Why did my affiliate receive less commission than expected?
When affiliates receive payouts, they may notice that the amount deposited into their bank account is less than the expected commission amount. This discrepancy is caused by currency exchange rates and local bank fees, and for stores in HUF also by the rounding to whole forints. Below, we explain why this happens and whether it can be avoided.
Overview of Payout Processes
Autopay sends the payout through Stripe in USD. Stores in EUR, GBP or CAD are different: Autopay sends their payouts in the store currency. When the currency of the payout is not the currency of the bank account of the affiliate, such as HUF (Hungarian Forint), Stripe converts the amount. The bank can also charge fees.
Why Discrepancies Occur
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Currency Exchange Rates: When the payout is converted to the affiliate's local currency, the exchange rate applied by the bank or payment processor may result in a different amount than expected.
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Local Bank Fees: Affiliates' banks may charge additional fees for processing international payments or currency conversions. These fees are deducted from the payout amount before it is deposited into the affiliate's account.
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Whole forints for HUF stores: Stripe accepts HUF amounts only in whole forints. For a store in HUF, Autopay rounds each payout down to a whole forint before it charges your payment method. The payout then goes to the affiliate in USD. The rest of the commission is not lost: it stays in the balance of the affiliate for the next payout.
Affiliates can see the amount of each payout on their payment invoices. The invoices do not show bank fees. The bank of the affiliate can explain its fees and its exchange rate.
Can Discrepancies Be Avoided?
The exchange rate and the bank fees cannot be avoided. When the payout currency and the currency of the bank account of the affiliate are different, the currency conversion and the local bank fees are outside the control of the payout system and are determined by the banks and payment processors involved. The HUF rounding is part of Autopay, and the affiliate does not lose that amount: the rest stays in the balance of the affiliate for the next payout.
Summary
Discrepancies in affiliate payouts occur due to currency exchange rates and local bank fees when a payout is converted to another currency, and for stores in HUF due to the rounding to whole forints, which carries the rest to the next payout. While the exchange rate and the bank fees cannot be avoided, affiliates can see the payout amounts on their payment invoices. For further assistance, affiliates can contact their bank to inquire about specific fees or exchange rates applied to their transactions.