A cleaner close starts here.
Practical tools, worked guides and useful documents for the decisions behind payday.
Commission calculator
Check flat-rate commission from a sales basis and an agreed percentage.
Service and retail commission
Calculate two categories at different rates and see how their totals combine.
Tax-basis comparison
Compare commission on the full amount with commission after removing supplied or assumed tax.
Refund adjustment
Trace a full or partial refund back to its original basis and commission rate.
Discount impact
Compare commission on list price and on the amount after a discount.
Sales basis for a commission target
Reverse a flat-rate calculation to find the sales basis needed for an entered amount.
Rate change comparison
Keep the same sales basis and compare two supplied commission rates.
CSV health check
Find missing columns, invalid amounts, ambiguous dates and incomplete source rows.
Duplicate row finder
Identify matching source rows without deleting or merging any record.
Date range checker
Separate in-period rows, outside rows and dates that need a convention or correction.
Staff name matcher
Compare source names with a team list and explicit aliases you supply.
Commission variance checker
Compare source-reported commission with a flat-rate calculation for each entered basis.
Rounding comparison
See the difference between rounding every line and rounding one combined amount.
Period comparison
Compare sales, refund magnitudes and commission across two defined date ranges.
Commission statement builder
Create a downloadable illustrative worksheet with source references, rates and a reconciled total.
Period close checklist
Record which pre-close checks you have completed and download the unresolved list.
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.
First close · 6 min readService and retail commission: reconcile a mixed basket
Separate service and retail lines, apply each supplied rate, and trace discounts, returns and unknown categories in a mixed salon sale.
Calculation methods · 6 min readCommission tax basis: make the amount behind the percentage explicit
Compare tax-inclusive and tax-exclusive commission using supplied amounts, signed refunds and transparent reverse-tax arithmetic.
Calculation methods · 6 min readCommission rounding: find the cent instead of hiding it
Reproduce a one-cent commission difference, compare rounding per line with rounding a total, and apply one signed rounding policy consistently.
Calculation methods · 6 min readInvoice date versus payment date: the same week can contain different sales
Trace date-based differences between sales and payment reports using a three-sale example, a clear bridge and consistent period boundaries.
Source data · 6 min readOverlapping sales exports: find repeated rows without losing real sales
Compare two overlapping exports with line references, reconcile repeated amounts and distinguish duplicate candidates from legitimate repeated services.
Source data · 6 min readStaff attribution: distinguish who did the work from who took the payment
Check staff fields, confirm aliases and reconcile service-provider attribution with a worked example where cashier mapping changes the result.
Source data · 6 min readWhen report totals do not match, build a bridge before changing anything
A diagnostic sequence for mismatched salon reports: align dates and filters, compare tax bases, inspect duplicates and refunds, then reconcile commission.
Troubleshooting · 6 min readA partial refund, traced to the original item
Follow a partial salon refund from its original sale through signed tax, calculation basis and commission arithmetic, with a complete AUD example.
Refunds & adjustments · 6 min readA refund after the close: link the periods without rewriting the past
Trace a later refund to a completed commission run, check the original rate and preserve a clear two-period record with a worked AUD example.
Refunds & adjustments · 6 min readDiscounted services: avoid subtracting the same discount twice
Compare list-price and discounted-price commission assumptions, inspect source discount fields and reproduce the effect with a worked AUD service sale.
Calculation methods · 6 min readPackages and prepaid services: separate the sale from the visit
Map package sale and redemption events, compare explicit allocation methods and identify where a flat-rate CSV commission workflow needs more evidence.
Complex source events · 6 min readGift cards: follow the sale through to redemption
Trace a gift-card purchase, redemption and service line without counting the same amount twice in a salon commission worksheet.
Source records · 6 min readA cancelled appointment is not an itemised sale
Separate appointment status, cancellation fees, refunds and actual sale lines before reviewing a salon commission period.
Exceptions · 6 min readDecide what belongs in the commission basis
Review tips, gift-card payments, fees and other non-service items with an explicit inclusion decision and a reconciling sales bridge.
Calculation rules · 6 min readKeep a mid-period rate change tied to its dates
Use sale-date agreements for a mid-period rate change, check the boundary and preserve the rate evidence in the final record.
Calculation rules · 6 min readRebuild a staff statement from its sales lines
Trace a staff commission total through services, retail, refunds, exclusions and source references with a complete worked statement.
Close & handover · 6 min readOne service, two staff: establish the split first
Document shared-service attribution, test the allocated sales basis and avoid counting a full service once for each staff member.
Source records · 6 min readCorrect the explanation before changing the total
Distinguish source corrections, commission review decisions and separate payroll adjustments while preserving references and calculation evidence.
Exceptions · 6 min readGive every sale one place in the calendar
Define inclusive commission dates, inspect boundary rows and prevent gaps or overlaps between weekly, fortnightly and monthly runs.
Close & handover · 6 min readHand over a commission close someone can reproduce
Build a concise salon commission handover pack with a cover sheet, source register, summary, detail, decisions and a receiving check.
Close & handover · 6 min readWhere a commission worksheet stops and payroll begins
Understand the Australian payroll boundary: commission arithmetic, employment rules, payslips, deductions and reporting are separate checks.
Payroll boundary · 6 min readCheck the formula before disputing the commission
Compare provider-reported commission with a supplied flat-rate formula by aligning basis, category, attribution, dates and rounding.
Calculation rules · 6 min readShare the evidence a reviewer needs, and no more
Prepare useful salon sales samples, remove unnecessary personal details and understand browser tools, local workspace storage and iCloud sync.
Data handling · 6 min readHow to audit a salon commission report before a pay run
Choose the right source report, trace a refund to its original sale, compare the calculation and keep a review record before handing commission to payroll.
Commission review · 8 min readTen rows. Four questions. One explainable close.
Follow ten fictional sales rows through refunds, overlap, a rate difference and an excluded voucher to a verified $255 commission close.
Worked close · 4 min readWhere the extra cent goes
Three five-cent bases reveal a one-cent difference between line rounding and total rounding. Reproduce both methods and their negative mirrors.
Calculation notebook · 4 min readThe column we almost threw away
An original-column investigation shows how keeping list price, discount and staff attribution explains a $20 commission difference.
Product decisions · 4 min readThree reports, one week, three honest totals
Reconcile fictional itemised sales, payments received and a staff commission statement through a precise $990, $880 and $360 bridge.
Report investigations · 5 min readWhen Mia Chen becomes Mia Patel in an export
A fictional rename case separates confirmed identity from a similar name and explains legacy matching, dated staff links and duplicate checks.
Source identity · 5 min readThe retail return that arrived next week
Trace a fictional $33 partial retail return to a prior $66 sale while keeping the original $6 commission record unchanged.
Refund investigations · 4 min readOne service. Two staff. Start with the evidence.
A fictional shared service compares a confirmed 60/40 attribution with two incorrect shortcuts, and explains the one-earner-per-row product limit.
Attribution investigations · 4 min readThe blank tax cell that changed the close
Compare supplied tax, absent tax and explicit zero in three fictional $110 rows, with verified $40, $40 and $44 commission outputs.
Calculation notebook · 4 min readA review reason should survive the next question
Compare weak and useful notes for a refund, repeated sale and reported-rate difference, then test whether another reviewer can reconstruct the decision.
Product decisions · 4 min readHow we tested the commission calculators
Actual fixtures and results from 31 public-tool tests: signed half cents, tax reversal, malformed files, incomplete comparisons and statement downloads.
Engineering notebook · 4 min readRebuilding a handover from two unexplained totals
Turn an incomplete fictional Mia $123 / Noah $132 spreadsheet into a traceable handover with source, decisions, assumptions and a reconciled summary.
Handover investigations · 5 min readWhat a finalised snapshot actually keeps
Inspect the real fields saved at close and a controlled experiment showing later draft changes do not rewrite the fictional $255 historical result.
Product decisions · 4 min readA sales CSV you can actually import
Download a blank itemised sales CSV and a tested three-row example with a service, retail sale and signed refund. Includes field mapping instructions.
Working files · 5 min readKeep staff rates with the dates that explain them
A blank staff rate register and fictional example recording stable identifiers, service and retail percentages, effective dates and supporting evidence.
Working files · 5 min readWrite down the decisions behind the percentage
An operational commission decisions worksheet covering basis, period dates, categories, refunds and rounding, with a blank CSV and fictional completed example.
Working files · 5 min readA refund log that leads back to the sale
Record the original sale, signed refund, supplied tax, rate, calculated adjustment and review evidence in a blank CSV or fictional partial-refund example.
Working files · 5 min readRecord which duplicate candidate you kept, and why
A duplicate review CSV connecting both candidate rows, source files, matching fields and the retained or excluded decision, with a fictional overlap example.
Working files · 5 min readA dated record for a change in commission rate
Download a rate-change CSV recording old and new percentages, effective dates, affected periods, evidence and a same-basis dollar comparison.
Working files · 5 min readA blank checklist for the next commission close
A reusable commission close CSV with evidence, reviewer, status and open-action fields, plus a fictional example that deliberately leaves one check unresolved.
Working files · 5 min readA commission statement that can be traced line by line
Download a blank commission worksheet and a fictional $43.00 statement with source references, signed sales, tax basis, rates and line calculations.
Working files · 5 min readA cover sheet for a commission handover
A blank handover manifest and fictional completed pack listing source, detail, summary, decisions, assumptions and backup records with clear reconciliation checks.
Working files · 5 min readKnow which report a commission period came from
Record source system, report name, export timestamp, date basis, filters, row count, totals and storage reference in a downloadable source report register.
Working files · 5 min readExplain the difference between reported and calculated commission
A commission variance CSV with expected and source amounts, a consistent signed difference, supporting evidence and a fictional refund discrepancy.
Working files · 5 min readA backup register that records the restore check
Track backup filenames, workspace coverage, storage locations, revisions and actual restore-check results with a blank CSV and a clearly fictional example.
Working files · 5 min readCreate an account and a place for each salon
Set up a local Trimsum account, save its recovery code and create separate empty workspaces for the salons or clients you manage.
Using your workspace · 5 min readImport an itemised sales file into the right draft
Follow Upload CSV, Match columns and Review import, including file limits, preview checks and the choice to replace or add to a draft.
Using your workspace · 5 min readMatch each source column to the job it does
Map required and optional sales fields, distinguish missing tax from zero and choose an unambiguous date convention before previewing an import.
Using your workspace · 5 min readSet the service and retail rates behind the draft
Set flat or date-specific staff commission rates, connect source names to people and review changed drafts without rewriting completed runs.
Using your workspace · 5 min readResolve a source question with a reason you can reuse
Inspect an original sales row, follow its commission calculation and record or reopen a review decision before the period is finalised.
Using your workspace · 5 min readClose a reviewed period and download its records
Check finalisation eligibility, name the run and download the actual staff summary and detailed audit CSVs from Archive.
Using your workspace · 5 min readKeep a backup and check a restore before relying on it
Download a full workspace backup, preview a supported restore and find the preserved pre-restore copy and earlier closed records.
Using your workspace · 5 min readGet back into your account with its saved code
Reset a local Trimsum password using the saved recovery code, retain workspace data and save the replacement code issued after recovery.
Using your workspace · 5 min readFix an import without guessing which rows arrived
Diagnose concrete CSV header, quoting, column, date, amount and mapping errors, then safely retry a complete sales import.
Using your workspace · 5 min readFinish the week with a number you can explain
Take a weekly salon commission run from itemised sales to reviewed exceptions and a saved statement, with a complete three-line worked example.
A working close · 5 min readSend the number with the working behind it
Prepare a salon commission handover with staff summary and line-level audit CSVs, clear period coverage and the original source evidence.
A working close · 5 min readFind the file problem before it becomes a pay question
Check the structure, dates, signed amounts and staff attribution of an itemised salon sales CSV before reviewing commission.
A working close · 5 min readSee every part of the commission calculation
Understand Trimsum’s service and retail rates, dated agreements, supplied tax basis, signed refunds and per-line rounding through reproducible AUD examples.
Inside the product · 5 min readLeave an answer where the question appeared
Investigate salon commission exceptions with original source values, visible calculations and a recorded reason for each inclusion or exclusion.
Inside the product · 5 min readClose the period. Keep its working.
See what a completed Trimsum run preserves, how it differs from an editable draft and what remains available in summary and detailed audit exports.
Inside the product · 5 min read