commission agent

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablebusiness

   A person or firm that arranges sales or purchases for others and is paid a percentage of the deal.

   Grammar: Countable: a commission agent, several commission agents.

   Patterns

   • commission agent for something
   • work as a commission agent

   He works as a commission agent selling machinery for several manufacturers.

   The commission agent took five percent of every sale.

   A commission agent can open doors in overseas markets.

2. 2nouncountableBritishspecialist

   A person who places bets on behalf of clients for a fee, especially in horse racing.

   Grammar: Mostly British and used in racing contexts.

   Patterns

   • commission agent for someone

   The commission agent placed large bets for the owner at several tracks.

   Racing commission agents often work discreetly.

   He started as a commission agent before opening his own betting shop.

Word forms

Common combinations

work as a commission agent

She works as a commission agent for a furniture maker.

commission agent fee

The commission agent fee is ten percent of sales.

appoint a commission agent

The company appointed a commission agent in Asia.

independent commission agent

An independent commission agent may represent several brands.

Synonyms and how they differ

broker

A broker brings buyers and sellers together, often in finance, and a commission agent usually represents a seller or buyer.

sales representative

A sales representative may earn a salary, while a commission agent earns only commission.

middleman

Middleman is informal and can sound critical, whereas commission agent is a neutral business term.

Word family

commission noun

payment as a percentage of sales

agent noun

a person who acts for others

agency noun

a business that provides agent services

Commonly confused: commission agent or commission?

Practice

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