Affiliate marketing glossary
Clawback
In one sentence
A clawback is the reversal of commission already credited to an affiliate, applied when the underlying order is returned, cancelled or found to be fraudulent.
Clawbacks are normal and unavoidable in retail affiliate marketing. What matters is whether they are concentrated: a sudden spike usually indicates either a traffic-quality problem or content that oversold a product.
Persistent high clawback rates are the most common reason a publisher is removed from a program.
Common questions
Clawback, answered
Can commission be taken back after it is paid?
Commission is normally reversed before payout, during the hold period, which is what the hold period is for. Where a reversal lands after payment, it is usually offset against your next balance rather than invoiced back. Clawbacks after money has left are rare and are typically tied to fraud.
What is a normal clawback rate?
It is a property of the category rather than of your content. Fashion and footwear routinely reverse 15% to 30%, because customers order several sizes intending to keep one. Electronics and home goods reverse far less. A rate inside the band for your category is not a problem to solve.
How do I reduce clawbacks?
Mostly by being accurate about fit and expectation. Sizing notes, honest descriptions of colour and material, and not overselling a product are what separate a normal reversal rate from a high one. A sudden spike is worth investigating as either a traffic-quality issue or a single piece of content that promised too much.
Keep reading
More from the glossary
Every term here is written to answer one question completely, then point at the next one worth asking.
Sub-affiliate network
A sub-affiliate network is a company that holds approved relationships with affiliate programs on major networks and lets smaller publishers and creators promote those programs under its account, sharing the commission it receives.
Affiliate network
An affiliate network is a platform that connects advertisers running affiliate programs with publishers who promote them, handling tracking, reporting and payment between the two.
EPC (earnings per click)
EPC is the average commission earned per click sent to an advertiser, calculated as total commission divided by total clicks over a given period.
Cookie window
The cookie window is the length of time after a click during which a resulting purchase is still credited to the affiliate, commonly ranging from 24 hours to 90 days.
Last-click attribution
Last-click attribution credits the entire commission to the final affiliate link clicked before a purchase, which is the default model across almost all affiliate networks.
Attribution
Attribution is the process of determining which marketing touchpoint receives credit for a conversion, and therefore which affiliate is paid.
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