At a glance
Net Revenue is the money your AliExpress store actually keeps after the marketplace has taken its cut and after refunds and cancellations are stripped out. It starts from gross GMV, then subtracts refunds, cancelled orders, and AliExpress fees such as commission and transaction charges, leaving the figure that reflects real earnings rather than headline sales. For an owner or finance lead this is the truth-teller next to total revenue, because two stores with identical GMV can keep very different amounts once fees and refunds are accounted for. It pairs naturally withaex_total_revenueto see the gap fees and refunds are opening, and withaex_marketplace_fees_paidandaex_return_rateto explain a move.
| What it counts | Gross GMV for the period less refunds, cancellations, and AliExpress fees, leaving the net amount the store retains. |
| Sample type | Backend API data from AliExpress, refreshed for the rolling 30-day window with the prior period held for comparison. |
| Why it matters | Net revenue is the figure that survives to the bottom line, so a falling net while GMV holds steady points straight at rising fees or refunds. |
| Reading the value | Read it against the prior period. A net that grows in step with gross is healthy; a net that lags or falls while gross holds signals margin leakage worth tracing. |
| Currency | Reported in your store’s base currency. |
| Time window | 30D vsP |
| Alert trigger | drop >10% vsP |
| Sentiment key | aex_net_revenue |
| Roles | owner, finance |
Calculation
Vortex IQ takes gross GMV for the trailing 30 days, subtracts refunds and cancelled orders, then deducts AliExpress fees such as commission and transaction charges, and presents the result against the prior 30-day period. The comparison is what drives the alert when net falls by more than the configured tolerance. See the At a glance summary above for what the metric tracks and the worked example below for a typical reading.Worked example
A representative reading of Net Revenue for a typical mid-volume cross-border AliExpress store. For the 30 days ending 15 Mar 26 the card shows net revenue of 42,800 against 47,100 in the prior period, a fall of roughly 9 percent that sits just under the alert line. The finance lead checks the siblings, sees gross GMV is actually flat, and traces the drop to a spike in returns on one product line plus a higher fee mix from a promotion. They tighten the return policy on that line and the next period’s net recovers. For deeper investigation, use Vortex Mind to trace upstream causes; for natural-language exploration, ask Ask Viq.Sibling cards merchants should reference together
| Card | Why merchants reach for it |
|---|---|
aex_total_revenue | Shows gross GMV, so the gap to net reveals how much fees and refunds are taking. |
aex_marketplace_fees_paid | Breaks out the AliExpress fees deducted on the way from gross to net. |
aex_return_rate | Surfaces the refund pressure that pulls net below gross. |
aex_fees_as_of_revenue | Frames fees as a share of revenue so you can judge whether the take rate is creeping. |
aex_pending_payouts | Connects net earnings to the cash still waiting to land in your account. |
Reconciling against AliExpress Seller Center
Where to look in AliExpress Seller Center: Open the Finance or Account Statement area where AliExpress reports settled order amounts, deducted fees, and refunds, then compare the settled total to the net figure on the card. Why the Vortex IQ value may legitimately differ:| Reason | Direction | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Refund timing. A refund issued late in the window may post to a different period in Seller Center than in the card. | Variable | Align both views to the same closed period before comparing totals. |
| Fee posting lag. Some AliExpress fees settle on their own schedule rather than at order time. | Marginal | Allow fees to fully post before treating a gap as an error. |
| Currency conversion. Cross-border orders settle in mixed currencies that are converted to your base, and the rate used can differ slightly. | Variable | Check the conversion reference when a small residual remains. |
Known limitations / merchant FAQs
Q: How often does Net Revenue update? It refreshes for the rolling 30-day window and holds the prior period alongside it, so as new orders, refunds, and fees post the comparison updates at the next sync. Q: Why does my AliExpress Seller Center show a different number? Seller Center reports settled finance figures that can lag the card; refund timing, fee posting schedules, and currency conversion all explain short-term differences between the two. Q: How does Net Revenue relate to other revenue metrics? It is what remains afteraex_marketplace_fees_paid and refunds are taken from aex_total_revenue, and it feeds the cash you eventually see in aex_pending_payouts.
Q: Can I customise the alert threshold?
Yes, sensitivity thresholds are configurable per profile in the Sensitivity tab. Adjust to match your business baseline rather than relying on the generic default.