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Payment and models

Balance

Also called account balance, amount due, approved balance.

Short answer

In an affiliate network, the balance is the amount an affiliate is owed: the sum of approved commission that has not yet been paid out. Pending commission is not included – it only counts once the store has approved the sale.

Definition of Balance.

The balance is what the network owes the affiliate. It grows when commissions are approved and falls when payouts are made. The balance is therefore the last link in the chain from click to money: the conversion is created as pending, approved by the store, added to the balance and finally paid out after a payout request.

Balance and total earnings are not the same. A dashboard shows several figures side by side: pending commission, balance and amount paid out. Only the approved, unpaid amount is the balance – the money that can actually be requested as a payout. Pending commission can still be rejected, for example because of returns, and in that case never reaches the balance.

As a rule, a payout requires the balance to reach a payout threshold – a minimum amount set by the network. If the balance is below the threshold, it stays put and grows until the threshold is reached. No money disappears; the payout is simply postponed.

From conversion to balance

The journey has fixed stops: the conversion is recorded and created as pending commission. The store checks the order during an approval period, in which returns, faulty orders and breaches of terms are filtered out. If the sale is approved, the commission moves to the balance – if it is rejected, it lapses and never reaches the balance.

After approval, two figures decide when the money lands: the payout threshold, which determines how large the balance must be before a payout can be started, and the network's payout schedule. If you know both, you can work backwards from a sale to the day the money is in your account.

Balance vs. pending commission

AspectBalancePending commission
Statusapproved by the storeawaiting approval or the automatic deadline
Can be paid outyes, once the payout threshold is reachedno
Can changefalls when payouts are madecan be rejected before it is approved
Tells youwhat you are owed nowwhat is on its way if everything is approved

Plan by the balance, and treat pending commission as a forecast – not as money.

How it goes wrong

  • 01

    The dashboard's biggest number is read as money

    Total earnings or pending commission look like a balance but can still shrink through rejections. Only budget on the approved amount.

  • 02

    The payout threshold is overlooked

    A balance of DKK 80 and a threshold of DKK 100 means no payout yet. Check the threshold before wondering about a missing payout.

  • 03

    The approval period is forgotten in cash flow

    Between sale and balance lies the store's approval window, and between balance and bank account lies the payout process. From sale to money can take weeks – plan for it.

At Affilyflow

Balance in practice

On Affilyflow a conversion never credits a balance automatically – everything is created as pending. The store has the program's approval period (30–90 days) to reject a sale; after that it is approved automatically, and a rejection always requires a reason the affiliate can read.

The balance is not a database column that is counted up and down – it is calculated from the underlying data, and the payout amount is determined by the server. So there is no balance that can drift out of step with the approved commissions behind it. If the approved balance is at least DKK 100, it is paid out automatically on the first banking day of the month.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my commission not in my balance?

Because it is still pending. Commission is only added to the balance when the store has approved the sale or the approval deadline has passed. Until then, the amount is shown as pending and can still be rejected, for example because of a return.

What is the difference between balance and pending commission?

The balance is approved commission that has not yet been paid out – money you are owed. Pending commission is recorded sales that have not yet been approved and that can lapse if the sale is rejected.

When can I have my balance paid out?

When the balance reaches the network's payout threshold, a payout can be started. If the balance is below the threshold, it stays put and keeps counting until the threshold is reached.

Can my balance go down?

The balance goes down when payouts are made. Rejected sales do not affect it, because they lapse as pending before they reach the balance. Read the network's terms for how special cases such as reversals after approval are handled.

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