AffiliateBase vs Refersion
Refersion’s ecommerce workflows can matter more than the headline subscription price. A SaaS merchant should compare the actual checkout, catalog and commission rules that need to carry over.
Refersion’s current Launch and Growth pricing combines a subscription with 3% and 2% of affiliate-driven sales respectively; Scale advertises a flat monthly subscription. It lists ecommerce integrations, API access on Growth and subscription commissions. The fee basis is sales, not a fixed fee per conversion.
Decide from the workflow, not the feature count
- Choose between AffiliateBase and Refersion based on the checkout, reporting, partner portal, and payout workflow your team will actually operate.
- Verify current plan limits, optional payout services, tax handling, integrations, and support before treating similar feature names as equivalent.
- Inventory affiliates, links, recurring attribution, and unpaid commissions. Test the replacement path in parallel and keep a rollback plan before switching production traffic.
Verify the AffiliateBase workflow
Illustrative scenario · fictional values
This sequence describes AffiliateBase's own evidence path. It does not imply how Refersion implements attribution or payouts.
-
Referred visit
?via=partner
AffiliateBase captures the visit and generates a referral record.
-
Checkout handoff
referral ID
The checkout must carry the generated identifier into Stripe.
-
Paid event
$99 paid
A supported Stripe event confirms the attributed payment.
-
Commission
$19.80 due
An eligible attributed sale creates the commission record.
-
Payout prep
Payout ready
Review the commission and prepare the next step with your payout provider.
Compare the workflows you need
| Decision | AffiliateBase | Refersion |
|---|---|---|
| Primary fit | Stripe SaaS affiliate operations | Ecommerce brands and merchants |
| Catalog requirements | Confirm your supported Stripe flow | SKU and multi-store features vary by plan |
| Fees to compare | Current plan limits plus payout-provider costs | Sales-based fees on Launch/Growth; Scale differs |
| Recurring commissions | Supported under campaign rules | Subscription commissions listed |
Use these criteria for your evaluation:
Audit ecommerce dependencies
List SKU rules, product feeds, store integrations and coupon exclusions in use today. AffiliateBase Stripe support does not establish Shopify or WooCommerce feature parity.
Calculate fees using the right base
Separate gross affiliate-driven sales from commission expense. A percentage of sales can produce a different bill from the same percentage of payouts. Compare the exact Refersion plan quote with AffiliateBase pricing.
Test subscription edge cases
For a hybrid store and SaaS business, test both a product purchase and subscription renewal. Review refunds, unpaid balances and any customer-specific rates before replacing the current flow.
Plan the move from Refersion
Inventory store integrations, SKU-based rules, recurring customers and unpaid commissions. Confirm the supported Stripe scope before assuming ecommerce history can move unchanged.
Total time: Depends on your program
Agree on a supported data scope
Scope reviewReview affiliate identities, link mappings, recurring customers and outstanding balances with AffiliateBase before transferring records. No automatic, history-preserving importer is established by this comparison.
Validate one complete payment path
Integration testConfigure the campaign and supported Stripe setup. Verify the generated referral ID, attributed sale, commission and refund behavior before changing production traffic.
Reconcile before cutover
ReconciliationAssign ownership of existing subscriptions and unpaid commissions. Agree on link changes, affiliate communication and rollback so a transition does not leave two systems claiming the same payment.
Review migration requirements
Bring your current setup and the workflow you need to preserve so compatibility can be assessed.
Questions about Refersion and AffiliateBase
Does every Refersion plan charge a per-conversion fee?
What should I verify before choosing AffiliateBase?
Does connecting Stripe prove affiliate tracking works?
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Evaluate your Stripe affiliate workflow
Review AffiliateBase plans and test the setup your program needs before committing to a switch.