Design a program partners can trust
Set commissions, attribution, validation, payouts and rules that work in the real world.
Flat rate vs. performance tiers
1. Choose commission logic
Programs may pay a percentage, a flat amount, a lead bounty or different rates by product, customer or partner type. The structure should reward the value you want without becoming impossible to explain.
- Tie rates to business value.
- Document exclusions and rate tiers.
- Avoid changing terms without notice where contracts or platform rules require it.
2. Set attribution and validation rules
Decide the cookie window, eligible channels, last-click or other attribution logic, and how duplicates, returns, self-referrals and invalid leads are handled.
- Cookie length and attribution are separate concepts.
- Validation timing affects publisher cash flow.
- Rules should be visible before a partner invests in promotion.
3. Make operations predictable
State payout timing, thresholds, creative rules, trademark policies, promotional restrictions, disclosure requirements and contact routes in one accessible place.
- Clarity reduces disputes.
- Terms must match how the team actually enforces them.
- Compliance responsibilities vary by market and require appropriate legal review.
Manager checklist
- Define eligible actions and products.
- Document rates, attribution and validation.
- Set payment timing and thresholds.
- Create promotion and disclosure rules.
- Name an escalation contact.
A tier that rewards the right behavior
A subscription brand pays one amount for a trial and a higher amount after a retained paid customer is confirmed. The program clearly states the validation delay and does not present the second amount as guaranteed at signup.
Advertising a headline rate while hiding exclusions, long validation periods or restrictive attribution. Partners judge the whole earning opportunity, not one percentage.
Does a 30-day cookie guarantee a publisher credit for a purchase made within 30 days?
Key terms
- Brand bidding / PPC policy
- Rules on whether partners may bid on your brand name in search ads.
- Commission rate
- The percentage or flat fee you pay a partner for each qualifying action.
- Cookie window / Cookie duration / RD — Return Days
- How long after a click a partner can still earn credit for a sale.
- CPA — Cost Per Acquisition / Action
- You pay a partner a set fee each time a defined action happens — usually a sale.
- CPL — Cost Per Lead
- You pay for each qualified lead, such as a form fill or trial signup.
- CPS — Cost Per Sale
- A CPA model where the action is a completed sale, often a percentage of the order.
- Program terms / T&Cs
- The written rules partners agree to when they join.
Set commissions without spreadsheets
AFFN supports per-partner and per-product commission rules, so your best partners can earn more.