Commission Model
The bit nobody usually explains
Every switching site earns commission from providers. Most of them keep it. We route at least 50% of eligible commission to a school or charity you have chosen, and run the platform out of what remains. It is a floor, not a fixed split — we may pay more than half, and the wording is written so it does not forbid that. Here is exactly how the money moves.
The flow, in one diagram
Explained in pictures
From your switch to your cause
Source: Switch4Good commission model, checked 30 September 2026. Illustrative, not a quote.
Showing the whole journey. Pick a step to inspect it.
Paid quarterly in arrears, around 90 days after the month a switch completes, once supplier clawback periods have passed.
When you switch through Switch4Good, the provider pays us a commission. We route at least 50% of eligible commission to your chosen cause, and cover running costs and compliance out of what remains. Eligible commission is the commission a provider actually pays Switch4Good for a switch, less any clawback or refund.
A broadband switch for St Mary’s Redcliffe Primary
A parent switches their broadband through Switch4Good. The provider pays a £40 commission once the contract goes live. At least 50% of eligible commission — £20 in this example — funds the school. Paid quarterly in arrears, around 90 days after the month a switch completes, once supplier clawback periods have passed.
This example assumes no clawback or refund, so the whole £40 is eligible commission.
The four rules
Your bill is the same
You pay exactly what the provider would charge you anywhere else. Commission comes out of the provider’s acquisition budget, not your pocket.
The provider’s payout is the same
Providers pay the same commission they pay other comparison sites. We don’t take more to fund causes — we just send it somewhere different.
The share is a floor
Your cause receives at least 50% of eligible commission, whichever provider, sector or season the switch falls in. Eligible commission is the commission a provider actually pays Switch4Good for a switch, less any clawback or refund.
You can see it
Every switch shows on your dashboard with the commission figure attached. Causes see the same numbers on theirs.
How commission varies by sector
Different sectors pay different amounts. We don’t set these — providers do. Figures are illustrative and confirmed against provider contracts before going live.
| Sector | Typical eligible commission | To your cause |
|---|---|---|
| Energy (Dual fuel, 12-month contracts) | £30 – £55 | at least £15 – £28 |
| Broadband (18 or 24-month contracts) | £20 – £170, depending on the package and provider | at least £10 – £85, depending on the package and provider |
| Insurance (Home, motor, travel — FCA-regulated) | Paid by provider; structure varies | To the Community Fund once paid |
| Sector | Typical eligible commission | To your cause |
|---|---|---|
| Energy (Dual fuel, 12-month contracts) | £30 – £55 | at least £15 – £28 |
| Broadband (18 or 24-month contracts) | £20 – £170, depending on the package and provider | at least £10 – £85, depending on the package and provider |
| Insurance (Home, motor, travel — FCA-regulated) | Paid by provider; structure varies | To the Community Fund once paid |
Commissions are paid to Switch4Good once the provider confirms the contract is live and the cooling-off period has passed — typically 30 to 90 days. Your cause is then paid on the schedule above. Paid quarterly in arrears, around 90 days after the month a switch completes, once supplier clawback periods have passed.
“The commission is already being paid. The only question is where it goes.”
What counts as eligible commission
Eligible commission is the commission a provider actually pays Switch4Good for a switch, less any clawback or refund.
This matters because the promise is a share of eligible commission: what the provider actually pays us for the switch. If a switch is later cancelled or reversed and the provider claws back or refunds its commission, that amount comes off. Nothing else does — we don’t deduct payment-processing fees. The agreement with your cause commits the same sum, described there as Net Commission.
What our share pays for
Compliance
Complaints handling, data protection, audit trail, the legal work behind every word we publish.
Platform & engineering
Hosting, security, monitoring, and the codebase that handles switches and reconciles every commission against the right cause.
Staff & support
A small team that answers questions, vets new causes, chases providers when commissions are late, and runs the back office.
Cause onboarding
Verifying each school or charity is genuine, registered where it should be, and entitled to the funds we route to it.
That’s the whole model
Pick a cause and try a switch — about three minutes. If something here doesn’t add up, tell us; we’d rather fix the explanation than have it sit wrong.