You’ve chosen the perfect affiliate partner program to promote on your website and are excited to see your visitors clicking on the link. You head to the program’s affiliate dashboard to see the monetary rewards of your hard work, only to find some clicks and sales haven’t been credited to you.
If you’re like a lot of affiliates, you’ll jump to the conclusion that the advertiser/merchant is trying to steal your commissions. That can certainly happen with shortsighted advertisers who aren’t afraid to ruin their reputation, but more frequently it’s a tracking inconsistency that can happen for a number of reasons.
Clicks are even more volatile than sales, when it comes to tracking them consistently across different platforms. For example, affiliate networks have filters in place to prevent abuse and separate human clicks from bot clicks. Naturally, the click-through rate you see in your website analytics will be different that the stats reported by the affiliated advertiser.
“ShareASale’s click counting removes erroneous clicks whether they came from bots, user error, or even physical manipulation of clicks,” states the network’s Help section.
Why didn’t I get a commission for my affiliate sale?
There are a number of possible reasons why you didn’t get credit for clicks/sales. Following are the most common reasons I’ve encountered in 25 years of affiliate marketing and program management.
• Many web browsers now block affiliate links due to tracking/privacy concerns, but the click is still registered from your end. The same goes for clicks from users who use ad blockers or block 3rd-party tracking “cookies”. Some web browsers remove tracking from links automatically as a feature of their engine.
• Some affiliate programs have terms that attribute sales to the “last click” to the site, while others use ‘first click’ attribution that gives the first affiliate credit for all purchases that referral makes for (cookie) life.
• The affiliate program may only pay for new visitors/customers.
• The affiliate program may only pay for sales of certain products or from designated departments.
• Clicks are usually counted in (or close to) real time, but credit for sales can take longer. For example, many hold commissions for a month or two to ensure the service isn’t cancelled right away, or until a free trial of the service has been completed.
• The sale was disqualified by the merchant for a violation of their terms and conditions.
What should I do if an advertiser isn’t crediting me for a click or sale?
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Affiliate platform Help sections are notoriously limited and clunky, when they exist at all. ShareASale (acquired by Awin) does a better job with this particular topic than most of the other affiliate networks I use. Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to check the advertiser’s website or their program information on the affiliate network they use. Read through the program policies to make sure you didn’t miss something there as well. You could quickly find the answer and be done with it.
If the answer isn’t there, contact the affiliate program manager. You should find their contact information somewhere in the affiliate publisher dashboard. If not, try emailing their customer service department and ask for the affiliate program manager’s contact information. Some affiliate networks do things a bit differently, but you should be able to easily navigate the proper process. For example, ShareASale has a designated Non-Tracked Order Inquiry tool set up for publishers to use if they find a discrepancy.
When you contact the affiliate program manager, include as much relevant information as you can, such as:
- The name on your account, as well as your affiliate number.
- A brief summary of the situation.
- Date of the click or transaction.
- A link to your website where the affiliate link is located.
- The specific affiliate URL/link clicked on.
Be professional! There is probably a good explanation for the discrepancy. If not, the advertiser will correct the error and you’ll receive credit.
You will run into affiliate managers who refuse to consider a mistake and stick with an “all decisions are final” stance. Way too many don’t respond to any inquiries at all, which makes us all wonder why they bother having someone in the role to begin with. The industry is learning though, and more qualified affiliate program managers are being hired by advertisers who understand it must be done right to be profitable. The biggest problem today is there is a shortage of managers who are qualified and experienced in the affiliate industry.
Of course, if you can’t find a reasonable explanation and the advertiser is unwilling to resolve the issue, drop the program. Chances are they have competitors who will be happy to develop an honest, professional relationship with you.
Have you ever lost an affiliate commission you should have received credit for? How did you handle it? Please share your experience or questions in the comments below, or join us in the Online Business Canada Facebook group.
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Melody McKinnon is an internet entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in a wide range of online business models, backed by a formal business/marketing education and enhanced by training and mentorship. She has owned or managed both educational and ecommerce websites. Her book, 7 Recession Proof Online Businesses to Start From Home, is available from all major ebook retailers.
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I disagree on it being more likely it’s a misunderstanding. I’ve been ripped off by quite a few businesses and they’ll use any excuse to get out of paying me. Maybe I have bad luck. It’s worst on the programs not on networks though I’ve noticed. Accountability?
It’s frustrating when they don’t reply 🙁 . I’ve left so many programs because of bad management. They just don’t get it.
It’s much better than it was a decade ago even with independent affiliate programs. I usually go with an affiliate network these days because they know what they’re doing.
OK so this happened to me a decade ago and I couldn’t find out what happened. It’s always bothered me because it was a hefty commission. I admit I felt ripped off and since I couldn’t reach the affiliate I had no idea it was probably something else. That’s were they go wrong most in my experience….NO COMMUNICATION! They lost an affiliate and however many potential affiliates I warned about them all because they didn’t bother answering my email. Most affiliate managers just have no idea how it all works. Not a clue! Go teach them! LOL