New in Simple Affiliate: Rebuilt Analytics, PayPal and Store Credit Payouts, Streamlined Groups
What Actually Changed for Your Store
This month's release focuses on three direct requests from merchants: seeing program performance with deep visual analytics, paying affiliates with total flexibility, and setting up groups without switching back and forth to Shopify admin.
Figure 1: What's new at Simple Affiliate calendar graphic for the August 2026 updates covering rebuilt analytics, expanded payout options, and streamlined group rules.
Here is a quick summary of the upgrades now live in your dashboard:
- Comprehensive program visibility: An all-new Analytics dashboard featuring top-level KPI tracking, conversion trend visualizations, and cross-tabulated product heatmaps.
- Flexible payout methods: Native PayPal and Shopify store credit payouts operating alongside AutoPay.
- Smarter group management: Simplified product commission selectors and native group-level discount rule configuration.
1. Rebuilt Analytics: KPI Overviews, Trend Breakdown, and Product Matrices
Reports has been rebuilt into a dedicated Analytics hub designed to answer how your program performs at macro and micro levels.
Top-Level KPIs and Revenue Performance
The primary Analytics view consolidates key operational metrics into dynamic KPI cards above time-series performance charts. Store owners can immediately evaluate core metrics:
- Actively earning affiliates: 19 affiliates generating sales within the selected timeframe.
- New customer acquisition: 25.4% first-time customer share (an increase of 42.22%).
- Average Order Value (AOV): $301.11 across affiliate-driven orders.
- Revenue and Commission: Total affiliate sales reaching $18,970.00 against $3,354.50 in total commissions owed (representing an average commission rate of 17.7%).
Figure 2: The Analytics Sales report featuring KPI cards for Actively earning (19), 1st-time customers (25.4%, +42.22%), Referrals (63), Avg commission rate (17.7%), Average order value ($301.11), New customer sales ($4,070.00), Sales ($18,970.00), and Commission ($3,354.50), with a stacked affiliate sales chart by first-time and returning buyers.
Visualizing Performance Trends and Channels
Below the core metrics, new visualization panels analyze partner performance, customer composition, and channel efficiency:
- Top Performers & Momentum: The Top 5 affiliates by sales widget splits revenue between first-time and returning buyers. Dynamic momentum charts highlight Biggest gainers alongside affiliates that need account manager attention.
- Customer Split: Donut visualizations quantify overall acquisition (such as 80.7% returning vs. 19.3% first-time customer sales).
- Group and Channel Attribution: Revenue distribution donut charts break down total sales by group (e.g., 49.3% from Top Performers, 24.0% from Ambassadors, 18.0% from Creators) and referral method (59.6% via promo codes vs. 40.4% via referral links).
Figure 3: Analytics Overview widgets showing Top 5 affiliates by sales, Biggest gainers, Needs attention, New vs returning customer sales (19.3% first-time vs 80.7% returning), Sales by group (Top Performers 49.3%, Ambassadors 24.0%, Creators 18.0%), and Referral method (59.6% code vs 40.4% link).
Top Products x Top Affiliates Matrix
To pinpoint exactly which SKU lines drive volume for specific creators, Analytics introduces the Sales: top products × top affiliates matrix table.
This cross-tabulated heatmap maps top creators against specific products. For example, store managers can track top-line revenues like Agility potion ($38.5K total revenue), seeing immediately that Nadia Ok. generated $10.4K of that volume, followed by Marcus De. at $5.6K.
Figure 4: The Sales: top products × top affiliates matrix mapping product-level revenue across Nadia Ok., Marcus De., Priya Ra., Amara Wh., and Elena Va., with Agility potion totaling $38.5K.
Try it in your store: Navigate to Analytics > Overview for high-level numbers, performance widgets, and product matrices. Open Analytics > Sales for the KPI cards and affiliate sales chart.
2. Pay Affiliates with PayPal and Store Credit
AutoPay is no longer your only native payout option. PayPal and store credit are now full payout methods integrated directly into Simple Affiliate.
- PayPal Payouts: Pay creators directly through their preferred payment processor.
- Store Credit Payouts: Issue Shopify store credit directly to keep commission funds circulating back into store inventory.
Both methods are available across all billed accounts. Stores with complex payout requirements can run multiple payout methods simultaneously. All payout types are logged, tracked, and managed within a unified payout queue.
Figure 5: Payout settings showing native PayPal and Shopify store credit options activated alongside Autopay, with PayPal set as the default method.
Try it in your store: Go to Settings > Payout to enable PayPal or Store Credit, then head to Payments to run payouts.
- Read the step-by-step guide on connecting PayPal payouts →
- Read the step-by-step guide on enabling store credit payouts →
3. Streamlined Groups: Product Commissions and Discount Rules Made Simple
Two major group upgrades remove back-and-forth settings configuration between apps and admins:
Curated Product Commissions
Managing variant tables across large product catalogs was previously tedious. The new product commission selector works like Shopify collections: a clean, curated list with quick Add collection and Add product controls, complete with instant search. You choose exactly which products pay a special rate.
Figure 6: Group Commission tab showing collection-specific and variant-specific priority rules, with Add collection, Add product, and search by title or ID.
Native Group Discount Settings
You no longer need to jump into the Shopify Discounts section to finish setting up group rules. Discount values ($ fixed or % percentage) and rule management now live directly inside the group edit view within Simple Affiliate.
Figure 7: Group Discounts tab with the discount code rule Active and Enabled, discount type Amount off order, and a 25% discount value.
Try it in your store: Open any Group, use the Commission tab to curate custom product and collection rates, and manage Discounts directly on the same page.
- Read the step-by-step guide on setting up groups →
- Read the step-by-step guide on setting product-specific commissions →
The Bottom Line
These updates remove day-to-day operational friction. Whether analyzing SKU performance per affiliate in the new product matrix, issuing store credit payouts, or curating product-specific group rates, your dashboard handles key management tasks in fewer clicks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What insights does the new Product x Affiliate matrix provide?
The matrix cross-tabulates product performance against individual creators, showing exact dollar amounts generated per SKU by each affiliate so you can identify top-selling product combinations.
Can I offer multiple payout methods to my affiliates at the same time?
Yes. Billed stores can enable AutoPay, PayPal, and Store Credit simultaneously in Settings > Payout, allowing affiliates to choose their preferred payout method inside their dashboard.
Do I still need to configure discount rules inside the Shopify admin?
Partly. Group-level discount rules, values ($ or %), and basic eligibility settings can now be managed directly within the Simple Affiliate group edit screen. Advanced customer eligibility and combination rules are still managed in the Shopify admin.