---
title: "What Is Override? Definition | Epic Life Glossary"
description: "An override is extra commission an upline earns on the sales of agents beneath them. It is often the gap between the upline's contract level and the..."
url: https://epicline.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/override
publisher: Epic Life Group
apply: https://epicline.preview.multisites.ai/apply
quote: https://epicline.preview.multisites.ai/get-a-quote
---

Compensation

# Override

An override is extra commission an upline earns on the sales of agents beneath them. It is often the gap between the upline's contract level and the writing agent's level.

## Why it matters

Overrides reward recruiting and training. They do not reduce the writing agent's pay in the normal case, because the carrier pays each level its own rate. Terms vary by agency and carrier. Agents building a downline should understand chargeback sharing and any licensing rules. Example: if an upline is at a higher level, the carrier pays the upline the gap on each sale by the downline.

Source: [law.cornell.edu](https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/commission)

[Read next, for agentsBuilding an insurance agency: how overrides and downlines work, and what is legal](https://epicline.preview.multisites.ai/guides/building-an-insurance-agency-overrides-downlines)

## Where we use this term

-   [How to join an IMO: the questions to ask before you sign](https://epicline.preview.multisites.ai/guides/how-to-join-an-imo)
-   [IMO vs FMO vs MGA: which structure fits an independent agent?](https://epicline.preview.multisites.ai/guides/imo-vs-fmo-vs-mga)
-   [Start an insurance agency with Epic Life: how ownership works](https://epicline.preview.multisites.ai/careers/agency-ownership)
-   [How do life insurance agents get paid? An honest breakdown](https://epicline.preview.multisites.ai/careers/compensation)

## Start your climb.

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