Ion Pair Reagents

CrimpJiggler

I'm reading about ion chromatography at the moment and read that one method is to use an ion-pair reagent which pairs with the ionic analyte, forming a neutral compound which can then partition into the non polar stationary phase. If an anionic analyte pairs with a cationic ion-pair reagent to form a salt, how would it be any more likely to partition into the non polar stationary phase? Salts are still ions. For this to work, does the analyte have to form a covalent compound with the ion-pairing reagent or at least a salt which is insoluble in the mobile phase?