Introduction
Black Friday is 43 days away. As we covered in our key dates for Black Friday 2026, shoppers are already researching, and click prices will keep rising until the end of November. Of everything on that list, the seasonal commission is the one with a deadline, so now is the time to check your current commission and talk to your account manager about your plan for peak.
A higher commission keeps you in Black Friday auctions
During Black Friday week, online sales run +122% to +125% above an average week, depending on the market, according to NIQ's 2024 results. Click prices rise with them. Google's survey of Black Friday buyers in six European markets found that only 13% expect to spend more than last year, and 57% expect to spend about the same. With little new money coming in, the sales go to the merchants still bidding when demand peaks.
Your commission rate is one of the main factors in how much we can bid for your products, alongside your conversion rate and the quality of your product data. On your standard commission, some of those auctions get too expensive for us to bid in, and the sale goes to a competitor. A higher commission rate for peak gives us the room to stay in them.
Your risk stays the same at a higher commission
A higher commission rate changes how much you pay per sale. When you pay stays the same: only when a sale happens. We still invest the ad budget and pay for every click, so a click that doesn’t lead to a sale costs you nothing at any commission rate. If our campaigns generate no extra sales at peak, you pay no extra commission.
What changes is your cost per sale for a few weeks. In return, you get sales that would otherwise go to a competitor when click prices peak. Once peak is over, your commission rate goes back down at a time you agree with your account manager.
Your category affects how much the rate needs to rise
Fashion is the second most-bought category on Black Friday, bought by 51% of buyers in Google's survey, and 35% bought beauty, so more merchants compete for the same shoppers. A higher commission rate keeps your products visible when competition is highest.
If you work with us through an affiliate network, returns also lower your bid power. Returned and cancelled orders are declined in the network, so they don't count as sales. With one in five clothing items bought online sent back, according to the European Environment Agency, more of your clicks end without a validated sale, and the less we can bid for your products. A higher commission rate closes that gap, so your products stay in auctions they would otherwise drop out of.
Tech is the biggest Black Friday category: 66% of buyers bought tech and electronics, and for 49% it was their most expensive purchase, according to Google's survey. Tech merchants compete for the largest share of Black Friday demand, so a higher commission rate keeps them in those auctions too.
A commission rate agreed during Black Friday week comes too late
If you wait until Black Friday week (23 to 30 November) to raise your commission rate, it's too late. Shoppers start their journey weeks in advance, browsing products and comparing prices long before they buy: in Google's survey, 78% of Black Friday buyers were already considering their most expensive purchase before the sales started. The sales may land on Black Friday, but the demand is built before it, so a commission rate agreed in October is already running while shoppers are making up their minds.
Each market peaks at a different point in November
Black Friday falls on 27 November across Europe, but demand builds towards it at different times and peaks at different heights. Your account manager sets the commission rate per market, so it's live before each market's demand rises:
- 15 to 30 November: in Benelux and Germany, gifting campaigns peak ahead of Sinterklaas and Nikolaus.
- 27 November: on Black Friday itself, Spain and the Nordics see some of the sharpest spikes in Europe. Last year, transaction volume reached 6.1 times a typical Friday in Denmark, 4.5 times in Spain and 3.5 times in Norway and Finland, according to Adyen.
Agree your Black Friday commission rate this month
Your account manager will suggest a commission rate based on your category, markets and performance. Bring your Q4 promotion calendar so the commission and your offers go live together, and, if you work with us through an affiliate network and sell fashion or beauty, last year's peak return rate.
→ Ask your account manager to set your seasonal commission
Source for Google survey data: consumer survey conducted by Google (UK, DE, FR, IT, ES, PL; n = 2,937 Black Friday buyers), July to August 2026.
