What is a draw?
A draw is a guaranteed minimum payment added to a team member's compensation plan, independent of their earnings results. It's most commonly used during ramp periods for newly hired or transitioning reps.
There are two types of draws:
Non-recoverable draw — QuotaPath pays the team member the greater of their plan earnings or the draw amount for that period. If earnings fall short of the draw, the difference is never tracked as a debt.
Example (non-recoverable): A rep has a $5,000/month draw and earns $3,200 in plan earnings in March. QuotaPath pays a $1,800 draw top-up, bringing total earnings for March to $5,000. The $1,800 difference is not owed back.
Recoverable draw — QuotaPath ensures the team member earns at least the draw amount for the period by paying a top-up at period close if earnings fall short. The shortfall is tracked as an outstanding balance and recovered from future commission payouts over time. (Coming in a future release — see below.)
Example (recoverable): A rep has a $5,000/month draw and earns $3,200 in March. QuotaPath pays $5,000. The $1,800 difference is tracked as an outstanding balance and recovered from future payouts.
Before you start
Draw components are available in Plan Builder (in the component library). After you add one, it will appear at the top of the plan hierarchy, above your commission and bonus components. Draw components are calculated at the plan level and cannot be nested amongst quota or commission components.
Each plan supports one non-recoverable draw component and one recoverable draw component.
Draw components are not mapped components — no CRM field mapping is needed.
Both non-recoverable and recoverable draws require the Growth tier or above.
How to configure a draw component
Step 1: Open Plan Builder
Navigate to Plan Builder and open an existing plan, or create a new one.
Step 2: Add the draw component
Click Non-Recoverable Draw in the left-hand component panel. Alternatively, click + Add Quota or Component within the plan. The Non-Recoverable Draw component will appear at the top of your plan hierarchy. Once configured and saved, a badge will appear on the draw component in the plan structure showing the draw amount range at a glance. Default draw periods and amounts are generated automatically, but the draw won’t be active until you assign at least one rep (and have at least one draw amount entered).
Step 3: Name your draw
Enter a name for the draw (for example, "Q1 Ramp Draw") and an optional description. This name and description are visible to reps and other workspace members.
Step 4: Enter the draw amount
Enter the guaranteed minimum payment amount for each draw period. This is the floor amount that will be compared against the team member's plan earnings at the end of each period.
Step 5: Select the draw frequency
Choose how often the draw is evaluated. Available options are:
Weekly
Monthly
Quarterly
Half-yearly
Yearly
Step 6: Assign the draw to reps
Expand the assignment table to see all plan assignees. Use the checkboxes to select which team members should receive a draw, or use the bulk select checkbox at the top to add all assignees at once. Once a team member is selected, the draw config amount is automatically pre-filled for each period — you don't need to enter amounts manually unless you want to customize per rep or per period.
Once assignees are selected, you can:
Set different draw amounts per rep — useful for individually negotiated ramp guarantees.
Opt a rep out of a specific period by removing their amount for that period. The cell will show "–" and you can re-add it at any time.
Remove a rep entirely by unchecking them in the table. Reps who are unchecked will not see draw records in Plan Verification or anywhere else in the app.
Note: If a rep is checked as an assignee but has no draw amounts entered for any period, QuotaPath will block the save and show a notification. You'll need to either add at least one draw amount or uncheck that rep before saving.
Tip for staggered start dates: If a rep joins mid-ramp (for example, Rep A starts in January and Rep B starts in February), remove the non-applicable period amounts for each rep. QuotaPath does not automatically prorate draw amounts for mid-period starts.
Step 7: Save and publish
Click Save, then publish the plan as you normally would.
Note: A warning will appear if you edit draw settings after deals have been generated on the plan. Changing the cadence or draw amounts for periods that have already passed has the potential to generate discrepancies in approvals and payouts. Editing the draw component name or description only is safe and will not impact any calculations.
For information on how to view Draws throughout QuotaPath, check out this Help Center article here.
Things to keep in mind
Draws are a floor, not a bonus. A non-recoverable draw pays the greater of the draw amount or plan earnings — not both added together.
One draw component per type per plan. Each plan supports one non-recoverable draw component and one recoverable draw component.
Draw components cannot be nested in folders or dragged among other component types. They always live as a distinct group at the top of the plan hierarchy.
Draw components are automatically available in Workspace Components, making it easy to apply a draw configuration across multiple plans. Because each plan supports only one component per draw type, you cannot add a draw component to a plan that already has one of the same type.
Manager visibility follows existing permission rules. Standard and Full managers can see draw information. Limited managers cannot, consistent with how manager permissions work elsewhere in QuotaPath.
Changing the draw frequency after saving will remove all existing draw assignments. QuotaPath will prompt you to confirm before making this change.
No automatic proration. If a rep starts mid-period, QuotaPath does not automatically prorate draw amounts. Set per-assignee amounts manually in the assignment table to reflect your intended guarantee.
Past draw records cannot be retroactively corrected. You can edit the draw component at any time — including amounts, assignees, and future periods — but changes to periods that have already closed will not update the records that were already generated. This is why editing past-period amounts may create discrepancies in approvals and payouts.
Rate formulas are not supported on draw components.
Draw amounts do not roll up into higher-level plans.
Recoverable draws — coming soon
Recoverable draws, where reps receive an advance against expected commissions that is repaid from future payouts, are planned for an upcoming release. When available, reps will be able to see their outstanding balance, upcoming recovery schedule, and how recoveries are being applied over time.