Affiliate & Referral Program Types
A Program is the foundation of everything in Partnero. It represents a partner, affiliate, or referral program that you create and manage.Affiliate Program
Affiliate Program
A program where external partners (affiliates) promote your product and earn commissions for referred sales. Partners are typically bloggers, influencers, or professional marketers.
Referral Program
Referral Program
A program where your existing customers refer friends and earn rewards. Also known as “Refer-a-Friend” programs. Both the referrer and the referred customer can receive incentives.
Newsletter Referral Program
Newsletter Referral Program
Partners, Customers & Leads
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Partner | Someone who promotes your product in an affiliate program. Also called an affiliate. |
| Customer | A person who signs up or purchases using a referral link. Customers are linked to the partner who referred them. |
| Referring Customer | In referral programs, a customer who shares their referral link with others. |
| Referred Customer | A customer who signed up using someone else’s referral link. |
| Lead | A potential customer manually submitted by a partner. Requires lead submission to be enabled. Leads can be converted to customers when they sign up or make a purchase. |
In affiliate programs, you work with Partners. In referral programs, you work with Customers who become referrers.
Referral Tracking & Attribution
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Referral Link | A unique URL containing a partner’s or customer’s tracking code. When clicked, it sets a cookie for attribution. |
| Referral Key | The unique identifier in a referral link (e.g., ?ref=PARTNER123). |
| Cookie | A small piece of data stored in the visitor’s browser to track which partner referred them. |
| Cookie Duration | How long the referral cookie remains valid (e.g., 30 days). |
| Attribution | The process of crediting a partner for a referral or sale. |
| First-click Attribution | Credit goes to the first partner whose link was clicked. |
| Last-click Attribution | Credit goes to the most recent partner whose link was clicked. |
Referral Link Formats
Commissions & Payouts
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Transaction | A recorded sale or purchase linked to a referred customer. |
| Commission | The reward a partner earns from a referred sale. Can be percentage-based or fixed amount. |
| Recurring Commission | Commission earned on subscription renewals, not just the initial sale. |
| Payout | The process of paying earned commissions to partners. |
| Payout Threshold | Minimum balance required before a partner can request a payout. |
Commission Structures
Percentage Commission
Partner earns a percentage of the sale amount (e.g., 20% of 20)
Fixed Amount Commission
Partner earns a fixed amount per conversion (e.g., $50 per sale)
Tiered Commission
Commission rates increase based on performance thresholds
Recurring Commission
Partner earns on all future payments from referred customers
Coupon & Promo Code Tracking
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Coupon | A discount configuration (e.g., 20% off for 3 months). |
| Promotion Code | A redeemable code that applies a coupon’s discount (e.g., SAVE20). Multiple codes can share one coupon. |
| Partner Coupon | A promotion code linked to a specific partner for tracking and attribution. |
Technical Terms
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| PartneroJS | Partnero’s JavaScript snippet that tracks referral visits and handles attribution. |
| Program ID | The unique identifier for your Partnero program, used in tracking scripts. |
| API Key | A secret token used to authenticate API requests to Partnero. |
| Webhook | An HTTP callback that sends real-time notifications when events occur. |
| Outgoing Webhook | Notifications sent from Partnero to your server when events happen. |
| Incoming Webhook | Data sent to Partnero from external services to create records. |
| Partner Portal | A dedicated dashboard where partners can view their stats, links, and earnings. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an affiliate and a partner?
What is the difference between an affiliate and a partner?
The terms are often used interchangeably. In Partnero, a Partner refers to anyone in an affiliate program who promotes your product for commissions—whether they’re a blogger, influencer, or business.
How long do referral cookies last?
How long do referral cookies last?
What is the difference between first-click and last-click attribution?
What is the difference between first-click and last-click attribution?
First-click credits the partner whose link was clicked first. Last-click credits the most recent partner. Most affiliate programs use last-click attribution.
Can partners earn recurring commissions?
Can partners earn recurring commissions?
Yes. With recurring commissions enabled, partners earn on every subscription renewal—not just the initial sale. This is ideal for SaaS and subscription businesses.
What is a lead vs a customer?
What is a lead vs a customer?
A Lead is a potential customer manually submitted by a partner (requires lead submission to be enabled). A Customer is someone who signed up or purchased using a referral link. Leads can be converted to customers when they sign up or make a purchase.