Keep a single register of your agreed terms (seller agreement, rate card, annexures, notices) with effective dates. Monitor the seller portal, emails and account manager updates on a fixed cadence. Each month, recompute fees on a sample of orders using the rate in force on the order date and compare with the settlement report. Raise a written query for every mismatch.
Why fee changes slip through unnoticed
Most brands track sales closely but treat fees as a deduction that simply appears in the settlement. That is where changes hide. A revised rate card may arrive as a portal notice, an email attachment, or a line in an updated annexure, and nobody on the finance side sees it.
Fees that commonly change or vary by category, price band or weight include:
- Commission or referral fee on the product category
- Fixed, closing or handling fee per order
- Shipping or logistics fee, often tied to weight or size slabs
- Payment or collection fee on prepaid and COD orders
- Return, exchange or reverse logistics charges
- Promotion, ad or programme-related charges
Tax items such as GST on fees, TCS and TDS follow statutory rules and should be checked separately. Do not assume a rate from memory; confirm current rates with your tax adviser and the tax lines on your settlement documents.
Build a source register of agreed terms
You cannot spot a change if you do not know what was agreed. Start by collecting every document that defines what the marketplace may charge you, and file them in one shared folder with the date each version became effective.
- Seller agreement and annexures: the base contract, including any amendment clauses that describe how and when the marketplace may revise fees.
- Current rate card: download it from the seller portal or request it from your account manager. Save a dated copy every time.
- Notices and emails: forward fee-related emails and portal notifications to a shared inbox so they are not stuck with one person.
- Negotiated terms: any category-specific or brand-specific commercials agreed in writing, because they may differ from the public rate card.
- Notice period and dispute window: note what your agreement says about advance notice of changes and the time allowed to raise a dispute. Confirm the latest wording in your own agreement.
Keep a dated rate card change log
A change log turns scattered documents into something finance can audit against. Keep it simple, one row per change, and never overwrite old rates because disputed orders may fall under an earlier version.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Marketplace and category | Where the fee applies |
| Fee type | Commission, fixed fee, shipping, return and so on |
| Old and new value | As stated in the document, with units (percentage, per order, per slab) |
| Effective date | The date the change applies from, not the date you noticed it |
| Source and notice date | Document name, link and when you received it |
| Owner and status | Who verified it and whether it matches your agreed terms |
The effective date matters most. Orders placed before it should be charged at the old rate, and orders after it at the new one, even if the settlement lands later.
Test every settlement against the log
Notices tell you what the marketplace says it will charge. Settlements show what it actually charged. Reconcile the two on a regular basis.
- Pull the settlement report for the period and group orders by category, fee type and order date.
- Look up the rate in force on each order date from your change log.
- Recompute the expected fee for a sample of orders, or for all of them if your volumes allow.
- Flag differences between expected and charged fees, and note whether they repeat across orders, which suggests a configuration issue rather than a one-off.
- Check that returns, cancellations and reversals carry the correct fee treatment under your terms.
Doing this in spreadsheets works at low volumes but becomes slow once you have several categories and thousands of orders. MarketplaceMetrics by Fundle automates this kind of check by comparing commissions and fees with agreed terms; Myntra Excel reports are reviewed today, and support for other marketplaces is a scope discussion.
Set a cadence and clear ownership
Tracking fails when it is everyone's job. Assign one owner in finance and one backup in the ecommerce team, then fix the rhythm.
- Weekly: check the portal notices and the shared inbox for fee-related updates.
- Monthly: run the settlement test and update the change log.
- On any notice: log it within a few working days, estimate the impact on margin, and decide whether to accept, negotiate or query it.
- Quarterly: review the change log with the ecommerce head and revisit pricing for categories where fees moved.
Link fee changes to pricing decisions. A higher fee that is never reflected in your selling price or discount plan simply erodes margin.
What to do when a charge does not match
Raise it in writing, quickly, and with evidence. A good query includes the order IDs, settlement period, the fee charged, the fee expected, and the document and clause that supports your figure. Keep the case number and every reply in one tracker so that follow-ups and recoveries are visible.
Check the dispute window in your agreement before you start, because late claims may be rejected. If the marketplace confirms an overcharge, make sure the credit appears in a later settlement and tick it off in your tracker. Cases that stay open without an owner are the ones that quietly lapse.
Worked example
Illustrative example only. The figures below are made up to show the method. They are not real marketplace rates; use the rates from your own agreement and rate card.
Suppose your change log shows an agreed fixed fee of ₹30 per order up to 31 March and ₹35 per order from 1 April (illustrative). In the April settlement, you find 400 orders dated on or after 1 April, and the report shows ₹38 charged per order on 120 of them.
| Item | Illustrative value |
|---|---|
| Expected fee per order from 1 April | ₹35 |
| Fee charged on 120 orders | ₹38 |
| Difference per order | ₹3 |
| Total difference (120 × ₹3) | ₹360 |
The amount is small, but the pattern matters: the same error repeated every month, or across more orders, adds up. You would raise a query with the 120 order IDs, the change log entry and the rate card version, then track the credit in a later settlement.
Questions and answers
Where can I find the latest marketplace rate card?
Check the seller portal's commercial or fee section first, then your seller agreement and its annexures. If anything is unclear, ask your account manager for the current rate card in writing and save a dated copy for your records.
How often should I review marketplace fees?
Check notices weekly and reconcile settlements against your agreed terms every month. Log any announced change as soon as you see it, with its effective date, and review the combined impact on pricing and margin every quarter.
Can a marketplace change fees without telling me?
Your seller agreement defines how and when fees can be revised and what notice is required. Read that clause in your own contract and confirm with your legal or finance adviser. Regular settlement checks help catch changes that were not clearly communicated.
What if the fee charged differs from my agreed terms?
Recompute the fee for the affected orders using the rate in force on each order date, then raise a written query with order IDs, settlement period and the supporting document. Track the case until the credit appears, and check your dispute window.