Tell me more ×
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 2 down vote favorite

Is there a word that describes someone who receives commission for something? I am not only referring to a salesman but also to for example VISA that charges 3% commission on credit card sales.

share|improve this question
agent ......... – EnergyNumbers Mar 26 '12 at 6:56
There is another sense of receiving a commission. It means to sit on a special committee created for a particular purpose, in which case the person who gets that sort of commission is called a commissioner. I wouldn’t use it for the tip sense, though. – tchrist Mar 26 '12 at 16:53
Or, of course, an officer cadet receives a commission when he becomes an officer. I can't see any real possibility of confusion between the senses, though. – TimLymington Mar 30 '12 at 10:24

3 Answers

up vote 4 down vote accepted

An agent is the usual term for somebody who takes a commission. Though the bank is an intermediary between the customer and the shop, it is probably,in legal terms, acting for the customer in the transaction, and so can be called his agent. (IANAL)

share|improve this answer
NOAD: "3 an amount of money, typically a set percentage of the value involved, paid to an agent in a commercial transaction" (emphasis mine) – zpletan Mar 26 '12 at 16:45
up vote 1 down vote

I think the word you are looking for is Merchant

The merchant took a 3% cut on each transaction.

share|improve this answer
But in the OP's example, VISA receive a commission from the merchant – Useless Mar 26 '12 at 10:05
They took commission from the transaction for enabling the transaction to happen. Don't VISA receive the commission from the seller and the buyers interactions? – darryn.ten Mar 26 '12 at 10:07
1  
Yeah, but VISA aren't the merchant, they're a payment intermediary. The merchant here would be the seller. – Useless Mar 26 '12 at 10:10
This makes perfect sense – darryn.ten Mar 26 '12 at 10:56
up vote 0 down vote

I believe you could use beneficiary here, but it obviously won't pick out only people who receive a commission.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.