Sales operations manager
Commission analyst
Finance manager
Revenue operations lead
Controller
VP of sales
This process is used at the end of commission periods when calculated payouts require verification and approval before disbursement. It applies when commission plans involve complex rules, multiple tiers, or exceptions that require human review, when payout amounts exceed defined thresholds, or when disputes or adjustments need resolution. Commission payout approval is common in sales-driven organizations, financial services, insurance, and any company with variable compensation structures.
Participants typically include the commission analyst or sales operations team member who prepares and submits the payout for approval, the sales manager who verifies representative performance, the finance manager who validates calculations against policy, and a final approver with authority to release payment. In some organizations, legal or compliance may review payouts involving exceptions or disputes.
Accurate payouts with verification that calculations align with commission plans and deal data. Timely disbursement by streamlining approval workflows and reducing manual back-and-forth. Clear audit trails documenting who approved what and why for compliance and dispute resolution. Reduced disputes through transparent calculations and documented approval rationale. Consistent application of commission policies regardless of deal complexity or exception scenarios.
Your version of this process may vary based on roles, systems, data, and approval paths. Moxo's flow builder can be configured with AI agents, conditional branching, dynamic data references, and sophisticated logic to match how your organization runs this workflow. The steps below illustrate one example.
Calculation and preparation
The process begins when commission calculations are completed for a given period. The commission analyst or sales operations team prepares the payout summary, which includes representative earnings, deal attributions, and any adjustments or exceptions. An AI agent may assist by validating calculations against commission plan rules, flagging discrepancies, or pre-populating data from CRM and deal records.
Manager review and verification
The payout summary is routed to the appropriate sales manager for review. The manager verifies that deal attributions are correct, performance metrics are accurate, and any exceptions are justified. If discrepancies are identified, the manager can flag items for adjustment before approval.
Finance validation
Once manager review is complete, finance validates the payout against commission policies, budget constraints, and accounting requirements. This includes verifying that calculations follow plan terms, that adjustments are properly documented, and that the payout is ready for disbursement.
Final approval and authorization
The payout is routed to the final approver, who reviews the verified summary and any exception notes. The approver either authorizes the payout or returns it for additional review. If payout amounts exceed defined thresholds, additional approvers may be required based on workflow configuration.
Disbursement and record
Upon approval, the payout is released for disbursement through payroll or accounts payable systems. The approval record is logged with timestamps, approver identities, and supporting documentation. Representatives may receive notification of their earnings and any relevant breakdown details.
This process commonly relies on inputs such as deal records from CRMs like Salesforce or HubSpot, commission plan documents, performance reports, and adjustment requests. It may be triggered by events like period close, automated calculation completion in commission management tools like CaptivateIQ or Xactly, or manual submission by the commission analyst. Supporting systems might include ERPs, payroll platforms, and commission management software.
Key decision points include determining whether calculations align with commission plan terms, whether deal attributions are accurate, whether exceptions or adjustments are justified, and whether the total payout is within budget and policy limits. If discrepancies are found, the workflow branches to adjustment paths. If threshold amounts are exceeded, additional approval tiers may be triggered.
Calculation errors that are not caught until after disbursement, requiring clawbacks or corrections. Misattributed deals leading to disputes and representative dissatisfaction. Undocumented exceptions that create compliance risk or inconsistent policy application. Approval bottlenecks that delay payouts and damage representative trust.
Structures the payout review so approvers see calculations, attributions, and exceptions in a clear summary. Routes approvals to the right stakeholders based on payout amount, representative, or exception type. AI agents validate calculations by checking deal data, plan terms, and flagging discrepancies before human review. Captures exception rationale so adjustments are documented for compliance and future reference. Orchestrates multi-tier approvals for high-value payouts requiring sequential authorization. Integrates with CRMs and commission platforms to pull deal data and push approved payouts to payroll systems.
