Define Commission

Set up commission rates and structures for your affiliate program

Commission determines what partners earn when they drive results. Configure the right type and duration to attract quality partners and align incentives with your business model.


Commission Basics

Every commission has two components:

ComponentDescription
RateHow much partners earn (percentage or fixed amount)
DurationHow long partners earn from a referred customer

Commission Types

Revenue Share

Partners earn a percentage of each sale from customers they refer.

Example: 30% commission means partner earns $30 on a $100 sale.

Revenue Share is the default and recommended type for SaaS products.

CPC (Cost per Click)

Partners earn a fixed amount for each click they drive.

Example: $0.01 per click.

CPL (Cost per Lead)

Partners earn a fixed amount for each qualified lead (signup) they refer.

Example: $10 per lead.

CPS (Cost per Sale)

Partners earn a fixed amount for each sale they generate.

Example: $20 per sale.

Coming Soon

TypeDescriptionExample
TieredBonuses at milestones$100 bonus after $100K revenue
HybridCombine multiple typesCPC + CPS + milestone bonuses

These will be available through Group Rewards.


Commission Duration

How long partners continue earning from a referred customer:

DurationDescriptionBest for
One-timeFirst payment onlySimple products, one-time purchases
3 monthsFirst 3 months of paymentsShort trial periods
6 monthsFirst 6 months of paymentsMedium commitment products
12 monthsFirst 12 months of paymentsAnnual subscription products
LifetimeAll future paymentsMaximum partner incentive
CustomConfigure your own durationSpecific business needs

Recommendation: For SaaS, use 12 months or lifetime to motivate partners to refer customers who stay, not just customers who sign up.


Setting Your Commission

During Setup

In the setup wizard, you'll configure:

  1. Commission Rate (%) – e.g., 30%
  2. Commission Duration – e.g., 12 months

This becomes your default commission for all partners.

Example Configurations

Business TypeRateDurationWhy
B2B SaaS ($50-200/mo)30%12 monthsHigh LTV justifies generous commission
B2B SaaS ($500+/mo)20-25%LifetimeLower % but longer duration
Consumer SaaS ($10-30/mo)30-40%6 monthsHigher % to attract volume partners
One-time purchase20-30%One-timeSimple, predictable

Commission Calculation

Formula: Commission = Sale Amount × Commission Rate

Example with 30% commission:

Customer PaymentPartner Earns
$100 one-time$30
$100/month × 12 months$30/month × 12 = $360 total
$1,000/year lifetime$300/year ongoing

With Affitor's 3.5% platform fee:

SalePartner Commission (30%)Platform Fee (3.5%)You Keep
$100$30$3.50$66.50*

*Before Stripe fees (~2.9% + $0.30)


Changing Commission Rates

You can update your default commission anytime in Program Settings.

Important: Changes apply to new referrals only — existing attributions keep their original rate.


Group Rewards (Coming Soon)

Group Rewards will let you assign different commission structures to different partner segments:

  • Performance tiers – Higher commission for top performers
  • Partner types – Different rates for influencers vs. agencies
  • Special promotions – Temporary commission boosts
  • Milestone bonuses – Extra rewards at revenue thresholds

Best Practices

  1. Be competitive – Research what similar products offer. For AI SaaS, 30%+ is common.

  2. Think lifetime value – A 30% commission on a customer with 24-month LTV is very profitable for you.

  3. Longer duration = better partners – Lifetime commissions attract partners who promote quality, not just volume.

  4. Start generous, optimize later – Reducing rates for new partners is easier than raising them after expectations are set.


What's Next

Edit on GitHub
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