Promotional Allowance is a type of discount offered by manufacturers or wholesalers to their customers in exchange for promoting their products. It can include trade discounts, rebates, volume discounts, and other incentives that encourage retailers to sell more of the manufacturer's product.

Why do Manufacturers Offer Promotional Allowances?

Manufacturers offer promotional allowances to incentivize retailers to promote and sell their products. This not only helps manufacturers increase sales but also helps them gain market share over competitors.

Promotional Allowance Agreement Template

A promotional allowance agreement is a binding legal document that outlines the terms and conditions under which a manufacturer will offer promotional allowances to its customers. The template normally includes details such as the amount of the rebate, duration of the promotion period, eligibility criteria for receiving allowances, reporting requirements, etc.

Promotional Allowance Accounting Treatment

The accounting treatment for promotional allowances depends on how they are given out. If it's an allowance related specifically to purchase quantities made during certain periods (such as end-of-season promotions), then they would be accounted for in COGS (Costs of Goods Sold). However if it relates more generally across all purchases--with no direct correlation between specific purchases made during particular timespans--then it gets recorded against Sales Income on financial statements alongside returns & markdowns expenses:

Sales Income  $300
Cost Of Goods Sold (COGS) -$100
Returns & Markdowns Expenses -$20 
Net Sales $180

In this example above , there was $30 in total payments ($10 rebate +$20 slotting fee), thus reducing net income by approximately one-sixth from current charted amounts.

According GAAP Standards these items have different effects:

• Slotting fees gross-up revenue at point-in-time transactions occur.
• Promotion-related costs should be matched with incremental revenue where materiality exists while meeting either gaap or IFRS's criterias.

Promotional Allowance Calculation Formula

The most common formula for calculating promotional allowances is to multiply the number of units purchased by the rebate rate. However, other factors such as volume discounts and time-based incentives may also be included in the calculation.

Total Promotion discount = Units Sold x Discount Rate

References

• Liguori, E., Maffei, M., & Santella, P. (2014). The decline of promotions and rebates: An economic investigation. Applied Economics Letters.
• Dynarski, S.M., & Lightfoot Susan O.L. (2015).-Promoting Growth through Rebate Programs
• Jardines Louise D,Lazar Augustin FNCI,(2008)-Accounting treatment for cash discounts,promotions and gift cards under U.S GAAP Standards.
• Spott Brandeis C.(2000)- "Trade promotion allowance effectiveness–An empirical study," Journal of Business Research
• Gaski John F.(1986) - "Interfirm Reward Systems in Channels of Distribution: A Relationship Marketing Approach"