What is Program terms?

Every program has them, sometimes as a long agreement and sometimes as a few lines on the offer page. They usually cover:

• Payout: the model, the amount and what exactly counts as a conversion.
• Allowed traffic: accepted countries, devices and traffic sources, plus anything forbidden, such as incentivized traffic, email or brand bidding.
• Tracking: the cookie window and how conversions are attributed.
• Payments: hold period, minimum payout, payment schedule and methods.
• Reversals: when commissions can be cancelled, for example after refunds, fraud or chargebacks.

Breaking the terms is the fastest way to lose commissions or the whole account, even when the traffic converted well. Read them before you start, and ask your affiliate manager about anything unclear in writing.