Crediting rule is a policy that determines when and how salespeople receive credit for a sale. It specifies which rep (or reps) gets commission credit based on factors such as timing, territory assignment, customer relationship, or involvement in the sales process. According to Pavilion (2024), unclear crediting rules are the most common cause of commission disputes—responsible for 47% of all compensation complaints.
Well-defined crediting rules are essential for sales organizations:
According to Alexander Group (2024), companies with well-documented crediting rules have 34% fewer escalated disputes.
| Rule Type | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Territory-based | Credit to owner of customer's territory | Geographic sales models |
| Account-based | Credit to assigned account owner | Named account models |
| Opportunity owner | Credit to whoever created the deal | Transactional sales |
| First touch | Credit to whoever sourced the lead | Lead-gen focused orgs |
| Last touch | Credit to whoever closed the deal | Closer-focused models |
| Split credit | Multiple reps share credit | Team selling |
Customer headquartered in Texas closes $90,000 deal:
| Scenario | Credit Assignment |
|---|---|
| Single territory | 100% to Texas rep |
| Multi-location customer | Split by revenue per location |
| Territory change mid-deal | Based on ownership at close |
SDR sources lead, AE closes deal:
| Role | Crediting Rule | Credit % |
|---|---|---|
| SDR | Sourcing bonus | Flat fee or 10-15% |
| AE | Full deal credit | 85-100% |
Named account rep owns relationship, specialist assists:
| Role | Crediting Rule | Credit % |
|---|---|---|
| Account Owner | Primary credit | 70-80% |
| Specialist Overlay | Assist credit | 20-30% |
| Trigger | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| At booking | When contract registered as won | Simple, immediate |
| At invoice | When customer is invoiced | Transactional products |
| At payment | When cash is received | Conservative cash flow |
| At go-live | When implementation completes | Complex solutions |
| Sales Model | Typical Crediting Rule |
|---|---|
| SMB/Transactional | Opportunity owner gets 100% |
| Mid-Market | Territory-based with account ownership |
| Enterprise | Account-based with overlay splits |
| Partner/Channel | Split between partner and internal rep |
| PLG/Self-serve | Territory for expansion, no credit for self-serve |
Document everything: Write all crediting rules in a policy document. Include examples and edge cases.
Handle exceptions consistently: Create a process for unusual situations. Document decisions to build precedent.
Align with CRM data: Crediting rules should map to fields in your CRM. If territory determines credit, territory must be correct.
Review quarterly: As the business evolves, crediting rules may need updates.
Clearly define whether credit follows original or new owner. Most companies lock credit at a specific stage (e.g., "proposal sent").
Either split by revenue per location, or 100% to headquarters territory. Choose one model and stick to it.
Typically territory owner gets credit regardless of lead source, but SDR/marketing may get sourcing bonus.
Manual credit assignment creates errors, disputes, and administrative burden. Prowi automatically applies your crediting rules based on CRM data, handles splits, and provides full audit trail for every credit decision.