A sales accelerator is a commission rate that gets richer once you pass a threshold — usually 100% of quota. At plan you earn your normal commission; above plan, the rate steps up (say 1.5x or 2x) so overperformance pays more per dollar. The accelerator is the opposite of a cap. A comp plan with no cap and a real accelerator rewards exactly the behavior the company says it wants: closing more. A plan with a cap or a weak accelerator quietly punishes the best reps.
In plain English
Think of an accelerator as a bonus gear. You do the same selling, but once you're over plan, each extra deal pays you more. That's why top reps keep pushing past 100% — the marginal deal is worth more than the ones before it. If a plan doesn't have one, ask why: the answer often reveals whether the company is built to reward high performers or just to pay a middle.
Why it matters to you
As an SDR your OTE is the base and meeting-target variable; as you move toward closer roles the commission structure becomes most of your income. The accelerator is the number that tells you what a great month is really worth. Read it alongside the clawback — the rate up tells you the upside, and the clawback tells you the downside. Together they are the honest shape of the comp plan.