Learning Center
Plain-language explainers on how affiliate marketing works, from referral tracking to commissions and payouts.
Affiliate marketing basics
What affiliate and referral programs are, and how they work for an online store.
- How do you set up a referral program?Set up a referral program in eight steps: choose who refers, the rewards, and the tracking. With referral code examples and common mistakes to avoid.
- What goes in an affiliate agreement?An affiliate agreement, or affiliate terms and conditions, sets commission, payment, and promotion rules. See each clause, with a template to adapt.
- How do you find affiliates?Find affiliates among your customers, subscribers, and partners, then creators and sites in your niche. See where to look and how to ask.
- What is an affiliate portal?An affiliate portal, or affiliate dashboard, is where affiliates sign in to get their links and codes and to see their referrals, earnings, and payouts.
- What is affiliate software for ecommerce?Affiliate software tracks referred sales, applies commission rules, and pays affiliates. Learn what it does and how to choose it for your online store.
- What is in-house affiliate program software?In-house affiliate program software lets an ecommerce store run its own affiliate program: tracking, commissions, an affiliate dashboard, and payouts.
- What is an affiliate program?An affiliate program is the set of rules a store uses to pay affiliates for referred sales. See how it works, with an example, and how networks compare.
- What is affiliate marketing?Affiliate marketing pays partners commission on the sales they refer. Learn the merchant, affiliate, and customer roles and how an in-house program works.
- What is a referral program?A referral program rewards customers for bringing in new buyers. Learn how it compares with an affiliate program and who makes a good affiliate.
Referral tracking and attribution
How referral links and discount codes connect a sale to the affiliate who drove it.
- What is referral tracking?Referral tracking connects each sale to the affiliate who sent the customer. Learn how referral links, cookie consent, and completed orders decide credit.
- What is lifetime attribution?Lifetime attribution keeps a customer connected to the affiliate who referred them. Learn how it differs from per-order credit and when it fits.
- Referral links vs discount codes: how does each credit an affiliate?Referral links and discount codes both credit affiliates for sales. Learn how each works, standard vs single-use codes, and how to limit code leakage.
Commissions and payouts
How affiliates earn commission, and how that commission gets paid.
- How do you pay influencers?Influencers get a flat fee, a commission, free product, or a mix. Learn which model fits, how to send the money, and what to track for taxes.
- How are affiliate commissions taxed?See how income tax and VAT, GST or sales tax usually apply to affiliate commissions, for the affiliate and the store, in each country.
- What is an affiliate commission?An affiliate commission is what a store pays for a referred sale. Learn how commissions work, with examples, when they are earned, and how overrides work.
- How do affiliate payouts work?Affiliate payouts explained: how to pay affiliates step by step, with thresholds, schedules, payment methods and fees. Learn how affiliates get paid.
- Do affiliates get 1099 forms?Learn what Forms 1099-K and 1099-NEC are, why reporting depends on IRS thresholds, and what Simple Affiliate facilitates for U.S. Autopay payouts.