PartnerJam supports the full range of charge types that Shopify apps use to bill merchants. Whatever your pricing model, publishers can earn commission on it.
Supported commission types
Recurring subscriptions — monthly or annual. The most common model, and the one publishers tend to prefer because it generates ongoing commission for as long as the merchant stays subscribed.
Usage-based charges — variable charges based on merchant activity (e.g., per API call, per order processed). Commissions are calculated from actual usage as it's billed.
One-time charges — single payments for a feature, upgrade, or non-recurring product. The publisher earns a one-time commission when the charge clears.
Free apps — no commission is generated (there's no charge to take a percentage of), but PartnerJam still tracks the install and attributes any future paid charges to the same publisher if the merchant later upgrades.
How commissions are calculated
The commission rate you set when pairing an app is applied to the gross subscription amount — the list price shown on your Shopify App Store page, before Shopify's revenue share.
So a 20% commission rate on a $50/month app means the publisher earns $10/month per referred merchant, not 20% of what you net after Shopify's cut.
Set the rate with this in mind — if you want publishers to earn 20% of your post-Shopify revenue, your actual commission rate should be higher than 20%.
Combined charges on a single subscription
When a merchant has both a subscription and usage-based charges, the commission is calculated from the total. For example, a $50 subscription plus $100 in usage-based charges in a given month generates commission on $150.
Refunds
Refunds are handled automatically. When a merchant is refunded, the corresponding commission is reversed within an hour — no manual adjustment needed.
If the refund happens during the 40-day grace period, the commission simply disappears from the publisher's bracketed balance before it ever becomes payable.
If the refund happens after the grace period, the reversal is reflected as a negative value on the publisher's next payout. See How are payouts managed for the full flow.
The commission rate is fixed at the time you set it, but applies per charge — not per merchant. If you change the rate later, existing referrals continue earning at the old rate, while new installs use the new rate.