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SourcedEvery data point comes from the program's official pages and is date-stamped. Terms can change — always check the latest official terms.

GUIDE

Affiliate marketing guide for beginners

New to affiliate marketing? Start here: how to choose a program, how payouts work, and what the common terms mean.

  1. 01

    Start with the promotion region

    The region decides which country's store your referrals must buy from. Pick programs that cover where your audience is, or worldwide ones.

  2. 02

    Then the commission model and cookie

    Recurring suits content that keeps sending traffic; flat fees suit one-off purchases. Longer cookies credit you for delayed purchases.

  3. 03

    Check requirements and eligibility

    Some programs require a website, audience size or a registered business, or restrict publisher countries. Check before you create content.

  4. 04

    Read what's not allowed

    Brand-keyword bidding, coupon sites, self-referrals and spam are often banned; violations usually void commissions.

  5. 05

    Work out your payout costs

    Minimum payout, payment terms and payout methods (PayPal, Payoneer, wire) all affect what you actually receive.

Payouts & tax

  • Many US programs ask for a tax form before paying: non-US individuals usually submit a W-8BEN, non-US businesses a W-8BEN-E, US taxpayers a W-9. Follow each program's and network's instructions.
  • PayPal, Payoneer and wire transfers differ in fees and timing; some programs set different minimum payouts per method.
  • Most programs confirm commissions only after the refund window, so payment usually lands 30–90 days after the order — check each program's terms.

Glossary

CPS (cost per sale)
Commission paid on a completed sale, as a percentage or flat amount.
CPA (cost per action)
Commission paid when a user completes an action (sign-up, trial, account opening), not necessarily a purchase.
Recurring commission
Commission paid on every renewal of a subscription, common in SaaS and usually time-limited (e.g. 12 months).
Tiered commission
Rates or amounts that rise with your volume, e.g. by monthly sales.
EPC (earnings per click)
Average earnings per click — useful for comparing programs' real returns.
Affiliate network
Impact, CJ, Awin, PartnerStack and others aggregate many brand programs with shared tracking and payouts.
Direct program
A brand-run program you apply to on the brand's own site, with its own terms.
Self-referral
Buying through your own link. Most programs ban it or don't pay on it.
Brand bidding
Buying the brand's name as a search-ad keyword. Usually banned or requires approval.
Net 30 / Net 60
Payment 30 / 60 days after commissions are confirmed.
W-8BEN
A US tax form non-US individuals give to US payers to certify foreign status for withholding purposes.
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