Payout Schedules

Payout schedules determine when affiliates receive their earned commissions. This guide covers schedule options, configuration, and best practices.

How Payout Timing Works

The Payout Timeline

Sale occurs → Commission created (pending)
     ↓
Holding period passes → Commission due
     ↓
Payout schedule triggers → Payout created
     ↓
Payment processed → Affiliate paid

Key Concepts

Concept	Description
Holding period	Time before commission becomes due
Payout threshold	Minimum amount to trigger payout
Payout schedule	When payouts are processed

Schedule Options

Manual Payouts (Default)

You initiate payouts when ready:

• Full control over timing
• Review before sending
• Process individually or in bulk

Best for:

• New programs finding their rhythm
• Programs with few affiliates
• Hands-on management style

Scheduled Payouts

Set a recurring schedule:

• Monthly (most common)
• Bi-weekly
• Weekly

Best for:

• Established programs
• Many affiliates
• Predictable cash flow needs

Configuring Schedules

Manual Payout Process

1. Go to Payouts in dashboard
2. View affiliates with due commissions
3. Select affiliates to pay
4. Create payouts
5. Process via payment method
6. Mark as paid

Setting Up Automatic Schedule

1. Go to Settings → Affiliate → Payouts
2. Select payout frequency
3. Choose day of month/week
4. Enable automatic processing
5. Save settings

Holding Periods

What Is a Holding Period?

Time between earning and when commission becomes payable:

• Allows for refund processing
• Protects against chargebacks
• Gives time for fraud detection

Configuring Holding Period

Set via campaign’s “Days before referrals expire”:

1. Go to Campaigns
2. Select campaign
3. Set Days before referrals expire
4. This determines when commissions become “due”

Recommended Holding Periods

Business Type	Holding Period
Digital products	14-30 days
SaaS (monthly)	30 days
Physical products	30-45 days
High-ticket items	45-60 days

Holding period should exceed your refund window.

Minimum Thresholds

Purpose

Prevents tiny payouts that cost more to process than they’re worth.

Setting Thresholds

1. Organization default: Settings → Affiliate → Minimum payout
2. Campaign override: Campaign settings → Minimum payout

When Threshold Not Met

If affiliate’s due commissions are below threshold:

• Commissions stay in “due” status
• Accumulate until threshold reached
• Next payout includes accumulated amount

Communicating Thresholds

Tell affiliates:

• What the minimum is
• That earnings accumulate
• When they can expect payment

Payout Processing Time

After Creating Payout

Method	Processing Time
PayPal	Instant to 24 hours
Wise	1-4 business days
Bank wire	3-5 business days
Manual	Depends on method

Total Time to Payment

Sale → 30 days (holding) → Payout created → 1-4 days (processing) → Received

Affiliate receives payment ~31-34 days after sale (with 30-day holding).

Viewing Upcoming Payouts

For You (Admin)

In Payouts section:

• View all pending commissions
• Filter by affiliate
• See estimated payout amounts
• Track payout history

For Affiliates

In their portal:

• Current pending amount
• Estimated next payout
• Payout history
• Threshold progress

Multi-Tier Schedules

Different Schedules by Tier

Consider offering faster payouts to top affiliates:

Tier	Schedule	Threshold
Standard	Monthly	$50
Silver	Bi-weekly	$25
Gold	Weekly	$10

Implement via manual processing or individual overrides.

Best Practices

For Schedule Timing

1. Be consistent: Same day each period
2. Avoid holidays: Schedule around bank holidays
3. Communicate clearly: Tell affiliates exact dates
4. Allow buffer: Don’t schedule too close to month-end

For Holding Periods

1. Match refund window: Holding ≥ refund period
2. Consider chargebacks: Add buffer for disputes
3. Balance affiliate needs: Don’t make too long
4. Be transparent: Explain why holding exists

For Thresholds

1. Cover costs: Threshold > payment processing fees
2. Be reasonable: Don’t set too high
3. Consider affiliates: Small affiliates may earn slowly
4. Allow exceptions: Manual override for special cases

Schedule Examples

Conservative (New Program)

• Holding period: 45 days
• Schedule: Manual (monthly review)
• Threshold: $50
• Good for: Testing, high refund products

Standard (Established Program)

• Holding period: 30 days
• Schedule: Monthly, 1st of month
• Threshold: $25
• Good for: Most SaaS/digital products

Aggressive (High-Trust Program)

• Holding period: 14 days
• Schedule: Bi-weekly
• Threshold: $10
• Good for: Established affiliates, low refunds

Handling Edge Cases

New Affiliates

Consider longer holding for first payout:

• Verify affiliate is legitimate
• Ensure conversions are quality
• Then move to standard schedule

Large Payouts

For unusually large payouts:

• Review for fraud
• Verify conversions
• Consider splitting if very large
• Document approval

Affiliate Requests

If affiliate requests early payout:

• Evaluate their track record
• Consider as exception
• Document the decision
• Don’t set precedent

Troubleshooting

Payout Not Triggering

1. Check commission status (must be “due”)
2. Verify threshold met
3. Confirm schedule configuration
4. Review payment method setup

Affiliate Asking “Where’s My Money?”

1. Check their commission status
2. Verify holding period
3. Confirm threshold reached
4. Review payout queue
5. Communicate timeline

Next Steps

• Configure payment methods
• Learn about handling refunds
• Set up minimum thresholds