Apply / Commission Structures / Acceleration & Caps
Accelerator Above Quota
Elevated rate kicks in once the rep crosses 100% - the standard SaaS reward for overachievement.
Acceleration & Caps
Intermediate
How it works
Reps earn a base rate up to 100% of quota; a 1.5x-2.5x accelerator rate applies to all revenue above quota. About 80% of SaaS plans use accelerators. Avoid pairing accelerators with hard caps unless the business genuinely cannot absorb upside (rare). Pair with reasonable quotas and accelerators turn into a top-performer multiplier.
Formula
Below 100%: commission = base_rate x revenue. Above 100%: commission += accelerator x (revenue - quota)
Worked example
Example. Base rate 10%, 2x accelerator above quota. On $1M quota with $1.4M booked: 10% x $1M + 20% x $400K = $100K + $80K = $180K.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Rewards the top-quintile reps who deliver outsized revenue
- Improves recruiting against competitors
- Drives stretch behavior in Q4
Cons
- Costs scale fast in a strong year
- Requires honest quota-setting to be affordable
- Mis-set quotas turn accelerators into windfalls
Best for
- All quota-carrying AE roles
- High-growth SaaS
- Roles where stretch behavior matters