Affiliate Program FAQ: Everything Merchants Need to Know
Affiliate Program FAQ for Merchants
Getting Started
How much does it cost to start an affiliate program?
With PartnerForge, you can start for free. The free plan supports up to $5K/month in tracked affiliate revenue and 50 affiliates. Paid plans start at $79/month for unlimited use.
Do I need a Stripe account?
Yes. PartnerForge uses Stripe Connect for payment processing, tracking, and affiliate payouts. If you do not have a Stripe account, you can create one for free at stripe.com.
How long does setup take?
Most merchants are live within 5 minutes. Connect Stripe (30 seconds), create a program (2 minutes), install the tracking script (2 minutes).
What payment methods are supported?
Any payment processed through Stripe is tracked automatically — credit cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more.
Commission Structure
What commission rate should I set?
For SaaS, 15-30% recurring is standard. Higher rates attract better affiliates. See our commission rate guide for a detailed framework.
Can I offer different rates to different affiliates?
Yes. You can set a default rate and override it for individual affiliates. This is useful for rewarding top performers.
How do refunds and chargebacks work?
Commissions are automatically clawed back when a refund or chargeback occurs. This happens during the hold period whenever possible.
Tracking
How does click tracking work?
A small JavaScript snippet on your website reads the referral parameter from affiliate links and sets a first-party cookie. When the visitor completes a Stripe checkout, the cookie attributes the sale.
What is a cookie window?
The cookie window is how long the referral attribution lasts. If you set a 60-day window, a visitor who clicks today and purchases 45 days later will still be attributed to the affiliate.
What if a customer clears their cookies?
Coupon code attribution provides a fallback. Assign unique codes to affiliates and track sales by coupon, regardless of cookies.
Management
How do I prevent fraud?
PartnerForge includes 6-layer fraud detection on all plans. It automatically flags self-referrals, cookie stuffing, velocity abuse, and other fraud patterns.
What are trust scores?
Trust scores rate affiliates from 0-100 based on their track record. Higher scores mean shorter payout hold periods, incentivizing quality referrals.
Can I approve or reject affiliate applications?
Yes. You can set your program to auto-approve all applicants or require manual review.
Payouts
How do payouts work?
Commissions are created when a tracked sale occurs. After the hold period expires and the commission is approved, it is paid out via Stripe Connect.
How often are affiliates paid?
Payouts are processed on your chosen schedule — weekly or monthly. Approved commissions are batched and sent automatically.
Do you handle tax forms?
Stripe Connect handles 1099 generation for US-based affiliates. International tax compliance varies by jurisdiction.
Start your affiliate program — free, no credit card required.