Affiliate/Sheet

What an Affiliate Marketing Platform Is

An affiliate marketing platform is the software layer between publishers and brands. Here is what one does and how to compare them.

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How affiliate programs work
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An affiliate marketing platform is the layer between you and the brands you promote. You join once, then find many brand programs inside it. You make links there, and the platform tracks them and pays you.

This is different from joining one brand's own program. A single brand program covers that brand alone. A platform holds many brands in one place. You can read more about that setup on the page about affiliate marketing networks.

How a platform works

The steps are much the same on every platform.

  1. You sign up as a publisher or partner.
  2. You browse the brands in the platform and pick ones that fit your readers.
  3. You generate tracking links for those brands.
  4. The platform counts your clicks and sales.
  5. It pays you when your earnings reach its terms.

Each platform states its own rules for each step. Read its page before you join.

Free affiliate marketing platforms

Some platforms say sign-up is free on their own pages.

  • ClickBank's affiliate page says you sign up for a free ClickBank account to access products.
  • FlexOffers' program page says it is free to register as a publisher.
  • impact.com's affiliate page says joining as an affiliate partner is free.
  • Travelpayouts' homepage says sign-up is free, with no sign-up fees and no ongoing costs.

A free sign-up does not mean every brand inside will accept you. Each brand can still have its own terms. And a platform that charges nothing to join can still set payout rules you must meet.

Platform tools worth comparing

Platforms give you tools to make and track links. Here is what a few of their own pages say.

  • Awin's publisher page says its app has three tools: Link Builder, Offers and Product Search.
  • CJ's publisher page says its tools include a Deep Link Generator for tracking links from a brand site.
  • Rakuten Advertising's publisher page says its tools include Linkless Code and Bounceless Tracking.
  • Rakuten Advertising's publisher page says its Publisher Dashboard lets publishers connect with brands and grab links.

Compare the tools against what you actually publish. Awin's publisher page says creators can share affiliate links in blogs, social posts, videos and newsletters. CJ's publisher page says you can join brand programs with a single click. Pick the platform whose tools match your own work.

How platforms pay you

Each platform states its own payment methods and schedule.

  • Awin's publisher page says it pays by methods including SEPA, BACS, ACH and domestic payments.
  • Awin's publisher page says it partners with Payoneer for international wire transfers.
  • CJ's publisher page says it offers two monthly payouts and dozens of payout currencies.
  • CJ's publisher page says its partnership with Payoneer lets publishers get paid in local currency.
  • impact.com's affiliate page says you can withdraw funds on a set day each month or at an established balance threshold.
  • impact.com's affiliate page says it pays by direct transfer, BACS or PayPal, in the currency you choose.
  • Travelpayouts' homepage says it pays automatically via PayPal or bank on the same day each month.

ClickBank's affiliate page says affiliates can be paid by revenue share or by cost per action. It says cost per action pays a set dollar amount.

Travelpayouts' homepage says each program states its reward rate in its terms, as a percentage or a fixed sum. So on Travelpayouts, the rate is in each program's own terms. For how payouts are sent once you earn them, see how affiliate payouts are sent.

What to check before you join

Ask these questions of any platform's own page.

  1. Does it say sign-up is free?
  2. Which payment methods does it name, and do they work in your country?
  3. When does it pay, and is there a balance you must reach first?
  4. Which brands are in it, and do they fit your readers?
  5. What tools does it give you for making links?

If the page does not answer a question, the platform has not told you. Do not guess.

Where to go next

Once you pick a platform, look at the brand programs inside it. This site has deeper pages on specific programs, like the Amazon affiliate program and the Shopify affiliate program. You can also browse software affiliate programs or affiliate programs for bloggers and creators.

One more thing. Disclosure has its own page. See FTC affiliate disclosure requirements.

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