Read our affiliate marketing FAQ to get answers to the most frequently asked questions about affiliate marketing

1. What is an affiliate marketing program?

An affiliate program is a type partnership between an online merchant and a website owner. This is a relationship where the online merchant compensates the website owner for any revenue generated through the merchant's links on their website. As an affiliate you are paid a commission every time a customer referred through your website and generates revenue for the merchant. The merchant handles all the processing task required by the sale. Your job is just to refer. It's that easy!

2. What is an affiliate?

An affiliate is an independent website that promotes a merchant's products or services. This is the person who does the promotions and refers customers to the merchant.

3. What is a merchant/operator?

A merchant/operator is any website that sells a product or service, accepts payments and fulfils orders for customers referred by an affiliate.

4. What is a tiered affiliate program?

As an affiliate, sometimes certain merchants will allow you  to earn additional commissions when you recruit other affiliates for the merchants. You will earn a percentage of the commissions paid to the website (sub-affiliates) that you recruit.

5. Are there any fee to join as an affiliate?

In many cases (99%), becoming an affiliate to any merchant is free. If you are required to pay to become an affiliate, please be very careful. It could by a scam program.

7. How is a customer associated with my Website?

Each link that connects your Web site to one of the merchant contains a unique tracking code just for you. This code tracks impressions, clicks and records required data such as registrations, purchases made and other activities by your referred customers at the merchant's site. This activity is recorded in the database and is viewable in your affiliate account. When the activity includes a sales, the merchant pays your commission.

8. Where Do I get my tracking code?

To get your tracking code or known also as affiliate link, you must first sign up to an individual merchant's affiliate program. Some merchants will require time to approve your request, but many will approve your sign up immediately. Simply copy and paste the code for the marketing tool your wish to use and paste it into the HTML of your Web site.

Remember - it's important to test all tracking codes that you add to your website by clicking on them and verifying that this click is registered in your affiliate account. Just click on your own link after you have finish inserting the codes into your website and see if it is redirected to the intended sites as it should.

9. Can I use the same tracking codes in more than one place?

Yes, you could place the tracking code in as many places you want. Please note may merchants have strict rules about spamming, please read the merchant's terms and conditions.

10. What is affiliate link cloaking?

Link cloaking is a method where affiliate hide their tracking code from being hijacked by other people. This is done by disguising the affiliate link to appear as some other link and not affiliate link.

11. Is cloaking affiliate link is illegal?

So far, no merchant has made this issue as illegal. This is a process to protect affiliate earning.

12. Can I cloak my affiliate link?

Affiliate link could be cloaked as your wish to protect your interest.

13. How do I keep track of my earnings and referrals?

Most affiliate merchants provide tools and tracking record for you to view once you logged on to the merchants site. You could use this information and improve your promotions.

14. How often are the stats being updated?

Each merchant's stats are updated at various frequencies. At minimum, your affiliate stats for each merchant are updated daily

15. How do I know how much I am owed by merchant?

Every merchants provides a statement summary of commissions earned and bonuses issued during a specified date range for a specific merchant. If the total commission earned does not meet the payment threshold for the merchant then the commissions will be rolled over. If the threshold has been made the payment becomes due to be paid. You then could ask the payment to be made.

16. How and when do I get paid from the merchant?

You will be paid on a predetermined period basis by each individual merchant once you reach the minimum payment threshold for the merchant. Merchants offer a range of payment methods, including check, bank draft, Paypal and etc. You need to check with the merchant concerning their payment methods.