> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://dub.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Retainer-style custom rewards
> Learn how to pay partners a fixed amount on a recurring schedule, independent of program performance.
This feature is only available on [Advanced plans and
above](https://dub.co/pricing/partners).
With Dub's custom rewards, you can pay partners a **fixed amount on a regular cadence** – daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly – regardless of how many clicks, leads, or sales they generate.
This is ideal for **retainer-style agreements**, where you've negotiated a set fee with a partner in exchange for ongoing promotion, content, or sponsorship placements.
## How custom rewards work
Unlike [click, lead, and sale rewards](/help/article/partner-rewards), custom rewards aren't triggered by a partner's conversion events. Instead, Dub automatically creates a commission for every eligible partner in the group each time the reward's schedule comes due.
For example, if you set up a custom reward of **\$1,500 monthly, starting October 1st**, every approved partner in that group will receive a \$1,500 commission on October 1st, November 1st, December 1st, and so on.
These commissions flow through the same [payout process](/help/article/partner-payouts) as any other reward, so partners get paid via their regular payouts.
## Creating a custom reward
In your [group rewards](https://app.dub.co/program/groups/default/rewards) tab, you'll see the **Custom reward** type. Click **Create** to set up a custom reward for that group.
The reward builder lets you configure the [amount](#amount), [cadence](#cadence), [start date](#start-date), and [duration](#duration). See [limitations](#limitations) for options that don't apply to custom rewards.
### Amount
Custom rewards are always a **flat amount** in USD. Percentage-based amounts aren't supported, since there's no sale value to calculate a percentage from.
### Cadence
Choose how often the reward is paid out:
| Cadence | Description |
| ------------- | -------------- |
| **Daily** | Every day |
| **Weekly** | Every 7 days |
| **Biweekly** | Every 14 days |
| **Monthly** | Once a month |
| **Quarterly** | Every 3 months |
| **Yearly** | Once a year |
### Start date
The start date is the first day the reward will be paid, and it sets the schedule for all future payments. For example, a monthly reward starting on **October 15th** will pay on the 15th of every month.
The start date must be today or a date in the future – it can't be set in the past.
Dates are evaluated in **UTC**. If the start date falls on a day that doesn't
exist in a shorter month (e.g. the 31st), the reward is paid on the last day
of that month instead.
### Duration
You can pay the reward **indefinitely**, or for a set number of months:
| Duration | Description |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Indefinitely** | The reward is paid every period until you remove it |
| **3 months** | The reward is paid for 3 months |
| **6 months** | The reward is paid for 6 months |
| **1 year** | The reward is paid for 12 months |
| **2 years** | The reward is paid for 24 months |
| **Custom** | Any number of months, from 1 month and up |
When a duration is set, the clock starts from each partner's **first custom commission**, so partners who join the group later still receive the full duration.
Custom rewards can't be configured as a one-time payment. To pay a partner a
single, one-off amount, [create a manual
commission](/help/article/partner-commissions#creating-manual-commissions)
instead.
## Limitations
Because custom rewards aren't tied to a conversion event, a few options available on other reward types don't apply:
* **No reward modifiers** – you can't add conditions based on customer or sale attributes.
* **No spend limits** – the reward is a fixed amount per period, so there's nothing to cap.
* **One custom reward per group** – each partner group can have a single custom reward, alongside its click, lead, sale, and [partner referral](/help/article/partner-referrals) rewards.
## Viewing custom commissions
Custom commissions appear in your [commissions](/help/article/partner-commissions) view alongside your other commissions, with the type **Custom commission**. Each commission's description shows the amount, cadence, and period it covers, e.g. `$500 monthly · Oct 2026`.
Like any other commission, custom commissions can be [edited or clawed back](/help/article/partner-commissions#editing-commissions) if needed.
## Partner view
Partners will see the custom reward in the **Rewards** section of their program overview page, described as "\$1,500 monthly for 12 months" (or "\$1,500 monthly" if the reward runs indefinitely).
You can also add a [custom reward description](/help/article/partner-rewards#custom-reward-descriptions) to explain the terms of the retainer to your partners.