It may be useful to first understand how the accounting and invoicing work. Please see Understanding Your Unit’s Accounting & Invoice
When Is a Unit Payout Available?
A unit payout becomes available when the total credits applied to your account exceed the amount your unit owes to your Council.
Credits may include:
Online sales commission
App credit card sales
Cash to Credit® payments
Misc credits
If these credits are greater than your Council invoice, the excess amount is available as a payout from Trail’s End®.
How Do I Request My Unit Payout?
Payouts are issued electronically to your unit’s bank account. In some Councils, you may also have the option to have the payout go to your Council.
When this happens, the Council becomes responsible for disbursing the commission payouts. Councils can verify these amounts on their dashboard under the section labeled "Unit Payouts Directed to Council."
To request your payout:
Go to Finances
Be sure you are viewing the Current Selling Campaign when requesting your payout.
Click Initiate Payout
Helpful Tips
If your Council allows payouts to be sent to Council, you’ll be prompted to choose that option after clicking Initiate Payout.
Before requesting a payout, verify your bank account information in the pop-up screen.
Important Note
If your unit has a balance due to Council, payment must be made directly to your Council. Please reach out to your Council for instructions. Payments are not submitted through Trail’s End®.
Why Doesn’t My Payout Equal My Commission?
This is one of the most common questions, and it comes down to understanding the difference between commission and payout.
Commission
A percentage of total sales earned by your unit
Commission rates are set by your Council
Represents your unit’s fundraising profit
Find your Commission rate on the Finances page
Payout
The portion of your earnings that has been collected electronically and is available to transfer
Occurs only when credits exceed the amount owed to Council
How It Works
Your unit is invoiced for product ordered (retail price minus commission).
As sales are made, credits from credit cards, Cash to Credit®, and online commission reduce that invoice.
Once credits exceed the invoice, a payout becomes available.
For a deeper breakdown, see Viewing Your Unit’s Accounting Summary.
Payout Timing
On the Finance page, once you Initiate Payout:
The next available payout date is shown below the Unit Payout Available amount.
Once you select where to pay the payout, this is the date when the actual transfer of funds will occur.
Payout Schedule
Payouts requested Monday–Sunday are paid the following Friday
If Friday is a banking holiday, payouts are processed the next business day (typically Monday)
Units may request payouts at any point once funds are available. Any payouts not claimed by January 31st, are paid to the Unit's Council. After that date, please reach out to your Council on how to receive the payout.
Note: After requesting a payout, click Total Alrady Paid Out on the Finance page to view processing details (Date requested, Amount, Payment Date, Requested by, and Paid to).
How Does Commission Work?
Types of Commission
There are two commission types:
Traditional Sales: In-person storefront and wagon sales
Online Sales: Purchases made through trails-end.com
Commission Rates
Rates are set by your Council
Traditional and Online commission rates may differ
View your rates in the upper right corner of the Finances page
Note: Bonus commissions set by your Council apply to Traditional Sales only. Your Council applies the bonus commissions to each unit. See Bonus Commissions below for more information.
Traditional Commission
When your unit orders product for in-person sales:
You are billed the retail price minus your commission
Example: With a 30% commission rate, your unit is billed 70% of retail
As product is sold:
You earn commission by selling at full retail value
Payments collected via credit card reduce your Council invoice
Payments collected via cash can be deposited in your unit bank account and they are part of your commission earned.
Your total Traditional Commission Earned appears on the Finances page in the Profit/Loss Breakdown box.
Online Commission
Online products are not invoiced to your unit
Instead the commission portion (only) is credited to your account
Online commission is automatically applied toward your Council invoice
Your total Online Commission is visible on the Finances page in the Profit/Loss Breakdown box. See the Online Commission box.
Total Commission Earned
If all Traditional inventory is sold:
Total Profit = Traditional Commission + Online Commission
If inventory remains unsold:
Your total profit is reduced
You have already paid the Council for that inventory, so unsold product lowers overall earnings.
Where Is My Unit’s Commission?
Your unit’s commission is made up of multiple components, not just your payout.
Your total commission includes:
Your payout from Trail’s End®
Cash collected but not converted to credit
Any Council credits or overpayments
The retail value of unsold product
A payout only represents the electronically collected portion that exceeds your Council balance.
Other Factors That Can Affect Commission
You may have made a payment to your Council. When calculating your earnings, subtract the payment from your total cash.
Council-issued credits or incentives reduce the amount owed
Scout transfers between units can affect online commission calculations
(see Finances > Misc Adjustments)
Bonus Commissions
Some Councils offer bonus commissions for meeting goals or completing specific requirements.
Bonus commissions are defined and awarded by your Council
View eligible bonuses in the % Council/Unit Commission Agreement button in the upper-right corner of the Finances page.
Timing and application vary by Council
If you believe a bonus is missing or incorrect, contact your Council directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owes the commission payout when a unit directs payouts to the Council?
If a unit chooses to direct their payouts to the Council, the Council owes the unit the commission payout. Council leaders can verify these amounts on their dashboard under the section labeled "Unit Payouts Directed to Council."
How can I find out what my Scout is owed from Trail's End® sales?
Trail's End pays commissions to the unit, not individual Scouts. To find out what your Scout is owed, contact your unit leadership. Leaders can review the unit’s financial summary and provide a breakdown of allocations.