Commissions, tracking and attribution
How to set payouts that protect margin and tracking that you can trust.
How should I set my affiliate commission rate?
Set it from your margins, customer value and what a partner contributes, not from a competitor's rate. Work out contribution margin after product cost, shipping, discounts and returns, then decide how much can be paid and still leave profit.
Should commission differ by product?
Often yes. Products with higher margins can support higher commission. A tiered commission by SKU margin lets you pay more on profitable items and protect low-margin ones.
What are hybrid commission structures?
A hybrid structure combines a base payout, such as a flat fee or product, with performance commission or tiers. It can attract creators who need a guaranteed return while keeping payment tied to sales.
Should I pay commission on the full order or only on new customers?
Many brands pay more for new customers, because they are harder to win, and less for repeat buyers who may have ordered anyway. Define the rule in your terms and make sure your tracking can tell them apart.
How do returns affect commissions?
Returns reduce real revenue, so commissions should be validated after the return window where possible. Terms should say when an order qualifies and how reversals are handled, and reports should show performance net of returns.
What is a commission validation period?
A validation period is a delay between a sale and its payout, long enough for returns and fraud checks. Longer periods protect the brand and slow partner payment, so choose a length that fits your return window.
Which tracking platforms does SendAffiliates work with?
The site names Impact, Everflow, Refersion and Shopify Collabs. Choice depends on your storefront, attribution needs and budget, and platform selection and integration are scoped in your proposal.
What is server-side tracking?
Server-side tracking records conversions on a server and sends them to the tracking platform, instead of relying only on a browser pixel. It can be more reliable when browsers block scripts. The agency lists server-to-server postbacks among its setup work.
What are the main tracking problems?
Common problems are missing or misfiring pixels, broken deep links, coupon code leakage, lost cookies and duplicate orders. A tracking check before launch finds most of them, and ongoing review catches the rest.
What is coupon leakage?
Coupon leakage happens when affiliate or partner codes appear on public coupon sites and shoppers use them without any real referral. It gives away margin and credit. Controls include unique codes, terms limiting coupon sites and monitoring.
How do I stop coupon sites from taking credit for sales?
Write rules into partner terms about coupon sites and browser extensions, use unique codes and monitor for violations. The site lists coupon site leak suppression as an optional add-on or included item depending on the tier.
How do payouts work?
Payouts are usually made through the tracking platform or a payment service on a set schedule after the validation period. Confirm who funds commissions and when, because commissions are typically separate from agency fees.
More affiliate answers
Related: Commission strategy
Statements about SendAffiliates come from this site's services, industries and about pages. Everything else is general affiliate marketing guidance. Pricing figures on this site are indicative and set by written proposal. Disclosure and claims answers are not legal advice, so confirm them with a qualified adviser.
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