Understanding the Difference Between Transaction Date and Process Date
When you start to receive commission checks, you may notice that the amount on the check doesn't always match the amount you see when you generate your online reports. That's because online reports are generated based on "Transaction Date" whereas commission payments are made based on "Process Date." Let's take a closer look...
Transaction Date
The Transaction Date is the date that a transaction occurs, as reported to LinkShare by merchants. The date of a transaction may not always be the same as the date that it is reported to us for processing. For example, some merchants will wait for credit card authorization or for the item to ship before sending the transaction information to LinkShare.
Process Date
The Process Date is the date that a transaction is received and uploaded into LinkShare's system.
If a transaction is reported for processing to LinkShare during the month in which it occurs, then there will not be a discrepancy between the online reports and commission due to you for a given month.
If, however, a transaction is reported to LinkShare for processing after the end of the month for the period in which the transaction occurs, then the transaction will be allocated to a different (later) processing period and there will be a discrepancy between the report and your commission check.
The following example illustrates a discrepancy situation:
Example: A transaction occurs on May 30, 2003. It is reported to LinkShare on June 2, 2003. If the Sales and Activity Report is run on June 3, 2001, then this transaction will appear in the May, 2003 online reports. However, the commission amount for this transaction will be included as part of June's commission payment, because it was reported to LinkShare and processed after the month of May ended. Hence, this transaction falls in the June, 2003 process period with respect to payments.
You should use the Payment Report to reconcile your commission payments due, instead of the standard online reports. The amounts shown in your Payment Report are the same amounts that are billed to merchants by LinkShare on your behalf, and therefore, the Payment Report will accurately reflect the monthly payment amounts that are due to you.
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