{"id":33766,"date":"2026-10-01T14:00:47","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T08:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wcaffiliate.com\/blog\/?p=33766"},"modified":"2026-10-01T14:00:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T08:00:50","slug":"custom-affiliate-commission-rates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wcaffiliate.com\/blog\/custom-affiliate-commission-rates\/","title":{"rendered":"Custom Affiliate Commission Rates: Set Different Rates in WooCommerce"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Running an affiliate program sounds simple at first. Pick a commission rate, invite affiliates<\/a><\/strong>, track the sales they bring in, and pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as your program grows, one rate may not work for everyone. A top-performing affiliate, influencer, or partner may need a different deal. Some products may also have enough margin to support a higher commission than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Custom affiliate commission rates solve this. They give WooCommerce stores the flexibility to reward valuable affiliates, protect profit margins, and create different commission structures when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide, we’ll look at how custom commissions work, when to use them, and how to set them up in WooCommerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Custom Affiliate Commission Rates?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A custom affiliate commission rate is simply a commission that differs from the standard rate used across your affiliate program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine your default affiliate commission is 10%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of your affiliates can continue earning that 10%. But you have one partner who consistently sends high-quality customers to your store. Instead of changing the commission for everyone, you might give that affiliate 15%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or perhaps you sell two products with very different margins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your digital product may have enough margin to support a 20% commission, while a physical product with manufacturing and shipping costs can only support 7%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Custom commissions let you account for those differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 Ways to Structure Custom Affiliate Commission Rates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"4<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are several common ways to structure custom affiliate commissions, depending on your affiliates, products, and campaigns. All of them start from one baseline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Global commission rate (your baseline):<\/strong> This is your default rate. Unless another rule applies, every affiliate earns the same amount. For example, you might set your storewide commission at 10%. It isn’t a custom rate itself, but every custom rate is an exception to it, so it’s where your program starts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.<\/strong> Affiliate-specific commission rate:<\/strong> An affiliate-specific commission gives one particular affiliate a different rate. If your standard rate is 10%, you might offer a high-performing partner 15% without changing anything for your other affiliates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.<\/strong> Product-specific commission rate:<\/strong> Sometimes the affiliate doesn’t determine the commission. The product does. You might offer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n