This guide will walk you through how to set up commission structures for agents and affiliates within the FareHarbor Desk platform. Agents typically represent staff members who earn commissions on bookings, while affiliates are third parties who refer business and earn commissions.
Accessing the commission settings
- Log into the FareHarbor Desk platform and navigate to the Manage menu.
- In the Manage section, select Commission Policies to set up commissions for agents or for affiliates (third parties such as travel agents or realtor companies).
Creating commission policies
To create a new commission policy for an agent or an affiliate:
- Click on Add New Commission Policy.
- Fill in the following details:
- Policy Name: Enter a name that clearly identifies the commission policy (e.g., “Senior Agent 10% Commission”).
- Commission Type: Choose whether the commission is based on profit or sales.
- Profit: The commission is calculated based on the company’s net profit from the transaction.
- Sales: The commission is calculated based on the total sale amount (before deducting costs).
Example: If the company makes $50 profit on a $200 sale, a 10% profit-based commission would be $5, whereas a 10% sales-based commission would be $20.
- Percentage: Enter the percentage of commission the agent will earn (e.g., 10%).
- Pre-Post Tax: When selecting Sales Policy Type, you will have the option to calculate commission from the Pre-Tax or Post Tax total.
- Click Save to finalize the commission policy.
Assigning commission policies to desks
In Desk, different agents can work at different desks (e.g., front desk, concierge desk), each with its own commission structure.
To assign a commission policy to a specific desk:
- Go to Desks under the Manage menu.
- Click on the desk name (for example: "Concierge Desk").
- Under the Commission Policy field, select the appropriate commission policy from the drop-down list.
- Tip: If agents working at the same desk earn different commission rates, you may need to create separate desks (e.g., “Pool Desk 1” and “Pool Desk 2”) to apply different policies.
- Click Save to confirm the assignment.
Assigning commission policies to affiliates
Affiliates are third-party organizations that refer business and earn a commission for doing so. Common affiliates include travel agencies or real estate companies.
To assign a commission policy to a specific affiliate:
- Go to Affiliates under the Manage menu.
- Click on the affiliate name (e.g., "Aloha Beach Vacations")
- Under the Commission Policy field, select the appropriate commission policy from the drop-down list.
Tip: If one affiliates working earns different commission rates, you may need to create separate affiliates (e.g., “Aloha Beach Vacations 10%” and “Aloha Beach Vacations 2”) to apply different policies. - Click Save to confirm the assignment.
Managing and updating commissions
To update an existing commission policy:
- Go to the Commission Policies.
- Click on the name of the commission policy you want to edit.
- Update the commission type, percentage, or other details as needed.
- Click Save to apply the changes.
Note: If an agent or affiliate changes roles or agreements, it’s easy to adjust their commission structure by modifying the policy.
Creating commission exceptions
Commissions are defined at a policy level, but for specific vendors, products, or customer types, you may want to offer a different commission. In such cases, you can define a custom commission percentage that overrides existing policies for that vendor, product, or customer type.
To create a commission exception:
- Click Manage in the Desk navigation.
- Select Commission Exceptions from the Manage dropdown.
- Select a policy from the tabs directly above the commission exception table.
- Identify the vendor, product, or customer type for which you would like to define a commission exception.
- Click Edit.
- An overlay will appear. Define a new commission percentage in the New commission field.
- Optional: Check the Apply new commission to all policies box. This applies the commission to all policies across all desks.
- Click Save.
The commission exception table displays vendors for a specific policy. You may select your desired desk by clicking the relevant tab above the table.
Once you have selected your policy, you may click on a vendor’s row in the Commission exceptions table to reveal specific products. You can click the desired product row to further reveal customer types associated with that product. You may apply a commission exception to any of these three layers.
In the example below, the vendor is Absolute Charters, the product is Makai Adventures, and the customer type is Child:
After a new commission exception is saved, the original commission policy percentage will appear alongside the new commission exception percentage in the Commission exceptions table.
Once an exception has been applied to a vendor or product, you may remove it at any time.
To remove a commission exception, click Edit on the vendor, product, or customer type with the exception, and click the Remove exception button on the overlay.
Running commission reports
After setting up commissions, you can run reports to track how much commission has been earned by agents or affiliates.
To generate a report:
- Go to the Reports menu and select Commission Report.
- Choose the time period and specific agents or affiliates you wish to report on.
The report will show the total sales, profit, and the commissions owed based on the applied policies.
Example: You can see how much an agent earned in commissions for a specific month or how much total commission is owed to an affiliate based on their referrals.
You’ve now set up commission policies for both agents and affiliates in the Desk platform. These settings allow you to easily manage how much your staff and third-party partners earn from bookings and other transactions.
For any future adjustments, you can always revisit the Manage menu to modify or create new commission policies as needed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I assign different commission rates to agents working at the same desk?
No, each desk can only have one commission policy. If agents working at the same location have different commission rates, you’ll need to create separate desks for each agent.
What’s the difference between profit-based and sales-based commissions?
A profit-based commission is calculated based on the company’s net profit from the transaction, while a sales-based commission is calculated based on the total sale amount before deducting costs.
Can I delete a commission policy?
The platform currently does not support deleting commission policies, but you can deactivate a policy by removing it from any active desk or vendor assignments.