Paying Sub-Agents Fairly and On Time

To pay sub-agents fairly and on time, agree the terms in writing for each agent, link every payout to the student and the university commission it depends on, release payment only after the university has paid you, and record any TDS as its own line. Then give agents a simple way to see their own status, so they stop calling to ask.

Why sub-agent payouts cause friction

Sub-agents bring in students from outside your city, and many consultancies depend on them. The friction usually comes from three things:

• Unclear terms. Was it a fixed amount or a percentage? Of what?
• Timing. The agent expects payment when the visa is granted; the university pays months later.
• No visibility. The agent can't see where their students stand, so they phone your office.

Step 1: Agree the terms per agent

Write down, for each agent:

• whether they're paid a fixed amount per student or a percentage
• what the percentage is calculated on, for example the university commission
• when payment is due, for example after the university pays you

Store these terms with the agent, not in someone's head or a WhatsApp chat.

Step 2: Tie each payout to a student and a commission

Every payout should point to the student who was referred and the university commission it comes from. When the commission is recorded, the payout amount follows from the agent's terms. This prevents double payments and forgotten ones. Our guide to tracking university commissions explains how to record the commission itself.

Step 3: Pay only after the university pays

This is the rule that prevents most disputes. A payout should stay locked until the university has actually paid you. Agents accept this more easily when it's applied the same way to everyone and when they can see it happening.

Step 4: Separate approval from payment

In larger offices, split the job:

1. The owner approves the payout.
2. The accountant pays it and records the method and reference.

This gives a clean paper trail and stops anyone paying themselves or a friend.

Step 5: Record TDS as its own line

If tax must be deducted at source from an agent's payout, record the deduction separately from the payment, in its own ledger. The rate and the rules are a question for your accountant, so don't guess or copy a number from somewhere else. Our free payout calculator lets you type in whatever rate your accountant gives you.

Step 6: Let agents check their own status

Most agent calls are one question: "Where are my students, and when do I get paid?" A private, view-only link solves this. It should show the agent:

• their own referred students only, with stage, destination, intake and applications
• what is due to them and what has been paid

It should not show documents, phone numbers, fees, internal notes or staff names. Make the link expire after a short time, so an old link forwarded on WhatsApp stops working.

A monthly routine

• Check which commissions were received this month.
• Unlock and approve the payouts that depend on them.
• Pay, record the method, reference and any TDS.
• Send each agent a fresh link if they ask.

What to agree with a new sub-agent

Most payout disputes start on day one, with terms that were never written down. Before an agent refers their first student, agree and send them in writing:

1. How they're paid: a fixed amount per student, or a percentage, and of what.
2. When they're paid: only after the university has paid you.
3. What happens if a commission never arrives, for example after a visa refusal or a withdrawal.
4. How deductions work: any tax deducted at source, at the rate your accountant advises.
5. How they check their status: a view-only link, rather than phone calls.

Keep a copy with the agent's record. When a question comes up months later, you can point to what was agreed.

How ConsultMarg helps

ConsultMarg pays agents on fixed or percentage terms, keeps each payout locked until the university has paid, has the owner approve and the accountant pay, and puts TDS into its own ledger. Each agent can get a view-only link that expires after 48 hours. See how it works or book a demo.