IB commission vs trader cashback: different records, different recipients

Start with the recipient and the agreement

An introducing broker may earn commission for eligible referred activity under a partner agreement. Trader cashback describes an amount returned or shared with the trading client. A sub-IB share concerns another introducing partner. These amounts can relate to the same underlying business, but they are not interchangeable reporting categories.

The vocabulary varies across programs. In our workspace, record broker-reported partner earnings separately from onward shares and payments. A label in a spreadsheet does not establish eligibility, a payout obligation or regulatory status; check the agreement that defines the amount.

Distinguish four common reporting flows
Flow	Recipient	Evidence to retain
IB commission	Introducing partner	Partner agreement and eligible-activity statement
Affiliate CPA	Affiliate	Qualifying-event definition and approved conversions
Sub-IB share	Partner in the network	Dated share terms and eligible basis
Trader cashback	Trading client	Program permission, rebate terms and payment record

One broker example, not a universal rate card

Exness’s official partner-program overview distinguishes its activity-based IB program from its CPA affiliate program. Its rebate documentation describes a way for IB partners to share rewards with referred clients, subject to program exceptions. These sources illustrate why commission, referral qualification and client rebates need separate records.

Those pages do not establish the terms for every broker, jurisdiction or account. Check the applicable entity and current program before making an offer. IBDock does not promise a rebate rate, move accounts under a new partner link or execute these payments. The sources below describe the broker’s program, not a live IBDock integration.

Keep gross earnings and onward shares visible

Consider a fictional $1,000.00 of reported IB commission. If separately agreed obligations are a $200.00 trader rebate and a $150.00 sub-IB share, the arithmetic remainder is $650.00 before other costs and adjustments. It is not necessarily profit, distributable cash or the balance in a payment account.

Retain the $1,000.00 gross source amount and the two onward obligations as distinct evidence. Recording only $650.00 as broker commission hides the relationship between the source statement and subsequent allocations. Conversely, do not deduct a client rebate again if a source report already presents a net amount and you have not reconstructed the gross basis.

This example explains reporting separation. The current IBDock partner journal models partner shares; it is not a dedicated client-cashback engine or a payment service. Do not enter clients as fictional sub-IBs to make the tool appear to support an unsupported workflow.

Choose software for the work you actually do

A trader looking to collect cashback needs to understand the eligible program, its account-linking rules and how payments reach that trader. An IB running several relationships needs to compare statements, agreement versions, receipts and partner obligations while preserving existing commercial relationships.

IBDock is being built for the latter reporting workflow: an independent workspace for trading partners. The public preview accepts anonymized sample files, includes a commission calculator and supports partner-journal examples. It does not open brokerage accounts, custody money or guarantee broker payments.

Name the recipient before classifying an amount
Retain gross/net definitions from the source
Separate earned shares from payments already made
Check program permissions before offering client rebates
Use only supported workflows and clearly labeled examples

Put the method to work.

Try the sample workspace. No broker password required.

Compare commission assumptions →

Sources and scope

Editorial scope: product reporting guidance with fictional examples. No paid broker placement, investment recommendation or independent audit claim. Product capabilities are described as of the update date shown above.