Affiliate marketing glossary
Sub-affiliate network
In one sentence
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.
Most affiliate programs will not approve an individual creator directly. They require a track record, an established website, or minimum traffic thresholds that a creator with a strong but small audience cannot meet. A sub-affiliate network solves this by being the approved party itself.
The network applies to advertisers once, is approved on the strength of its aggregate volume, and then distributes access to its partners. When a partner drives a sale, the advertiser pays the network and the network pays the partner a share, typically between 70% and 90% of the commission received.
The trade-off is that partners give up a portion of commission in exchange for access, consolidated reporting and a single payout across many advertisers. For a creator promoting thirty brands, that consolidation is usually worth more than the margin given away.
The distinction that matters operationally is who the advertiser has a contract with. On a sub-affiliate network the contract is between the advertiser and the network; you are a partner of the network. That is why the advertiser sees one publisher line rather than your name, and why a policy breach by one partner is a risk to every partner on the account.
Worked example
Where the money goes on a $200 sale
A reader buys $200 of clothing through your link on a program paying 8%. The advertiser pays $16 to the network that holds the publisher account. At a 90% revenue share you receive $14.40 and the sub-affiliate network keeps $1.60. Had you been approved directly you would have kept the full $16, which is the whole cost of the arrangement, and it only makes sense because direct approval was not available.
Common questions
Sub-affiliate network, answered
How is a sub-affiliate network different from an affiliate network?
An affiliate network contracts directly with brands and provides the tracking infrastructure. A sub-affiliate network is itself a publisher on those networks and redistributes that access to smaller partners. The practical difference is who holds the advertiser relationship: on a network it is you, on a sub-affiliate network it is the sub-network, which is why you can be approved without meeting the advertiser's own criteria.
Do you earn less through a sub-affiliate network?
Yes, per sale. The network keeps a share of the commission, typically 10% to 30%, in exchange for access, consolidated reporting and a single payout. The relevant comparison is rarely full commission against reduced commission, because most creators and small publishers cannot be approved directly at all. It is reduced commission against no access.
Is a sub-affiliate network legitimate?
It is a standard and long-established structure in affiliate marketing, and the large networks explicitly permit approved publishers to operate sub-networks. What varies is the operator. The things worth checking before joining are the published revenue share, the payout threshold on a method you can actually use, and whether the company states its legal entity and address.
Can you use a sub-affiliate network alongside direct programs?
On most, including this one, yes. There is no exclusivity requirement, so the common pattern is to go direct on the handful of programs that will approve you and use a sub-affiliate network for everything else. What you cannot do is promote the same advertiser through two routes and expect to choose which one gets credited, because attribution is decided by the last click.
Keep reading
More from the glossary
Every term here is written to answer one question completely, then point at the next one worth asking.
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.
Cross-device tracking
Cross-device tracking links a click on one device to a purchase on another, so an affiliate is credited when a customer discovers a product on mobile and buys on desktop.
Sub-ID
A sub-ID is a custom parameter appended to an affiliate link that lets a partner segment their reporting by campaign, platform, post or placement.
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