Personal volume (PV)

Personal volume is the number a plan assigns to a participant's own purchases and, in most plans, their retail customers' purchases in a pay period. It is usually expressed in points rather than currency, so a product that costs $50 might carry 40 PV.

PV is the first gate in nearly every plan: a minimum PV per month is what makes a participant "active" and eligible for commissions. Because personal purchases usually count, the PV requirement is also where the recurring cost of participating hides.

When reading an income disclosure, check whether "active" is defined by PV and what the monthly minimum is. That number, in currency, is the participant's baseline expense.