affiliate-programs

Detailed guidance for building and managing affiliate programs.

Affiliate Program Design

Detailed guidance for building and managing affiliate programs.

Commission Structures
Cookie Duration
Affiliate Recruitment
Affiliate Enablement
Tools & Platforms (Referral Program Tools, Affiliate Program Tools, Choosing a Tool)
Fraud Prevention (Common Referral Fraud, Prevention Measures)

Commission Structures

Percentage of sale:

Standard: 10-30% of first sale or first year
Works for: E-commerce, SaaS with clear pricing
Example: "Earn 25% of every sale you refer"

Flat fee per action:

Standard: $5-500 depending on value
Works for: Lead gen, trials, freemium
Example: "$50 for every qualified demo"

Recurring commission:

Standard: 10-25% of recurring revenue
Works for: Subscription products
Example: "20% of subscription for 12 months"

Tiered commission:

Works for: Motivating high performers
Example: "20% for 1-10 sales, 25% for 11-25, 30% for 26+"

Cookie Duration

How long after click does affiliate get credit?

| Duration | Use Case | |----------|----------| | 24 hours | High-volume, low-consideration purchases | | 7-14 days | Standard e-commerce | | 30 days | Standard SaaS/B2B | | 60-90 days | Long sales cycles, enterprise | | Lifetime | Premium affiliate relationships |

Affiliate Recruitment

Where to find affiliates:

Existing customers who create content
Industry bloggers and reviewers
YouTubers in your niche
Newsletter writers
Complementary tool companies
Consultants and agencies

Outreach template:

Subject: Partnership opportunity — [Your Product]

Hi [Name],

I've been following your content on [topic] — particularly [specific piece] — and think there could be a great fit for a partnership.

[Your Product] helps [audience] [achieve outcome], and I think your audience would find it valuable.

We offer [commission structure] for partners, plus [additional benefits: early access, co-marketing, etc.].

Would you be open to learning more?

[Your name]

Affiliate Enablement

Provide affiliates with:

[ ] Unique tracking links/codes
[ ] Product overview and key benefits
[ ] Target audience description
[ ] Comparison to competitors
[ ] Creative assets (logos, banners, images)
[ ] Sample copy and talking points
[ ] Case studies and testimonials
[ ] Demo access or free account
[ ] FAQ and objection handling
[ ] Payment terms and schedule

Tools & Platforms

Referral Program Tools

Full-featured platforms:

ReferralCandy — E-commerce focused
Ambassador — Enterprise referral programs
Friendbuy — E-commerce and subscription
GrowSurf — SaaS and tech companies
Mention Me — AI-powered referral marketing
Viral Loops — Template-based campaigns

Built-in options:

Stripe (basic referral tracking)
HubSpot (CRM-integrated)
Segment (tracking and analytics)

Affiliate Program Tools

Affiliate networks:

ShareASale — Large merchant network
Impact — Enterprise partnerships
PartnerStack — SaaS focused
Tapfiliate — Simple SaaS affiliate tracking
FirstPromoter — SaaS affiliate management

Self-hosted:

Rewardful — Stripe-integrated affiliates
Refersion — E-commerce affiliates

Choosing a Tool

Consider:

Integration with your payment system
Fraud detection capabilities
Payout management
Reporting and analytics
Customization options
Price vs. program scale

Fraud Prevention

Common Referral Fraud

Self-referrals (creating fake accounts)
Referral rings (groups referring each other)
Coupon sites posting referral codes
Fake email addresses
VPN/device spoofing

Prevention Measures

Technical:

Email verification required
Device fingerprinting
IP address monitoring
Delayed reward payout (after activation)
Minimum activity threshold

Policy:

Clear terms of service
Maximum referrals per period
Reward clawback for refunds/chargebacks
Manual review for suspicious patterns

Structural:

Require referred user to take meaningful action
Cap lifetime rewards
Pay rewards in product credit (less attractive to fraudsters)