Overview
Commission invoicing lets your agents send branded commission invoices to suppliers, with your agency's payment instructions included automatically.
What it does
Some suppliers, such as hotels, require an invoice before they remit commission. Commission invoicing gives your agents a templated invoice they can send from any booking. It also lets agents chase overdue commission themselves, so the work does not all fall on the agency.
Agents never see your agency's bank details. Payment instructions are shown only to the supplier who receives the invoice.
Who can use it
Only agency owners and admins can enable commission invoicing and edit payment instructions. Once enabled, anyone with edit access to a trip can invoice a supplier from a booking on that trip.
Before you start
Set up your agency branding so the invoice looks polished. Go to Back Office > Agency Details, click Edit Details, and add:
Agency logo
Business address
Email address
Setting Up Commission Invoicing (Owners and Admins)
Go to Back Office > Commission Invoices.
Turn on Enable Commission Invoicing.
Add a remittance memo (optional).
This text appears on every invoice. Use it for instructions like "Send any questions to [email protected]."Add your payment instructions.
If you have not added an agency bank account yet, you will be prompted to add one. You can also add additional instructions, such as wire instructions. Payment instructions are required to enable commission invoicing.Click Save.
Note: Payment instructions are only shown to the supplier who is invoiced. Agents cannot see them.
Once saved, the Commission Invoices page becomes a log of every invoice your agents send.
Sending a Commission Invoice (Agents)
You can invoice a supplier from the Booking and Pricing tab of a booking, or from the Bookings tab on the trip.
Open the booking and select Invoice Supplier.
On the Booking and Pricing tab, this is in the booking's action menu. On the Bookings tab, use the 3-dot menu on the booking.Enter the supplier's email address.
The supplier name fills in from the booking. You are responsible for entering the supplier contact's email.Set the commission due date.
The confirmation number, client, booking date, and total cost pull in from the booking automatically.Review the preview.
You will see your agency's logo, address, email, and the accreditation number (IATA, CLIA, or other) the booking was made under. The invoice shows that it was issued by you on behalf of your agency. Agents cannot open View Payment Details. That link works only for the supplier.Click Issue and Send.
What the Supplier Sees
The supplier receives the invoice by email. No Tern login is required. When the supplier clicks View Payment Details, they see your routing number, account number, additional instructions, and remittance memo (if added).
The supplier pays outside Tern, following your payment instructions. They may remit for several bookings at once, not just the invoiced booking. The invoice flags that commission is due. It is not a payment request tied to one transaction.
After the Supplier Pays
Log the received commission on the booking as you normally would. The booking status updates to Received, and the Commission Invoices page in the back office shows the updated status next to the invoice. Commission invoicing does not change your reconciliation process.
Common Issues
I sent an invoice with a mistake.
Void the invoice from the booking, then issue a new one.
The supplier says they did not receive the invoice.
Check the supplier email address, since it is entered manually. Then resend the invoice from the booking.
I cannot turn on commission invoicing.
Payment instructions are required. Add your agency bank account and payment instructions when prompted, then enable the feature.
An agent cannot see Invoice Supplier on a booking.
The agent needs edit access to the trip, and an agency owner or admin must have enabled commission invoicing in the back office.
Coming Soon
Structured supplier contacts. Agency owners will be able to configure supplier contacts in the back office so agents can select them instead of typing an email address.
W-9 attachments. Agencies will be able to attach a W-9 to invoices. Like payment instructions, the W-9 will be visible only to the supplier.