Yes, If you try reporting box 7 income as anything else, you chances of hearing from the IRS are high. But our experience, here in the forum, has been that SPIFFS were frequently erroneously reported in box 7 of a 1099-Misc. Box 7 reporting is not automatically a disqualifier.
The fact that the payment was not from your employer does support the SPIFF classification. But, my opinion is that the relationship, between the parties is not exactly the same, as in the typical SPIFF situation. The money sounds more like a bonus that a sales incentive.
