Creators & affiliates
Know what UpPromote affiliates cost on every order
Once you turn on UpPromote's order tag, every order it tracks is marked UpPromote_order in Shopify. MerchantFlow deducts your affiliate commission from those orders' profit and shows it as its own P&L line.
UpPromote is an affiliate and influencer app for Shopify: affiliates share links and discount codes, and UpPromote tracks the orders they drive and works out what each affiliate earns. That cost sits in UpPromote until you pay it. Your profit reporting sees the full sale, so affiliate orders look better than they are.
UpPromote can mark every order it tracks with an order tag, UpPromote_order by default. MerchantFlow's UpPromote rule matches that tag as a starts-with match, so it keeps working if you add one of UpPromote's variables to the end, such as the affiliate or program ID. The commission is charged on each tagged order's net product revenue and follows refunds and cancellations.
What it syncs
The UpPromote_order tag, including any variable you add to it, on your synced Shopify orders
Net product revenue per order, after discounts and refunds, excluding shipping
Refunds and cancellations, which reduce or remove the commission
Product tax, excluded from the commission basis unless you choose to include it
The commission per order and per rule, written into your P&L history
What you get
Affiliate commission inside order profit
Each tracked order's margin has the affiliate's commission taken off, on the order list, the order detail page and in product profit.
Per-program rates if you need them
Add the program ID variable to UpPromote's tag, then create one rule per program in MerchantFlow with that program's exact tag and rate, placed above the general rule.
Your history, recalculated
A new rule is applied to every tagged order already synced. Preview the total on your last 12 months before you save it.
A Commissions line on your P&L
Commissions sit in contribution margin beside payment fees and ad spend, with a breakdown by rule, so you can judge the program on the profit it leaves rather than the revenue it claims.
What this unlocks
Profit after affiliate commissions
Contribution margin and net profit with UpPromote commissions deducted, for any period.
Affiliate cost as a share of revenue
What the program costs as a percentage of net revenue, month by month.
Tracked order margin
The margin left on UpPromote orders after product cost, fees, ad spend and commission.
Connection details
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Status | Live - set it up in Settings > Commissions |
| Connection method | A commission rule on UpPromote's order tag. No UpPromote login or API key |
| Default tag | UpPromote_order, set up under Settings > Integration > Order tag in UpPromote |
| Tag length | UpPromote does not add a tag longer than 40 characters, variables included |
| Commission types | Percentage of net product revenue, or a fixed amount per order |
| Plans | Every plan |
How it connects
Turn on UpPromote's order tag
In UpPromote, go to Settings > Integration > Order tag and click Set up. Keep the default UpPromote_order, or add a variable to identify the affiliate or program.
Start from the UpPromote template
In MerchantFlow, open Settings > Commissions and pick UpPromote. The tag is filled in as a starts-with match; set your commission rate and preview it.
Commissions apply automatically
Tagged history is recalculated in the background, and every new UpPromote order is charged as it syncs.
How teams use it
UpPromote tells you which affiliates drive sales. Whether those sales are worth what you pay for them depends on margin: product cost, fees, discounts and the commission itself, all counted on the same order.
- Compare margin on affiliate orders with your store average, after commission.
- Watch commission as a share of net revenue when you change rates or launch new programs.
- Run one rule per program to see which programs earn their payouts.
- Check that refunded affiliate orders have had their commission reduced or removed.
Good to know
The tag is off until you turn it on
UpPromote only tags orders after you enable the order tag, so orders it tracked earlier carry no tag and are not charged. Record earlier payouts as expenses if you want them in the P&L.
Keep tags under 40 characters
If a variable makes the tag longer than 40 characters, UpPromote cannot add it and the order is not charged. Affiliate and program names are the usual culprits; IDs are shorter.
Your rule sets the rate
MerchantFlow applies the rate in your rule rather than reading UpPromote's commission records, so tiered rates, bonuses and product-level commissions need their own rules or an expense entry.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to connect my UpPromote account?
No. MerchantFlow reads the order tag on your synced Shopify orders, so there is no UpPromote login or API key to share.
I changed the tag in UpPromote. What should the rule use?
Replace the default with your tag, or with its fixed beginning if you added a variable. With a starts-with match, a rule on uppromote_order also covers a tag such as uppromote_order_1234.
How is the commission calculated?
A percentage rule charges its rate on net product revenue: the subtotal after discounts, less refunds, excluding shipping and, by default, tax. A fixed rule charges the same amount on every tagged order in your store currency.
Which plans include this?
Commission rules are available on every MerchantFlow plan.
