'Sales commission' refers to a performance-based payment given to sales staff or agents for successfully completing a sale. The term combines four characters: 销 (to sell), 售 (also meaning 'to sell' — together 销售 forms the common compound for 'sales'), 佣 (short for 佣金, meaning 'commission' or 'fee for services rendered'), and 金 (money, currency). Though redundant in meaning (since both 销 and 售 mean 'sell'), 销售 is a fixed, standard noun in business Chinese, and 销售佣金 specifically denotes monetary compensation tied directly to sales volume or value.

This term appears frequently in employment contracts, payroll discussions, sales targets, and financial reports. It's used formally in corporate, retail, real estate, and insurance contexts — rarely in casual speech. Unlike general 佣金 (which can apply to brokers, translators, or agents), 销售佣金 specifies remuneration exclusively for sales-related activities, often calculated as a percentage of revenue or profit.