Reconcile a salon commission period, from source rows to a clear total
A complete commission reconciliation method: fix the period, inspect source rows, apply recorded rates, explain exceptions and prepare the handover.
A commission total is useful only when another person can follow it back to the sales that produced it. Reconciliation builds that path. Start with a defined set of source rows, apply an explicit calculation basis, and explain the difference between the result you expected and the result you intend to close.
The useful part
Close a period only when every included amount has a source, every rate has a recorded basis and every unresolved difference has been investigated. Keep the evidence with the final total.
1. Decide which rows belong to this close
Write down the inclusive start and end dates, the date field used by the source report, the location and staff filters, and the export filename. A sales report grouped by invoice date and a payments report grouped by payment date can both be accurate while containing different transactions.
Keep the original file unchanged. Work from a copy and record any exclusions separately. If you receive a replacement export, identify whether it replaces the earlier file or adds new rows; appending it without checking overlap can count a sale twice.
2. Make the calculation reproducible
Record the staff member, service percentage, retail percentage, inclusive or exclusive calculation basis, and rounding method. A percentage by itself is incomplete: 40% of a $110.00 inclusive sale produces $44.00, while 40% of a supplied $100.00 exclusive basis produces $40.00.
Confirm what each category means before using it. A package sale, tip or cancellation fee should not acquire a treatment merely because a spreadsheet column happens to call it a service. Leave an unsupported category for an explicit decision.
3. Build the total from accepted lines
This fictional AUD close uses a supplied exclusive basis, a 40% service rate and a 10% retail rate. The refund is accepted as an adjustment under the example’s recorded assumptions. One repeated export row is excluded.
The accepted basis is $200.00 + $30.00 − $50.00 = $180.00. The commission is $80.00 + $3.00 − $20.00 = $63.00. A mixed-rate total cannot be checked by multiplying $180.00 by a single rate.
| Source line | Basis | Rate | Included commission |
|---|---|---|---|
| S-201 · service | $200.00 | 40% | $80.00 |
| R-202 · retail | $30.00 | 10% | $3.00 |
| F-203 · service refund | −$50.00 | 40% | −$20.00 |
| S-201 · repeated export row | $200.00 | Excluded | $0.00 |
| Accepted total | $180.00 | Mixed | $63.00 |
4. Investigate differences before adjusting totals
Compare source-reported commission, when present, with the calculation line by line. A mismatch is a question, not proof that the source is wrong. It might reflect a different tax basis, category rate, discount treatment, date selection or rounding policy.
In the example, a source total of $83.00 that includes service and retail but omits the refund differs from the accepted $63.00 by $20.00. Record that bridge explicitly. Do not enter an unexplained negative adjustment merely to make the two headline numbers agree.
5. Use an explicit review gate
- Confirm the expected source files are present and their date ranges cover the period.
- Resolve unmatched staff, unknown categories, duplicate candidates and refund questions.
- Rebuild each staff total from its accepted rows; compare the staff totals with the overall total.
- Keep the reason, evidence reference and financial effect of each review decision.
- Ask the responsible reviewer to confirm that the calculation assumptions match the intended process.
A total can match for the wrong reason
An omitted $20.00 commission and an extra $20.00 commission cancel in the total. Row-level checks still matter.
6. Hand over a complete record
Keep the period label, source manifest, accepted and excluded rows, rates, calculation basis, staff summary and review notes together. Retain the original export so a later refund or query can be traced without reconstructing the period from memory.
Trimsum can reconcile itemised CSV rows using flat service and retail percentages. Its commission record is an input to your wider pay process: it does not calculate payroll entitlements, submit payroll or send money. Use the checklist below to turn this method into a repeatable close.
Put it to work.
Record which checks are complete and which questions still need an answer.
Build your close checklist