Affiliate commission calculator

Affiliate Commission Calculator

An affiliate commission is the amount you pay a partner when someone they referred becomes a paying customer — a percentage of the sale or a fixed amount, paid once or on every renewal for a set period. This calculator shows what an affiliate earns per referral and per year, and what that costs you.

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Step 1

Set your commissionChoose a percentage or fixed rate, one-time or recurring.

Step 2

Add rules and tiersAdjust rates by product, partner, or performance.

Step 3

Invite partnersShare a signup link or import affiliates you already have.

Step 4

Track and pay automaticallyCommissions are calculated on every payment, payouts handled for you.

How affiliate commissions work

An affiliate commission is what you pay a partner when someone they referred becomes a paying customer. The amount, and how long you keep paying it, comes down to three choices.

Percentage or fixed amountA percentage commission scales with what the customer pays — 20% of a $49 plan is $9.80, of a $199 plan is $39.80. It keeps affiliate incentives aligned with your revenue and works well when you have several price tiers. A fixed amount ($25 per sale, $10 per trial) is easier to explain and predict, and suits products with a single price or lead-based programs where the value of a signup is stable.

Recurring or one-timeA one-time commission is paid once on the first purchase. A recurring commission is paid on every renewal for a set period — 6 months, 12 months, or the customer's lifetime. Subscription businesses almost always pay recurring: it costs nothing until the revenue arrives, and it makes your program far more attractive because an affiliate's income compounds with every customer they keep.

Cookie window vs commission durationThese get confused constantly. The cookie window (or attribution window) is how long after someone clicks an affiliate link a purchase still counts as that affiliate's referral — 30, 60 or 90 days is common. Commission duration is how long you keep paying once the customer has converted. A program can have a 30-day cookie and lifetime commissions, or a 120-day cookie and a one-time payout. Set the cookie based on how long your buyers take to decide; set the duration based on what you can afford per customer.

Typical commission rates by industry

What most programs pay in each category.

Industry	Typical commission	Structure	Cookie window
SaaS / software	20–30%	Recurring, 12 months to lifetime	60–90 days
E-commerce (physical goods)	5–15%	One-time per order	30 days
Online courses & digital products	30–50%	One-time	30–60 days
Agencies & services	10–20%	One-time or first-year recurring	60–90 days
Finance & insurance	Fixed $50–$200 per leador sale	One-time	30–60 days
Hosting & infrastructure	Fixed $50–$150 per signup	One-time	60–90 days

Frequently asked questions

What is a good affiliate commission rate?

For SaaS, 20–30% of referred revenue, paid recurring for 12 months, is the common range. Physical products usually pay 5–15% of order value because margins are lower. Digital products and courses often pay 30–50% one-time.

Recurring or one-time commission — which is better?

Recurring attracts serious affiliates because earnings compound; one-time is simpler and suits high-ticket or non-subscription products.

What's the difference between cookie duration and commission duration?

Cookie duration is how long after a click a sale is still attributed to the affiliate. Commission duration is how long you keep paying on a customer after they convert.

Should I pay commission on renewals?

If your customers stay long, yes — it costs you nothing until the revenue is in, and it's the strongest incentive an affiliate can get.

Do refunds affect commissions?

Most programs reverse the commission if a customer refunds within the refund window. The calculator's refund-rate field models this.

How do I track and pay commissions automatically?

An affiliate platform such as Partnero tracks referrals, calculates commissions on every payment, and handles payouts.

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