What is an affiliate? (SaaS version: rules, payouts, tracking)

An affiliate is a partner who sends you customers and gets paid when a tracked conversion happens. In SaaS, the hard part is not the link. The hard part is the rule you will apply when payouts, refunds, and disputes show up.

Table of contents

• Definition and when it matters
• Real-world model
• Recommended default
• Copy/paste templates
• FAQ

Definition and when it matters

An affiliate is someone you reward for attributable revenue. If you cannot explain attribution and refund handling in one paragraph, your program will be noisy.

Real-world model

Inputs → clicks (or coupons), signups, payments, refunds. Rules → attribution window + override rules + clawbacks. Outputs → a payout ledger you can audit.

Recommended default

• Track the click, but persist attribution on signup (not only in a cookie).
• Pay monthly or Net-30, with a clear refund window.
• Pay commissions on net revenue (after refunds/chargebacks).

Copy/paste templates

Copy/paste payout rule: We pay commissions monthly (Net-30). If an underlying payment is refunded or charged back, we deduct the commission from the next payout (clawback).

FAQ

Is an affiliate the same as a referral program?

Not exactly. Referral programs are usually customer-to-customer with store credit. Affiliate programs are partner-to-business with cash payouts and stricter rules.

Do I need coupons?

No. Coupons help some creators, but they can also cause attribution leakage. Start with link-based tracking and add coupons only when you want coupon partners.

Final takeaway and next step

If you can trace every commission to a payment id and explain refund handling, affiliate payouts become boring. Next step: publish payout rules, then recruit 5 to 10 affiliates for a 2-week pilot.