Start with the payout model, not the rate
A headline percentage means little on its own. The payout model decides how you get paid: cost per sale pays a share of each order, cost per action pays a fixed sum for a signup, lead or approved application, revenue share pays a percentage of what the company earns, and a hybrid blends the two. The 1-800 Contacts program runs on cost per sale, so its 14% new orders, 1% returning is the number to read closely. The 1x Family program uses cost per action, revenue share and a hybrid, which is why a range rather than a single figure appears in its terms.
Payout model also sets expectations about repeat income. Some programs pay once and stop, others keep paying for the same player, reader or customer over time. A listing that shows a single rate without saying anything about repeat payments is telling you the whole of what it offers, and you can plan around that from the outset.
Compare rates that are not measured the same way
Rates only compare when the basis matches. The 1-800-Flowers Affiliate Program pays a flat 6% per sale of every sale, while 1-800 Contacts pays a much larger share of new orders and a smaller share of returning ones. On a mixed order flow, the higher headline rate on new business can be worth more or less than the flatter rate depending on who your audience is.
Fixed sums and percentages answer different questions. ABANCA pays EUR 50 per referral, up to 10, and Accountable pays EUR 10 + EUR 100 CPA, up to EUR 110, so both are easier to forecast than a share of revenue. Both sit among our Banking and fintech programs. By contrast, a revenue share percentage can move with the underlying business, which is the trade for a 12Go Travel Affiliate Program style arrangement paying 50% of 12Go commission. Read the terms in full before assuming one rate sits on top of another.
The cookie window decides how much of the traffic is yours
A cookie window is the time a referral stays credited to you after the click. It matters most for products that need consideration time, such as flowers for an occasion or contacts researched over several visits. Where a window is published, compare it directly: the 1-800-Flowers Affiliate Program records 10 days, 1-800 Contacts records 45 days, and Advanzia Bank records 60 days for an approved card payment.
A short window is not automatically a problem for low-consideration products that convert in the same session, but it removes credit for the visitor who returns days later. Where a program publishes no window in the details you have, treat the conversion path as short until the program states otherwise, and ask the account manager directly before sending volume.
Betting, crypto and trading programs run on longer tails
Programs in Banking and fintech programs and Crypto and Web3 programs concentrate on high-value actions rather than everyday purchases. Abf Trade Eu offers Up to $600 CPA per qualified client on a qualified client, and 5a7coquin works on a cost per lead basis for desktop leads in France, Belgium and Switzerland. Both pay for a defined action rather than a sale, so tracking and lead quality decide the return.
The 1win and 1x Family programs combine a one-off payment with a share that continues, and both are marked as paying recurring commission. 7bit-casino-affiliates works on 25-50% RevShare of NGR monthly measured on net gaming revenue each month, and 7bet offers 25% to 45% RevShare. A monthly share of net gaming revenue behaves less like a commission and more like a small partnership, so it belongs in a different budget line from a flat payment per lead.
Adult programs pay the most and demand the most care
The highest percentages in this group sit with adult programs, and the structure is usually a mix. Adult FriendFinder pays 35% - 75% per sale and offers cost per sale, cost per action and revenue share together, while AdultTime pays $35 per signup; up to 50% revshare and is marked as paying recurring commission. Percentages this high reflect the value of each signup to the operator, not the effort involved.
Recurring commission is the point worth checking here. 1-800 Contacts and the 1-800-Flowers Affiliate Program both pay once per order, and the 1 jour 1 Vin Affiliate Program pays 15 EUR per referral for a referral without repeat payments. Programs that keep paying are worth building a longer plan around.
A short comparison routine
Work through the same questions in the same order for every program you shortlist: what the payout model is, what the rate is measured against, how long the cookie window runs, whether commission continues, and which market the offer covers. Filling that in on a single page makes differences obvious, and a program that answers only some of them is telling you something useful too.
Then use the directory group pages to narrow the field, such as Banking and fintech programs or Security, VPN and proxy programs, before reading the individual reviews for the fuller picture on approvals, payments and the fine print behind the headline rate.