Why track all three instead of just what was paid?

Earned vs Claimed vs Paid Rebates Explained

Earned vs claimed vs paid is the core audit view of rebates: earned is what a partner qualified for under program rules, claimed is what they formally submitted, and paid is what the vendor actually remitted. Comparing the three exposes every gap - earned but never claimed, claimed but never paid, paid but short - where rebate money quietly goes missing.

Why it matters to IT channel partners. This is the audit money-shot. Each gap is a distinct, recoverable loss. Earned-but-not-claimed means a partner qualified for rebate they never submitted. Claimed-but-not-paid means a claim stalled or was rejected. Paid-but-short means the vendor underpaid. A spreadsheet that only records what was paid can see none of these - the partner needs all three numbers, side by side, per program and per period, to know what they are still owed and to dispute it with evidence.

The discipline rests on independently calculating earned from program rules, rather than trusting the vendor's figure. Once earned is known, claimed and paid become checkpoints against it, and reconciliation becomes a matter of closing measurable gaps rather than hoping the payment was right.

Related terms

FAQ

Because each gap is a different loss with a different fix. Earned-but-not-claimed, claimed-but-not-paid, and paid-but-short are invisible unless earned, claimed and paid are compared line by line.

See earned, claimed and paid side by side for every vendor → Get a rebate audit