In this Article:
At Mavely, we track a variety of transaction adjustments, including Returns, Reversals, and Historic Data Additions. These adjustments are made based on updates provided by brands and are reflected in your analytics and payouts.
This article will explain what these adjustments mean, how they affect your earnings, and how to track them.
What are Returns and Reversals?
Returns and Reversals are adjustments made to your earnings based on actions taken by brands after a transaction occurs. A brand can audit or edit data up to 120 days after a transaction. These changes will be reflected in your analytics and payouts, so fluctuations in your reported earnings are normal.
Returns
A Return occurs when a customer buys a product through your link but then returns it.
Full Returns:
If the entire transaction is returned, it will be labeled as a “return” in your analytics. You can filter for full returns in your analytics.
Partial Returns:
When only certain items in the cart were returned but not all, it is classified as a partial return. This does not appear under your “returns” section in your analytics. Instead, the transaction itself will update in your analytics to reflect the adjusted commission information.
For example: a follower makes a $10 purchase for a $8 bottle of sunscreen and a $2 notepad. They then decide to return the $2 notepad. The transaction will update from $10 to $8, and your commission will be adjusted.
Reversals
A Reversal is an adjustment made by a brand when a transaction does not meet their commission criteria. Common causes for reversals include:
- Non-Return Reversals: These happen when the sale is not covered by the brand’s terms, such as:
- Action Caps: Brands may set quantity limits (e.g., maximum of 9 sneakers per transaction). Transactions that exceed this limit may be reversed.
- Attribution Errors: These occur when a brand’s logic for attributing transactions or commissions is found to be inaccurate
- Non-Commissionable Items: Brands can also reverse sales if the items in a customer’s cart are deemed non-commissionable.
- For example, if a consumer purchases only groceries via your Mavely link and the brand doesn’t offer commission on groceries, the entire transaction will be reversed.
What Are Historic Data Additions?
Historic Data Additions occur when data tracks for a commission cycle which has already been paid. These adjustments are typically made due to:
- Post-Cycle Updates: If a brand audits and sends updated transaction data for a previous commission cycle, any new or corrected transactions will be added in a future pay period.
- Unpaid Transactions: If a user’s commission for a qualifying transaction was not paid in a previous cycle (due to a variety of reasons), it will be included in a future historic data addition once the issue is resolved.
Examples of Historic Data Additions
- Example 1: A transaction from January 14th is audited and processed after the January 1-15 commission cycle has already been paid. This transaction will be added to the next commission cycle as a historic data addition.
- Example 2: If a user was not paid for a valid commission due to requirements not being met, the transaction will be added to the user’s next pay period as a historic data addition.
How Do Returns and Reversals Impact My Earnings?
Partial Returns and Commission Adjustments
Partial returns (when only part of the cart is returned) will update the transaction in your analytics to show the revised commission. Although this won’t be listed under the “returns” section, the updated commission will be visible in your analytics.
Reversals and Data Impact
Reversals will also affect your analytics. When a transaction is reversed (for reasons such as non-commissionable items, action caps, or attribution errors), the transaction amount and commission will reflect the updated data, often appearing as $0 sales or reduced commissions.
Impact on Payments:
- If a return or reversal is reported after a transaction has been paid out, the adjustment will be reflected in your Returns and Reversals (R&R) balance.
- Future payouts will be adjusted to account for these deductions, ensuring that your earnings are accurate.
FAQs About Adjustments
Why am I seeing so many Returns and Reversals?
Returns and Reversals (R&R) appear in your Analytics under Transactions as they happen, so they may show up in your current month’s data.
Brands can reverse transactions at their discretion. Some reversals may appear as Returns, but both result in the commission being removed. Once a transaction is marked as a Return or Reversal, it cannot be disputed.
Common reasons for Returns and Reversals include:
- The shopper returned the item
- The transaction did not meet the brand’s terms and conditions
- The item purchased was not eligible for commission
- These kinds of adjustments are a normal part of how commissions are processed across affiliate networks, and they help keep everything aligned with final order outcomes.
Why does my Adjustments balance not match the Returns and Reversals I see under Transactions?
Your Adjustments balance only reflects returns and reversals from previously paid payout periods.
Returns and reversals shown in Transactions are updated in real time and may relate to recent or current activity that has not yet been finalized. These amounts will not appear in your Adjustments balance until the payout period they belong to has closed and been paid.
Once a payout cycle is complete, any applicable returns or reversals from that period will be applied to your Adjustments balance and reflected in future payouts.