How to choose an iGaming affiliate network: a checklist for affiliates

Affiliates often choose a network by the biggest number on the page, the payout. On its own, a payout means very little: it does not say which action is paid, which traffic is accepted, how results are reconciled or when the money arrives. Two networks showing the same figure on an offer can mean very different work. If the operator, network and affiliate setup is new to you, start with how casino affiliate programs work.

The simplest approach is to ask every candidate the same questions in the same order. This is not a ranking of networks or a promise of results, just the order of a conversation after which you know whether the offer suits you.

1. Will they take your traffic#

Start with approval. It is written in the terms of the specific offer, not in the network’s description of itself: ‘we work worldwide’ does not mean every country and every source is allowed for every product.

Ask which GEOs are allowed and where that is recorded, whether your source (SEO, PPC, in-app, push, social, incentivised traffic) is accepted, and whether there are restrictions on creatives, brand keywords or wording. Check separately which countries the network does not work in at all. If the answers are vague, it is too early to compare anything else: traffic sent without confirmed approval may never be paid.

2. What exactly you are paid for#

CPA, RevShare and Hybrid are labels; what matters is what sits behind them. For CPA, it is which action is paid and how it qualifies. For RevShare, it is the base the share is calculated from. For Hybrid, it is both.

This is also where caps come up (daily, weekly, per GEO), along with the hold and its length, KPIs and baseline if there are any, and how the network warns you about changes to the terms. Get all of it in writing, with a version date. A month later nobody has to remember who promised what.

3. Will the network see your event#

Good terms are useless if events get lost on the way. Find out which link parameter should carry the click ID, which statuses the postback will send, whether the payout amount is passed and who helps if a test conversion does not arrive. A good sign is when you can check the setup with a test conversion before launch rather than after the first budget.

How postbacks work is covered in detail in a separate article in our journal.

4. How the numbers are compared#

Your tracker and the network’s dashboard rarely match to the last unit: statuses change and some actions are reviewed later. That is fine as long as you know the rules in advance. Find out where you can see statistics and how detailed they are, what period reconciliation covers, how adjustments to closed periods are shown and who looks into discrepancies and how quickly they reply.

5. When the money arrives#

The last point is payouts, and general statements are not enough here. Entitlement to a payout may come after the advertiser’s approval, after the hold or on a schedule. Payouts may have a minimum amount and their own methods. It also matters whether adjustments can happen after a payout, and within what period.

The JUS Terms and Conditions, for example, state that actions later cancelled or disputed by the advertiser may be adjusted within 180 days of the payout date. Many networks have similar rules. It is better to read them before launch than to learn about them in your first dispute.

How to tell the conversation is going well#

The more specific your input, the shorter the conversation. Have ready your GEOs and sources, planned volume, results of previous tests and the model you lean towards. If you have no data yet, say so: this is a new test, not a proven track record.

A good sign is a manager who asks about your traffic and suggests fixing the terms before launch. A bad one is ‘we’ll sort it out later’ in answer to questions about qualification, reconciliation and payouts.

Briefly, before launch#

• Approval for your source and GEOs is written down.

• It is clear what is paid and how it qualifies.

• Caps, the hold and how terms change are recorded with a date.

• The postback has been checked with a test conversion.

• Reconciliation and payout rules are known.

At JUS we go through these points with the affiliate before the first test: we match an offer to the source and GEO, fix the payout, qualification, caps, reconciliation and payout procedure, and only then send traffic.