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Roles and players

Affiliate network

Also called affiliate platform, partner network, performance marketing network, CPA network.

Short answer

An affiliate network is a platform that connects stores with affiliates and keeps the shared accounts: clicks, sales, approval and payout of commission. The network acts as a neutral third party between the two sides.

Definition of Affiliate network.

An affiliate network sits between two parties who would otherwise have to trust each other's numbers. The store does not want to pay for sales it cannot recognise, and the affiliate will not accept a statement she cannot verify. The network owns the measurement, shows both sides the same row of data and decides when commission changes status.

Besides measurement, the network provides the infrastructure – links, a directory of programs, sign-up, balances and payouts – and earns a fee. Always ask whether the fee is added on top of the store's price or deducted from the affiliate's commission: if it is deducted, the affiliate gets less than the rate the program shows.

Affiliate network vs. your own affiliate program

AspectNetworkOwn program (in-house)
TechnologyTracking, links and payouts are includedMust be built or bought as software
PartnersAccess to affiliates already on the platformThe store recruits each one itself
CostA fee per sale – either on top of the commission or deducted from itA fixed licence or development time
NeutralityA third party measures for both sidesThe store measures its own sales

A network gives you partners fastest and neutral measurement; your own program only starts paying off at high volume.

At Affilyflow

Affiliate network in practice

Affilyflow is a Danish affiliate network. The store sets a total price per sale, our fee is 20 % of it, and the affiliate gets the 80 % – exactly the rate the program shows.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to join an affiliate network?

For affiliates, signing up is normally free, and the income is the commission from the programs they promote. The store pays the commission plus the network's fee. On Affilyflow, the store sets a total price per sale; the fee is 20 % of it, the affiliate gets the 80 %, and the fee is not deducted from the affiliate's rate.

What is the difference between an affiliate network and an affiliate program?

The affiliate program is the individual store's agreement: what triggers commission, how much and on what terms. The affiliate network is the platform that runs many programs, measures clicks and sales and handles payouts. A store has one program, the network has many.

Can you be a member of several affiliate networks at the same time?

Yes. Affiliates typically work with several networks, because the stores are spread across them. It requires keeping track of which link belongs to which network, as a link only measures in the system it was created in.

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