Payout models
Three ways to get paid. One clear brief for each.
affiliate.love runs every campaign on CPA, CPL or RevShare. The model sits on the brief with the terms. You pick the one that matches how your traffic behaves. No hidden rules. No renegotiating after the fact.
Side by side
The whole comparison in five rows.
Read this once and the marketplace filters make sense. Every campaign you open will name one of these three models at the top of its brief.
| Term | CPA | CPL | RevShare |
|---|---|---|---|
| What triggers pay | A finished action | An accepted lead | Customer spend |
| Shape of the payout | Fixed amount | Fixed amount | A share, as a percent |
| How soon it lands | After the hold period | After lead review | On a repeating cycle |
| Main risk to you | Refunds reverse it | Weak leads get rejected | Slow to build up |
| Suits traffic that | Converts to a sale | Fills forms well | Brings loyal users |
Each model in detail
What each one actually pays for.
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CPA
Cost per action
One action pays one fixed amount.
The brief names the action. It may be a sale, a signup or an app install. Nothing else counts.
This is the plainest model to forecast. You know the payout before you buy the click. It also carries the most refund risk, so the hold period tends to run longer.
Best when your traffic already buys.
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CPL
Cost per lead
A lead pays once the advertiser accepts it.
Quality rules sit in the brief. Real name, working phone, matching country — each campaign sets its own bar.
Rejected leads show a reason. You are never left guessing why one dropped out.
Best for form-led and content traffic.
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RevShare
Share of revenue
You earn a cut of what the customer spends.
The share is a percent, not a flat fee. It repeats while that customer stays active with the advertiser.
Starts small. Compounds if your audience sticks around.
Best for repeat audiences you own.
The terms behind these models sit on the publisher payouts page.
Pick your model
Four questions and you have your answer.
Your traffic decides this, not the size of the number on the brief. Work down the four questions. The first honest yes is your model.
See how tracking links carry the click-
Does your traffic buy today?
If people reach checkout on your placements, CPA pays the most per visit. Start there.
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Or does it fill in forms?
Quote pages, guides and comparison content lean to CPL. The bar to convert is lower.
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Do those users come back?
An owned list or community suits RevShare. You get paid again each time they spend.
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Still unsure? Run two.
Many publishers hold a CPA campaign and a RevShare one side by side. One pays now, one pays later.
Words on the brief
Five terms worth knowing first.
- Approved action
- A conversion the advertiser has checked and accepted.
- Hold period
- The wait that guards against refunds. Each brief names its own.
- Postback
- A server message from the advertiser that reports a conversion.
- Reversal
- An approved payout taken back after a refund or failed review.
- Cycle
- The repeating window a RevShare share is worked out over.
Approval rules live on how approval works. Dates live on the payment schedule. More answers sit in the publisher FAQ.
Same terms for every publisher.
Apply once and the whole marketplace opens up. A person reads every application. Questions about a model? Write to [email protected].