How do I handle commission disputes if a partner claims a deal was theirs?

Lock your attribution rule at the start (30-day window from referral date, only one partner per deal). When a dispute arises, pull the deal record, show the referral source, timestamp, and partner tag. If the rule was violated, you adjust. If not, the record stands. Document every decision in a Dispute field on the deal or payout record. No emotion, just rules.

What if a customer churns after 60 days—do I claw back the affiliate commission?

Decide this upfront and write it into your affiliate agreement. Option 1: No clawback, partner keeps the full commission (simplest, but you eat refund loss). Option 2: Claw back commissions if customer churns within 12 months (protects margin, but partners hate it). Option 3: Clawback only if churn is within 30 days (middle ground). Encode your rule into a workflow: if an invoice is refunded AND the payout is less than 30 days old, flag the payout for review. Once decided, apply consistently.

Which payout method is cheapest for international affiliates?

Wise usually wins for most markets outside the US (0.5–1.5% fee + fixed small fee). 2C2P wins for SE Asia only (1–2% fee, faster local settlement). Stripe Connect is best for US and EU partners (1–2% fee, instant reconciliation). For India specifically, Wise is cheaper than bank wires and faster. Check rates for your partner geography and choose the method that minimizes total payout cost.

How do I catch slippage before it becomes a problem?

Monthly audit, step 5: compare Total Commission Owed (sum of all pending payouts) to Total Paid (verified via payment processor receipts). If the delta exceeds 2%, investigate. Most slippage is currency conversion, rounding, or refunds. Log it and explain it to partners. If it's happening silently in spreadsheets, you never know—that's the risk.

Affiliate Program Automation & Commission Reconciliation