repay. Their early repayment doesn't affect your earnings.

Q: What if a business defaults (doesn't repay SAPI)?
A: Doesn't affect you. Commission is paid upfront, and you're not liable for defaults. SAPI bears all credit risk.

Q: Can we see how much total commission we've earned YTD?
A: Yes. Partner portal dashboard shows total earnings year-to-date, broken down by month.

Commission queries: [email protected]
​Payment issues: [email protected]
​Portal access: [email protected]

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +44 20 3868 4990

Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm GMT