Affiliate Program

Overview

An affiliate program pays partners a commission for each sale they refer, making it a performance-based acquisition channel with no upfront media cost. The right setup depends on your platform — most merchants get 90% of the value from a dedicated app without writing any code. Custom commission rules, fraud detection, and automated payouts are where custom development adds value.

When to Use This Skill

• When launching a creator or influencer partnership program with revenue share
• When replacing a third-party affiliate network (ShareASale, CJ) to reduce 20–30% network fees
• When needing custom commission rules (category-specific rates, SKU exclusions, tiered volume bonuses)
• When fraud in an existing affiliate program is eroding margins
• When generating 1099 tax reporting for US-based affiliates

Core Instructions

Step 1: Determine the merchant's platform and choose the right tool