Affiliate Commission Understanding Your Payment Schedules

One of the most exciting moments in your career as an affiliate marketer is receiving your first commission check. That first payment represents all of the work and time you have put into promoting the affiliate program. And there it is; the proof that your efforts are paying off, it such a nice feeling – I can tell you.

To give you a deeper understanding about affiliate marketing program payment systems, let’s look at the basics of affiliate commission payment schedules.

Getting paid

As an affiliate, you earn in the form of commissions. This can either be a set amount per sale or a percentage of the purchase price of the product you are promoting. With some programs, this may also be part of the revenue generated by your down-line.

There is a schedule which affiliates are paid by. This is different depending on the particular affiliate program, but there is usually a minimum amount and/or a cut off date to this schedule.

Wondering why affiliate programs don’t just send a check whenever you make a sale? It’s very simple – since there are quite a few affiliates in any given program, it is far simpler to pay everyone on the same schedule so as to keep things organized.

Finding out the schedule of commission payments for your affiliate program

When you first sign up with an affiliate program, be sure to read their FAQ. This will generally include information about their payment schedule, as well as other useful information about the company and the affiliate program. This is important to know before signing up with an affiliate program and may well influence your choice of program.

How often is the payment disbursed?

The schedule of commission payments will vary from one affiliate program to another. Affiliates don’t have much influence over this; the schedule of payments is usually bi-monthly or monthly. Some programs, LinkShare for instance, pay out commissions on a weekly basis.

What methods are used for affiliate commission payments?

There are three payment methods used by affiliate programs. These are: checks, wire transfer and electronic payments (PayPal, for instance). How long it will take payments to reach you depends on the method of payment.

If the payment is made electronically, it can take as little as 24 hours, while checks will take 3-7 days, on average. A wire transfer will take from 3-6 business days.

Is there anything that will affect the schedule of affiliate commission payments?

The schedule of commission payments in affiliate programs is more or less set. In some cases, delays may occur; particularly when there are minimum amounts for disbursal – if an affiliate has not met this minimum, then it will take longer to receive payment (until they make the minimum amount of commissions).

This minimum amount is anywhere between $10 and $100. If an affiliate brings in less than this, then these earnings are carried over until they have met the minimum amount, at which point their payment will be disbursed.