This page is part of the guide to calculating an illustrative referral reward. Its single job is the formula: four payment patterns worked through the 2026 default reward, so you can see which payments move a reward and which do not.
The two numbers to remember: USD 50,000 plus 5%, or 15%
Three words in the definition do most of the work.
- Actual. Only compensation SourceX has paid counts. A term sheet showing $500,000 is worth nothing to the calculation until payments are made, and a scheduled payment that has not been made adds nothing yet. A transaction qualifies only if its Actual Supplier Payout is at least USD 100,000, unless SourceX agrees otherwise in writing.
- Supplier. A reward becomes payable after SourceX has paid the referred company under its signed agreement and the payout conditions in the program terms are met, including finance approval and your tax and payment details. The reward is never calculated on SourceX's revenue, and it is funded separately, so it never comes out of the company's payout.
- First. The USD 50,000 floor belongs to the company's first qualifying transaction, not to every agreement. Each further qualifying transaction with that company first agreed within 12 months of the first qualifying Closing (the Repeat Window) pays 15% of its own Actual Supplier Payout, with no floor and no cap.
A signed Schedule A or addendum can set a different rate, base or floor. Where one exists, it prevails, so check it before you rely on the figures below. The reward schedule question explains where to find yours.
Four payment scenarios, worked on the 2026 formula
Illustrative only. These are arithmetic under the default terms, not quotes, forecasts or completed deals, and the companies are fictional.
| Scenario | What SourceX paid the company | Counted toward the base | Default reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. One payment | $250,000 once | $250,000 | $62,500 |
| B. One payment with itemized tax | $415,000, of which $15,000 is separately itemized tax | $400,000 | $70,000 |
| C. A license, then a repeat inside the window | $300,000, then $200,000 nine months later | $300,000 first, $200,000 as a repeat | $65,000 plus $30,000, so $95,000 |
| D. Four staged payments, three made so far | USD 100,000 three times; fourth not yet paid | $300,000 | $65,000 so far, $70,000 once all four are paid |
What each one shows:
- A is the plain case. A 280-person specialty distributor is paid $250,000 for one dataset. USD 50,000 plus 5% of $250,000 is $62,500; 15% of $250,000 would be $37,500, so the greater figure, $62,500, is the reward.
- B shows the exclusion. A 410-person engineering firm receives $415,000, but $15,000 is tax listed as its own line. The base is $400,000: USD 50,000 plus 5% is $70,000, ahead of the 15% figure of $60,000, so the reward is $70,000.
- C shows how a repeat works. A 530-person claims administrator licenses one dataset for $300,000, which gives $65,000 (USD 50,000 plus $15,000, ahead of 15%). Nine months later it agrees a repeat license for $200,000. That is inside the 12-month Repeat Window, so it pays 15% of $200,000, which is $30,000. The floor does not apply a second time, and nothing caps the $95,000 total. A repeat first agreed after the window closes falls outside the default repeat rule.
- D shows timing. A 350-person field service company has an agreement worth $400,000 in four equal staged payments. The reward on the whole transaction is $70,000 (USD 50,000 plus 5% of $400,000), payable proportionately as each installment is paid: the USD 50,000 element with the first installment that meets every condition, the 5% element with each payment. After three are paid, the base is $300,000 and $65,000 is payable. The fourth payment, once made, adds the last $5,000. Until then, the agreement's headline value is irrelevant. The ledger template shows how to record each line.
What counts toward the base, and what never does
| Item | Counts toward the base? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Compensation paid to the company for the qualifying data handoff | Yes | This is Actual Supplier Payout |
| A later staged payment under the same agreement, once paid | Yes | Same transaction; the 5% element follows each installment |
| A repeat license with the same company, once paid | Yes, at 15%, if first agreed within the Repeat Window | The USD 50,000 floor applies once per company |
| Separately itemized taxes | No | Excluded by the definition |
| Separately itemized expense reimbursements | No | Excluded by the definition |
| A signed agreement or a payment not yet made | Not yet | Nothing has been paid |
| The price a buyer pays SourceX | Never | Not the calculation base; rewards are funded separately and never reduce the company's payout |
Reductions run the other way. If a payment to the company is later reduced or reversed, the related reward is reduced proportionately; the page on supplier payout reversals works through that case.
Before the arithmetic matters: is the company a fit?
None of these numbers apply unless the company qualifies and SourceX accepts it. Confirm the basics at metadata level only:
- 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), documented operating history, rights to license its records, and an authorized contact;
- which systems hold the records, how many years they cover, and who owns them;
- who can authorize a licensing discussion: the CEO, who in an owner-run company is usually the owner.
Companies in the U.S., Canada and the EU qualify, as do companies in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, South Africa, Latin America, the UAE and Saudi Arabia when at least 70% of the data is in English. Attribution goes to the first valid introduction within the 90-day window, credited when the company submits a verified application, with one partner per company. You also sign the Channel Partner Agreement before submitting introductions.
What the scenarios cannot tell you
The arithmetic is exact; the inputs are not knowable in advance. Whether a company is offered anything, how much, and over how many years depends on SourceX's review of the records, the rights, the preparation work and SourceX's current data needs. A partner cannot estimate that from the outside, and should not suggest a figure to a client.
Timing is a separate question from size. A reward figure on paper is not the same as being paid. A reward becomes payable after SourceX has paid the referred company under its signed agreement and the payout conditions in the program terms are met, including finance approval and your tax and payment details. The page on payment conditions explains when a reward becomes payable, and the one thing on your side is your tax and payment details, such as a Form W-9 for a U.S. partner, which gives the payer your correct taxpayer identification number. For more worked figures, see payout calculation examples, the explanation of how rewards are calculated and the referral earnings calculator.
Next step
Refer a company. No cap on rewards. Default reward on a company's first qualifying transaction: the greater of $50,000 plus 5% and 15% of Actual Supplier Payout, with no cap; further qualifying transactions first agreed within 12 months of the first Closing pay 15%. Eligibility and payment conditions apply, including the USD 100,000 Minimum Transaction, and a signed Schedule A or addendum can differ. A lead, meeting or signature alone does not trigger payment.
If you know a company with years of records it owns and the formula arithmetic is clear, register as a partner, check the company against who qualifies and keep the version of the program terms you relied on.