How host agency commission splits work
A host agency commission split is the share of each commission that goes to the independent advisor, while the host agency keeps the rest. The supplier pays the commission to the host, the host applies the advisor's split and pays the advisor's share on the schedule set in the advisor's contract.
Book a free 20-minute callHow a split works, step by step
The advisor books
The advisor sells a trip under the host agency's supplier agreements, and the booking is recorded with the advisor's name on it.
The supplier pays the host
When the supplier's terms say so, for example after the client travels, the commission arrives at the host agency, not at the advisor.
The split is applied
The host applies the advisor's split from the contract, written as advisor/host, such as 70/30, plus any tier or bonus the contract includes.
Fees are deducted
If the contract has a monthly, annual or per-booking fee, it is deducted from the advisor's share or billed separately.
The advisor is paid
Payouts go out on a set schedule, such as monthly, with a statement that lists every booking, the commission received and the split applied.
Common split models
Host agencies combine these in different ways. What matters is that the advisor can see how each payout was calculated.
| How it works | What to check | |
|---|---|---|
| Flat split | The same share on every booking, such as 70/30 in the advisor's favor | Simple to explain, but it does not change as the advisor grows |
| Tiered split | The advisor's share rises after a sales or commission threshold in the year | Which bookings count toward the tier, and when the count resets |
| Fee plus higher split | The advisor pays a fixed fee and keeps a larger share of each commission | Whether the fee is still covered in slow months |
| Supplier bonus | Extra commission from preferred suppliers, shared with the advisor or kept by the host | Whether the bonus shows on the advisor's statement |
A worked example
Example only: round numbers chosen to show the math, not market rates. Real commission levels, splits and fees depend on the supplier and the host agency's contract. The numbers work the same in any currency.
| Example amount | How it is calculated | |
|---|---|---|
| Trip price paid by the client | 10,000 | The total the client pays for the trip |
| Commission from the supplier | 1,000 | One tenth of the trip price, in this example |
| Advisor's share | 700 | A 70/30 split in the advisor's favor: 70 of every 100 |
| Host agency's share | 300 | The remaining 30 of every 100 |
| Advisor's monthly payout | 2,100 | Three bookings like this one in the month, before any fees |
Where payouts go wrong
- Commission is tracked in spreadsheets, so a supplier payment that never arrived is noticed months later.
- Advisors cannot see what has been paid, what is still pending and why, so the host's team answers the same questions every month.
- Cancellations and changes after a payout are handled differently every time.
- Tier thresholds are counted by hand at the end of the year.
What an advisor portal does with splits
- Shows the advisor the net rate, their commission and the client price side by side for every offer.
- Applies the split you set per advisor or per product to each confirmed booking, so the host and the advisor work from the same numbers.
- Produces a monthly report per advisor with sales, commissions and the amount to pay out.
- Sends proposals to clients under the advisor's own name and brand.
White-label advisor portal for host agencies, with commission splits and payouts
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