# Payouts

> How partner commissions move through Affitor's payout workflow.

Cleared commissions move through Affitor's payout workflow automatically. This page explains the lifecycle, payout methods, and your role as advertiser.

<PageMeta
  items={[
    { label: 'Who this is for', value: 'Advertisers and ops teams' },
    { label: 'Time required', value: '5 minutes' },
    { label: 'Prerequisites', value: 'An understanding of commission approval, hold workflow, and attributed sales' },
    { label: 'Outcome', value: 'You understand the payout lifecycle, methods, and the advertiser role in the process' },
  ]}
/>

## How payouts work

<Mermaid chart={`flowchart LR
  A[Customer pays you] --> B[Affitor attributes the sale]
  B --> C[Commission approved after hold]
  C --> D[Affitor invoices you]
  D --> E[You pay the invoice]
  E --> F[Affitor pays your partners]
`} />

![Billing — platform fee, outstanding balance, and your next invoice date](/docs/brand/billing.png)

The platform fee follows the same principle: **$0 until your program earns its first $10,000 through affiliates, then 3.5% of affiliate-driven revenue.** You can see the fee accruing live on the Billing page.

<Flow>
  <FlowStep>Sale attributed</FlowStep>
  <FlowStep>Commission created</FlowStep>
  <FlowStep>Review / hold workflow</FlowStep>
  <FlowStep>Commission clears</FlowStep>
  <FlowStep>Payout workflow continues</FlowStep>
</Flow>

At a high level:
1. A sale is attributed.
2. A commission is created.
3. The commission moves through the review / hold workflow.
4. Cleared earnings become withdrawable within the payout process.
5. The partner payout is processed through Affitor.

You do not need to manage individual partner transfers yourself.

---

## Payout Methods

Available payout methods depend on partner setup and region:

| Method | Notes |
|--------|-------|
| Bank transfer | Common partner payout path |
| Wise | Used where supported |
| Stripe | Used where supported |

Partners manage their payout details inside the payout workflow; advertisers do not need to collect bank details directly.

---

## Payout Status States

| State | Meaning |
|-------|---------|
| **Pending** | Withdrawal requested, awaiting approval |
| **Approved** | Approved and ready to process |
| **Completed** | Payout sent |

---

## Your Role as Advertiser

| Do | Don’t |
|----|-------|
| Review transactions and commissions where needed | Manage individual partner bank transfers |
| Configure commission and hold settings | Build a separate payout ops layer for each partner |
| Monitor affiliate cost and performance | Manually reconcile partner payments outside the workflow |

---

## Verify it worked

<VerifySuccess
  dashboard={["A test-mode sale produces a commission in Pending; when its hold period ends it moves to Approved", "Billing shows the platform-fee card ($0 until your first $10,000 through affiliates) and the Next invoice date"]}
  ifNotWorking={["Commissions stuck in Pending usually mean the hold period has not elapsed — the per-program default is in your program settings"]}
/>

## Refunds

When a refund occurs, Affitor reconciles the commission through the payout workflow based on its current lifecycle state.

---

<NextStep
  title="Review performance views"
  description="Once payout flow is clear, check the performance guide to see where clicks, leads, sales, and payout-related outcomes appear in the dashboard."
  href="/brand/quickstart/view-performance"
  ctaLabel="Open performance guide"
/>