How does Shopspotting work?

The process in six steps

1. You recommend Merchavio

   You explain what Merchavio can do to people it suits and give them your Shopspotter link, labelled as advertising. The account and the link are free. What a good recommendation sounds like is shown in the guide on how to recommend Merchavio.

2. The seller signs up through your link

   This assigns them to you. They don’t have to do it right away: if they allow cookies, your link counts for up to 90 days, as long as it was the last one used; otherwise only within the same visit, without reloading the page. The rules in detail are on the page about the Shopspotter link.

3. The seller tries it out

   Before their first plan, the seller can try Merchavio free for 5 days. If they do, they appear in your Shopspotter area with the status “trial”. The free trial itself does not earn any commission yet.

4. The seller pays

   The seller pays Merchavio their plan every month and a small fee on every sale, including sales made during the trial. The money from their buyers goes straight into their own Stripe account.

5. Your commission accrues

   Each of these payments creates commission for you: at Merchavio 25% of the net amount, after discounts and without VAT. In your Shopspotter area you watch this month’s commission grow. The exact calculation is on the page about how the commission is calculated.

6. You request the payout

   After the hold period, the commission becomes available. From a balance of €50 you request it with the “Request payout” button, once you have added your tax and business details and then your payout destination (IBAN or PayPal address). Merchavio creates a self-billing credit note and pays out via PayPal or SEPA transfer.

How long does it take from recommendation to payout?

When they sign up is up to the seller. After that, the process at Merchavio is fixed. An example: a seller signs up through your link at the start of October, tries it for 5 days and then chooses a plan. Your commission from the plan and the fees on their sales accrues in October. It becomes available at the earliest 30 days after the end of the month, so from 1 December. If your available balance is at least €50 by then, you can request the payout. If it is lower, it stays where it is and new commission is added.

The hold period applies to every commission, including your first. Why it exists and how exactly it is counted is explained on the page about when commission is paid out.

What happens after the recommendation?

Once the seller has signed up, there is nothing more you need to do for the commission. It arises anew with every payment, month after month. Three things can change along the way:

• The seller sells more or less. The part from sales fees rises or falls.
• The seller switches plans. At Merchavio, your fixed share from the subscription changes; your rate stays the same.
• The seller cancels. No new commission arises from them. If one of the seller’s payments to Merchavio is refunded, charged back or fails, the commission on it is reversed too. More on what happens if a seller cancels.

How do you know it worked?

Your Shopspotter area shows the clicks on your link over the last 30 days, a conversion percentage and the number of sellers you referred. Every seller you referred appears in a list with their shop name, plan, status and approximate commission per month. When they pay, this month’s commission grows, and after the hold period it becomes part of your available balance. Everything else the area shows is covered under what the Shopspotter area shows.

How do you get started?

The account is free and needs no shop. What to do first after that is explained in the guide to getting started as a Shopspotter.

Become a Shopspotter