How it’s calculated, why it may look wrong, and how to fix it
What Is Commissionable Revenue?
Commissionable Revenue is the subtotal of owner income that your management commission percentage is applied to and is used in VRT's default owner statement templates.
It is typically based on:
Rent / accommodation fare
Cleaning fees (if commissionable)
Pet fees or other guest fees (if commissionable)
Discounts (which reduce commissionable revenue)
What is typically deducted:
Channel fees
Merchant (Stripe) fees
Other property-manager-only expenses
Why Commissionable Revenue May Look Incorrect
The most common reason Commissionable Revenue is wrong is statement ordering, not a calculation error.
By default, Commissionable Revenue may be:
Calculated before channel fees or merchant fees
Which incorrectly reduces the base used for commission
If you take commission on gross revenue, those fees must not be deducted before Commissionable Revenue is calculated. You should edit your statement template and put channel commissions and merchant fees below commissionable revenue.
How Commissionable Revenue Is Calculated
Commissionable Revenue is calculated as a subtotal based on the rows above it in your statement template.
That means:
Whatever appears above the Commissionable Revenue line
Is included in the commission base
Whatever appears below it is excluded
Key rule:
Order matters.
How to Fix Commissionable Revenue (Most Common Setup)
Step 1: Edit the Owner Statement Template
Go to Statements
Open your Owner Statement Template
Click Edit Template
Step 2: Reorder the Commissionable Revenue Line
Drag Commissionable Revenue so it appears:
Below all commissionable income (rent, cleaning, pet fees, etc.)
Above channel fees and merchant fees
This ensures commission is calculated on gross owner revenue, not net.
Step 3: Review Which Fees Are Commissionable
For each fee type:
Open Fees & Commissions
Review each financial line
Confirm whether it should be included in commission
Verify mappings are correct
Example:
Pet fees → Commissionable ✔
Channel fees → Not commissionable ✖
Merchant fees → Not commissionable ✖
Using the MC% Column to Validate Calculations (Recommended)
To quickly verify your math:
Unhide the MC% column in the statement template
Set it to:
Visible to users
Hidden from owners
Review the commission calculation on a reservation
This makes it easy to spot:
Ordering issues
Missing income lines
Discounts not being applied correctly
How Discounts Affect Commissionable Revenue
Discounts typically reduce the commission base.
If a reservation includes:
Rent: $360
Cleaning: $250
Pet fee: $100
Discount: −$50
Commissionable Revenue is calculated on:
360 + 250 + 100 − 50 = 660
The management commission percentage is applied after discounts. If you have mapped discounts PMS line types to different account than rents, be sure to include the discounts account in the mapped account included in the fee.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Leaving Commissionable Revenue below channel or merchant fees
❌ Assuming the system “knows” what should be commissionable
❌ Forgetting to include discounts in the commission base
❌ Verifying commission without exposing the MC% column
Best Practices
✔ Always place Commissionable Revenue above expenses deducted after the calculation of management commission.
✔ Use subtotal ordering to control commission logic
✔ Validate using the MC% column before publishing statements
✔ Test with one reservation before rolling out broadly
Summary
Commissionable Revenue is:
A subtotal, not a static formula
Controlled by statement ordering
The foundation of accurate management commission calculations
If Commissionable Revenue looks wrong, check the order first.