AffiliPartnerCS / How It Works
Follow the relationship from first interest to final settlement.
Recruit the right partners, preserve the terms of each qualifying order, and keep customer discounts, partner earnings, and settlement records connected.
WooCommerce partner-commerce software · Customer Reference 1.3.3
Explore AffiliPartnerCS
Open the interactive workspace and try the controls.
01 / Recruit
Explain the program before asking people to join.
Assign an existing WordPress Partner Program page or explicitly create a missing draft. Edit the introduction, benefit cards, program models, application choices, instructions, acknowledgement, and messages. Publish when it is ready; existing editorial content stays yours.
Review applications as Pending, Approved, Rejected, or Needs More Information. Approval can create the partner and link an appropriate store account, but account linking and operational activation remain separate. You can add partners directly too.
02 / Configure
Match the terms to the partnership.
Assign verified-member, public-coupon, affiliate, or hybrid terms. Attach or create the relevant native WooCommerce coupon. Coupon amounts and restrictions stay under WooCommerce’s control; mismatch reporting helps you compare the actual coupon with the plan’s expected discount.
Choose payout methods, any extra seats, and optional integrations deliberately. An Active label is not a substitute for a working verification connection, usable coupon, or enabled affiliate plan.
03 / Bring shoppers to the store
Three routes. One clear attribution priority.
FIRST
Verified members
A trusted community server sends signed login state and the exact destination. Valid, one-use verification creates a temporary pricing session; unsigned or invalid browser claims do not.
SECOND
Public partner coupons
A shared code can give the audience a WooCommerce discount and attribute the eligible order to the linked partner. It does not prove community membership.
THIRD
Affiliate referrals
First-click or last-click settings select usable affiliate context. The configurable referral window defaults to 30 days and is consumed by one successfully paid attributed order or expires.
Unverified member visits receive an explanation rather than a protected discount. Optional click-back links can return them to the community. Showing that link and actually clicking it remain separate measures.
04 / Record
Calculate on merchandise, not the whole checkout total.
The attributed order preserves its partner, program, plan, rate, discount relationship, and campaign context. Eligible merchandise after discounts earns commission; shipping, taxes, and fees do not. Repeated checkout/payment events check the existing business record rather than creating another direct commission.
Example—not a fixed product rate
A $200 eligible merchandise amount after discounts at 3% creates $6 commission. Your plans and advanced rules determine actual rates. Changing a plan tomorrow does not rewrite yesterday’s captured order.
05 / Hold
Let provisional earnings mature without moving the deadline.
| Stage | What it communicates |
|---|---|
| Pending Order Delivery | The paid or accepted order is in its fulfillment phase. “Delivery” is not an independent carrier-scan service. |
| Commission Pending – Return Hold | Completion has started the captured adjustment period. Eligible merchandise refunds and corrections can still affect provisional commission. |
| Pending Payout | The hold is complete and the commission is final for payout eligibility. Other method, minimum, tax, and lifecycle checks still apply. |
| Paid / Voided | Confirmed settlement closed the commission, or an allowed provisional change removed it from payable earnings. |
The default hold is 30 days, with a 0–365-day global range and rule-specific overrides where configured. A delayed scheduled task does not extend the actual deadline. Late customer refunds remain available through WooCommerce but do not automatically reopen final commission or create partner debt.
06 / Settle
The payout minimum is a gate—not a reason to lose a balance.
Eligible unbatched earnings are grouped by partner and original currency. The default minimum is 200 in that currency, using an at-least comparison; methods can add their own minimum. Lower balances carry forward. Off-cycle batch creation bypasses the calendar date, not readiness checks.
Reviewed provider payments
Finance reviews the frozen recipient and calculation before PayPal or Stripe submission. A timeout is uncertainty—not proof that nothing moved. Reconcile the saved attempt before considering a retry.
Confirmed account credit
With compatible Store Credit services, use manual approval or explicitly enabled automatic settlement. Issuance must match the frozen beneficiary, amount, currency, and durable source reference.
Recorded external payments
For external methods, complete the payment outside the plugin and record its reference. A method label does not establish an API connection or prove settlement.
A worked example
Six orders. One consistent set of numbers.
This 30-day example uses 184 total visits, including 160 verified visits and 24 unverified landings. Six qualifying orders generate $1,247.45 of eligible merchandise after $93.89 of customer discounts. A 3% commission produces $37.42, all still on return hold.
| Example order | Before 7% discount | Customer saving | Eligible merchandise | 3% commission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC-1001 | $188.17 | $13.17 | $175.00 | $5.25 |
| PC-1002 | $241.94 | $16.94 | $225.00 | $6.75 |
| PC-1003 | $204.30 | $14.30 | $190.00 | $5.70 |
| PC-1004 | $223.06 | $15.61 | $207.45 | $6.22 |
| PC-1005 | $268.82 | $18.82 | $250.00 | $7.50 |
| PC-1006 | $215.05 | $15.05 | $200.00 | $6.00 |
| Total | $1,341.34 | $93.89 | $1,247.45 | $37.42 |
A separate $264.21 payout on August 15 came from older earnings and exceeded the $200 minimum. Another $128.63 of older final earnings remains $71.37 below the next payout minimum and carries forward. It is not shown as paid. The six recent orders remain on hold; total lifetime earnings in this example are $430.26.
Example data. Merchants choose their own program terms.
07 / Keep the history
Close the accounting without issuing value again.
After provider payment or credit issuance is confirmed, any interrupted local closure resumes against the original reference. Resending a notification does not repeat settlement. A later provider reversal triggers review rather than silently creating new final partner debt.
Partner history uses safe commission references rather than private customer-order numbers. Merchant records retain the authorized context for review. Suspension or termination stops new benefit activity and changes while retaining historical access and accrued obligations for finance review.
Your programs. Your partners.
One connected way to manage them.
Choose the license package that fits your sites. Existing AffiliPartnerCS packages and purchase terms remain on the pricing page.