// read the terms
Nine lines that decide what you actually earn.
They're all in the program terms, usually below the part anyone reads. Here's what each one means and what should make you stop.
The terms, one row each
| Term | What it means | What to check | Stop if you see |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commission rate | The percentage or flat amount you earn per sale. | Whether the headline rate is the starting rate or a top tier you reach later. | “Up to” with no tier table. |
| What it's paid on | The amount the percentage applies to. | Whether tax, shipping, discounts and gift cards come out first. | Commission on profit or margin, with no way to see the margin. |
| Cookie window | How long after a click you still get credit for a sale. | The number of days, and whether it matches how long people take to decide. | 24 hours on a product people research for weeks. |
| Attribution | Who gets credit when several sites sent the same buyer. | Last click is standard. Know which one they use. | No attribution rule written down anywhere. |
| Reversals | Commissions taken back after refunds, cancellations or fraud checks. | How long the reversal period lasts before a sale is locked in. | Reversals with no time limit, or for reasons they don't define. |
| Payout threshold | The minimum balance before they'll pay you. | Whether small sites will realistically ever reach it. | A high threshold plus a rule that unpaid balances expire. |
| Payout schedule | When earned money actually reaches you. | Net 30 or net 60 terms, and the payment methods offered. | No stated schedule, or payment only in store credit. |
| Traffic rules | Where and how you're allowed to promote. | Bans on paid search, coupon sites, email or social ads. | Rules vague enough to void commissions after the fact. |
| Account closure | What happens if they end the program or remove you. | Whether earned, unpaid commission still gets paid. | The right to keep your unpaid balance when they close your account. |
Save a copy of the terms the day you join
Programs change their terms, sometimes without much notice. A dated copy is the only way to know what you agreed to if a commission gets disputed later.
Then run the numbers
Once you know the real rate, the reversal period and the threshold, put them into the calculator and see what a month looks like. Or start from the programs we've already checked.