Affiliate commission payouts.
Read past the headline rate.

How commissions move from a valid conversion to an approved balance and a real payment—and which terms decide whether they get there.

An affiliate commission is not payable simply because a click or sale appears in a dashboard. The program first defines a qualifying action, a commission model, and the rules for attributing that action to a partner. It then decides when the result becomes final, whether a minimum balance applies, and when approved balances are paid.

That makes a headline rate only one part of the economics. A useful comparison follows the full path from conversion to cash, including validation delays, refunds, cancellations, thresholds, currencies, fees, and reversals.

StageWhat it usually meansWhat to check
TrackedThe platform recorded an action against an affiliate link, code, or campaignThe qualifying event, attribution model, conversion window, and reporting delay
PendingThe program is validating the result during a hold or refund periodHow long validation lasts and which events can reverse the commission
Approved or payableThe result passed the program's checks and enters the payable balanceWhether a minimum threshold or account review still blocks payment
PaidThe program sent the approved amount through its payment methodPayout date, currency conversion, provider fees, tax requirements, and transfer time

How affiliate commissions move from conversion to payout

Programs use different labels, so do not assume that “earned,” “approved,” and “paid” mean the same thing. Ask what makes a balance payable and which date controls the next payout run. A monthly schedule may still produce a much longer wait when it follows a validation period.

ModelHow it worksTerms that change its value
Fixed rewardA stated amount for a qualified signup, workspace, purchase, or other eventThe exact event, validation criteria, geography, and duplicate-user rules
One-time percentageA share of one eligible transaction or first purchaseWhether the percentage uses gross or net revenue and which products, discounts, or taxes are excluded
Limited recurringA share of eligible subscription payments for a defined number of months or a first-year periodThe time limit, renewals, upgrades, downgrades, pauses, and cancellations
Ongoing recurringA share of eligible payments while the referred subscription remains activeWhether the rate can change, which renewals qualify, and what ends the relationship

Recurring vs one-time commissions

Recurring does not automatically mean lifetime, and a percentage is meaningless without a base. Find out whether commission is calculated before or after discounts, taxes, refunds, payment fees, and platform charges. Then compare the commission period with the product's likely customer life. A clear fixed payment can be easier to evaluate than an open-ended percentage with narrow eligibility.

Payout timing has more than one clock

The conversion window is not the payout schedule. A conversion window controls how long a click can receive credit. A validation or hold period controls how long the result stays pending. The payout cadence says when approved balances are processed. The payment provider then adds its own transfer time.

A threshold creates another variable. If the approved balance is below the minimum on the cutoff date, it usually rolls into a later cycle. Verify whether balances expire, whether there is a separate threshold by payment method, and whether fees or currency conversion are deducted before the transfer reaches you.

Read the calendar language literally. “Paid monthly,” “net 30,” “60-day hold,” and “paid on the first” describe different systems. Record the validation rule, cutoff date, payment date, and threshold separately.

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Refunds, cancellations and reversals

Refund windows are a common reason commissions remain pending. If a customer is refunded or a payment is charged back, the associated commission may be cancelled before approval or deducted later under the program's reversal rules. Subscription commissions normally stop when eligible customer payments stop, but the exact treatment must be stated in the terms.

Programs may also reject duplicate accounts, existing customers, self-referrals, fraudulent orders, ineligible plans, excluded countries, or conversions made through an unsupported purchase channel. Check whether an approved commission can be clawed back, whether a negative balance carries forward, and how disputes are submitted.

Published program exampleCommission and validity termsPayout mechanics to notice
Taskade50% recurring on active referred subscriptions; 90-day cookie; self-referrals prohibited$50 minimum, 60-day hold, monthly PayPal payout on the first
TodoistUp to 25% by tier; one eligible annual upgrade or up to 12 monthly payments; web purchases onlyRewards become redeemable after the published 30-day refund period
ClickUpUp to $25 for a new free workspace; 30-day cookie; existing users and self-referrals excludedActions lock one month after the tracking month; approved transactions are paid 15 days later

What counts as a valid conversion

The commissionable event must be written precisely. “Customer,” “signup,” and “sale” are not interchangeable. Eligibility can depend on the customer being new, choosing a particular plan, buying on the web rather than through an app store, living in a supported country, or completing the action before the conversion window closes.

What to verify before promoting a program

Start with the event: what exact action earns commission, which customers and products qualify, and which attribution rule decides credit? Then identify the model: fixed or percentage, one-time or recurring, eligible revenue base, commission duration, and any tier requirements.

Next map the payment path: validation period, refund and cancellation treatment, reversal or clawback rules, minimum balance, cutoff date, payout cadence, currency, payment method, fees, tax documentation, and balance-expiry policy. Check whether the dashboard separates pending, approved, rejected, and paid amounts.

Finally, read the restrictions and change terms. Save the version you accepted, confirm how the program announces material changes, and find the contact and dispute process before publishing. Directory summaries and old reviews can help you discover a program, but current first-party terms should control your decision.

What Fella currently verifies

Fella's public affiliate page verifies the operating method, not a permanent public rate card. Partners can create an account without an application or approval wait. Each partner receives a unique App Store campaign link. That link supports attribution, while commission is tied only to a qualifying paid conversion under Fella's current terms.

This public guide does not state a fixed commission rate, minimum threshold, exact payment day, attribution window, recurring term, refund rule, or reversal policy. Confirm the current Fella terms directly before promotion; none should be inferred from general SaaS examples.

Affiliate commission and payout FAQ

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