Referral Commission Structure: Websites, E-commerce & Marketplace (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

A referral partner who knows the commission math per pole earns more than one who chases small deals at random. At Kolonell, the rate ranges from 8% (institutional) to 15% (website), but the absolute value of an institutional file dwarfs that of a website. The key is to think in expected value per hour of prospecting, not raw percentage.

Commission rates by pole

The percentage alone tells you nothing: 15% of a 250,000 FCFA website is 37,500 FCFA; 8% of a 10,000,000 FCFA institutional deal is 800,000 FCFA. Here is the 2026 grid, with the recurring share that changes everything over time.

Website and e-commerce rates add 5% recurring on monthly services (maintenance, SEO, hosting): a revenue stream that compounds as long as the client stays active.

Expected value per hour of prospecting

An institutional deal takes longer to close (long sales cycle, several stakeholders), but the commission per hour invested can still be higher. Here is a 2026 order-of-magnitude estimate of return per prospecting hour by pole.

Takeaway: e-commerce often offers the best effort-to-reward ratio for a solo referrer, while institutional rewards those who already have a network of decision-makers.

Mini case study

Fatou, an independent consultant in Dakar, brings three files in one quarter: a Growth website (500,000 FCFA), a Starter e-commerce (1,500,000 FCFA), and a Growth e-commerce (2,500,000 FCFA). Her one-time commissions: 75,000 + 180,000 + 300,000 = 555,000 FCFA. On recurring, her three clients subscribe on average to 120,000 FCFA/month of maintenance + SEO: 5% of 360,000 FCFA = 18,000 FCFA/month as long as they remain clients. Over 24 months, that adds 432,000 FCFA to her initial 555,000 FCFA.

FAQ

Which pole pays the most per deal? Institutional, with 800,000 FCFA on a 10,000,000 FCFA deal at 8%. But it requires a long sales cycle and access to decision-makers. For a beginner, e-commerce (240,000 FCFA on 2,000,000 FCFA) is more accessible.

Which poles have recurring commission? Websites and e-commerce: 5% on monthly services (maintenance 50,000-200,000 FCFA, SEO 75,000-300,000 FCFA, hosting 25,000-75,000 FCFA). Marketplace and institutional have no standard referral recurring.

When am I paid? The sale commission is paid after the deposit is collected and the file is validated. Recurring lands each month the client pays for their service, typically over 12 to 24 months.

Can I run several deals at once? Yes, there is no cap. An active referrer can track 5 to 10 files in parallel, each pole with its own math.

Do I need legal status to receive commissions? A business or contractor status makes invoicing easier, but we help referral partners get compliant based on their country.

Join the Kolonell referral partner program. Pick the pole that matches your network and earn 8% to 15% per deal, plus 5% recurring on websites and e-commerce. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.