Background
Sometimes more than one agent works the same booking and the commission needs to be divided between them. Tern handles this two ways: a one-off split you add while reconciling a single payment, and an ongoing split that applies automatically to every booking a mentee submits.
Before You Start
Only agency admins and owners can set up commission splits. Individual advisors cannot add or configure them.
Both split types let you choose where the added share comes from:
The booking owner's share, where the owner gives up part of their commission, or
The agency's retained amount, where the agency gives up part of its share.
Which Method to Use
Use a one-off split when two agents collaborate on a single booking, such as a group trip. You add the split manually when the supplier payment comes in.
Use an ongoing mentor split when one agent consistently shares commission with another, such as a mentor-mentee relationship. You set it up once and it applies automatically to the mentee's future bookings.
How to Add a One-off Split
Go to commission reconciliation and open the booking you're reconciling.
Review the payout details for the payment that came in from the supplier.Click Add split. The booking owner is already listed. Select the second agent from the Select an agent dropdown to share commission with them.
Set the split percentage and choose where it comes from. Enter the percentage for the added agent, then set the source to From agent (deducts from the booking owner's share) or From agency (deducts from the agency's retained amount). The totals update as you go, so the booking owner, the added agent, and the agency retained amount always add up to the full commission. If the splits add up to more than the available amount, you'll see "Splits exceed the available amount" and Confirm payout stays disabled until you fix the percentages.
Click Confirm payout. Your splits are saved only at this step. Nothing is recorded until you click Confirm payout.
Approve the statement for payout.
You can approve once the statement is fully reconciled.Go to the Ready to Pay tab and click Pay All.
Each agent receives their own payout statement by email showing their portion of the split.
You'll know it worked when both agents appear with their correct amounts on the Ready to Pay tab, and each receives an individual payout statement after you pay.
How to Remove a Split
Open the booking you're reconciling. If the payout was already confirmed, click Edit payouts to reopen the form.
Click the remove icon next to the split you want to delete. For a mentor split, this is labeled Remove mentor split. For a one-off split, it's Remove split.
Click Confirm payout. The removed agent no longer receives a share, and the amount returns to the source you deducted it from.
Note: A split that has already been paid is locked and can't be removed.
How to Set Up an Ongoing Mentor Split
Go to Team Management and open the mentee's profile.
This is the agent whose commission will be shared.Add the mentor and set the split.
Choose the mentor, enter their split percentage, and set the effective date. The end date is optional. Leave it blank if the arrangement is open-ended.Choose where the split comes from. Set the source to From agent (deducts from the advisor's share) or From agency (deducts from the agency's share).
Once this is set, the mentor is added automatically with the correct split whenever the mentee submits a booking. You'll see it applied when you reconcile that booking.
Common Issues
The mentor wasn't added to a booking automatically.
Check that the booking falls within the mentor split's effective date and end date in the mentee's profile. A booking dated before the effective date will not include the split.
An advisor says they can't add a split.
Splits can only be added by agency admins. Confirm the person has admin access.