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Affiliate portal: FAQ that saves you support time
Copy/paste answers that stop the same 10 emails every payout cycle
If your affiliate program is even mildly successful, you’ll get the same questions on repeat: ‘Where’s my payout?’, ‘Why did this signup not track?’, ‘Can I run ads?’, ‘Can I use coupons?’.
A good affiliate portal FAQ does two things: it sets expectations (rules + timing) and it explains edge cases (refunds, trial conversions, attribution). This page is a practical, copy/paste FAQ you can ship today.
Table of contents
- What to include (principles)
- Affiliate portal FAQ (copy/paste)
- Support routing (so you don’t become the helpdesk)
- Related pages
What to include (principles)
- Say what is automatic vs what requires approval (coupons, paid search, brand bidding, email blasts).
- Define timing in calendar language (e.g., ‘payouts on the 10th for last month’), not vague ‘soon’.
- Explain the two most common ‘missing commission’ causes: attribution rules and refund/trial states.
- Add one ‘how to report a tracking issue’ checklist to avoid back-and-forth.
Affiliate portal FAQ (copy/paste)
When do commissions show up?
Commissions usually appear quickly, but some conversions stay in a ‘pending’ state until the payment clears and the refund window passes. If you’re promoting a trial, commissions may only lock after the trial converts.
Why is a conversion ‘pending’ or ‘not approved’ yet?
We review conversions to prevent fraud and to make sure refunds/chargebacks are handled fairly. Pending conversions typically become approved after (1) payment capture and (2) the refund window.
What attribution rule do you use (last-click vs first-click)?
We use a simple last-touch attribution rule for affiliate links. If a user clicks multiple partner links, the most recent eligible click gets credit. If you believe a conversion should be credited to you, use the tracking issue checklist below.
What is the cookie / tracking window?
The tracking window is the time between a click and a purchase where the referral can be credited. If a user purchases after the window expires, the conversion may not be attributed.
Can I deep link to a specific page?
Yes — deep links are allowed as long as the destination is brand-safe and not misleading. If a deep link breaks, use the ‘tracking issue’ checklist so we can reproduce it.
Can I use coupons / discounts?
Only approved coupons are allowed. Unapproved coupons (especially scraped codes) create payout disputes because they ‘steal’ attribution from content partners. If you want a coupon, request approval first.
Do you allow paid ads or bidding on your brand keywords?
By default, brand bidding is not allowed unless explicitly approved. Paid ads can be allowed for non-brand keywords depending on your channel and landing page. Ask before launching campaigns so we can confirm what’s permitted.
Are self-referrals allowed?
No. Self-referrals (earning commission on your own account or your company’s accounts) are not eligible and may be reversed.
What happens on refunds or chargebacks?
If a customer refunds or a chargeback occurs, the associated commission may be reversed (clawed back). This keeps the program fair because we only pay commission on retained revenue.
When are payouts sent?
Payouts are processed monthly. If your balance is below the payout threshold, it rolls over to the next payout cycle.
How do I report a tracking issue?
- Share the landing page URL you used (deep link).
- Share the approximate timestamp + timezone.
- Share the click/referral ID if the portal shows one.
- Share the customer email domain (not the full email) if relevant.
- Tell us whether the user had an ad blocker / privacy settings enabled.
Support routing (so you don’t become the helpdesk)
Put the support route in the portal and stick to it. Partners should know where to ask (and what info to include). If you answer ad-hoc DMs, you’ll train people to bypass the process.
FAQ:
Should this FAQ live in the portal or in a public doc?
Put the short version in the portal (where affiliates look first). If you have longer policies (refunds, brand bidding, self-referrals), link to public pages so you can reference them consistently.
What 3 rules prevent most payout disputes?
Define conversion (what earns commission), define refunds/chargebacks (cancel + clawback), and define payout timing (monthly/Net-30 + threshold). Publish them in plain English.
What info should affiliates include for a tracking bug report?
Destination URL, timestamp + timezone, referral/click id (if available), and whether an ad blocker was used. Without that, you can’t reproduce or explain attribution.
Related pages
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