How to dispute an underpaid commission and actually get paid

Lead with the math, not the complaint

Commission departments process disputes in volume. The ones that get paid quickly are the ones an analyst can verify without asking you a single follow-up question.

That means the first lines of your email should state the policy number, the premium the statement itself reported, the contracted rate, the expected commission, the amount actually paid, and the difference. Everything else is context.

Quote the carrier's own statement back to them

Never paraphrase. Use the exact policy number formatting, period label, and premium figure that appear on their statement. When your numbers and theirs come from the same document, the only remaining variable is the rate — and that is in your contract.

• Statement date and period exactly as printed
• Policy number, unedited
• Premium and commission paid as the carrier reported them
• Your contracted rate, with the schedule or amendment date

Ask for one specific action

Close with a single request: adjust the shortfall on the next commission run, or explain in writing which rate was applied and why. Open-ended complaints get filed; specific requests get answered.

Keep the paper trail in one place

Every dispute should be recoverable months later: what you sent, when, and what came back. Aging matters — a shortfall you can prove you raised within 30 days is far easier to collect than one you noticed a year later.