When does a referred sale turn into a payout?
First match a qualifying payment to the right partner. Check your waiting period and any refund. Then verify the actual transfer before marking the commission paid.
What should count as a referral?
A referral record links a partner to a visitor or customer under a stated rule. Start by deciding which paid event earns a reward. A click can help you track interest without earning a commission.
An affiliate is a partner who can earn a commission, or share of a qualifying purchase. Decide separately whether the customer gets a discount or other reward.
Why does a commission wait before payout?
A pending commission is recorded but still needs to meet the program’s rules. Check the paid transaction, which partner gets credit and what happens if the customer is refunded before approval or payout.
Write down the waiting period and which person checks the result. Approval makes a commission eligible under your rules. Use a separate record to confirm the money was actually sent. If a refund arrives after payout, check the original transfer and the recorded adjustment before updating what you owe.
Compare tools
Scroll the table sideways to read every column.
| Tool | What links the sale to a partner?What starts a tracked referral and commission. | What happens before approval?What you verify about timing, credit and refunds. | Who sends the money?Where you check that the partner actually got paid. | Which number affects the bill?How plan and payout units differ. | What should you keep?Which records matter for reconciliation and a move. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rewardful | Track a supported paid referral, including Stripe invoice events. | Check the campaign’s pending period and minimum payout amount. Stripe refund events can change commissions. | Manual payouts use your provider. Optional Managed Payouts has separate terms. | The first plan lists US$7,500 monthly affiliate-attributed revenue. | Keep selected due payouts as CSV. Ask about broader data export. |
| FirstPromoter | Connect a tracking link or coupon to a referred payment. | Review the payout terms and negative commission adjustments for refunds. | Check the available payment method. External bulk payouts can use an export. | Starter lists US$5,000 monthly affiliate-driven revenue. | Keep the payout CSV and confirmed transfer. Restrict access to payment details. |
| Tolt | Use a flow to decide which referred payments create commissions. | Check manual or automatic approval and refunds on unpaid commissions. Reconcile refunds after payout separately. | Manual payout uses your provider. Check Auto Payouts setup and charges separately. | Growth lists US$20,000 monthly partner revenue. Auto payouts list 2% of payout amount. | Keep payout CSV and flow rules. Record actual transfer confirmation. |
| Affonso | Track affiliate sales through a supported checkout and use the group’s commission rules. | Keep a commission pending during the hold or review and check what happened to the underlying payment. | Manual payout is external. Managed Payouts on eligible plans begins after funding the invoice. | Launch lists up to US$1,000 monthly affiliate revenue. Managed payout fees are separate. | Keep the method-specific payout CSV, rules and transfer receipt. |
| Partnero | Choose the program and record the customer and transaction association. | Check each eligible transaction separately from the payout request and its threshold. | Configure the payout method. In the managed option, you fund an invoice and Partnero handles payment. | Plans list unlimited partners, transactions and revenue. Managed payouts carry a separate 7% processing fee. | Export customer and transaction CSVs. Keep payout records and review rules separately. |
| GrowSurf | Link a participant to a referrer and choose the action that qualifies. | A signup can appear before the event that earns the reward. | Use the configured fulfillment route and check its result. | Referral plans count participants by unique email. Check the applicable tier and upgrade rule. | Keep participant data, qualifying rules and fulfillment records. |
| ReferralCandy | A referred order must meet the campaign’s reward rules. | Review returns and refunds during the purchase review period. | Cash rewards follow the configured funding and payout method. | Compare the plan fee, success fee on referral sales and separate cash rewards. | Keep finalized invoice exports, terms and order records. |
| Referral Factory | Choose which completed action qualifies a referred person. | Review that action and correct mistaken qualifications before issuing a reward. | Choose a reward route. A CSV can mark externally delivered rewards as issued. | The current pricing page lists Basic capacity of 20,000 users. | Export due and issued reward lists and keep confirmation from the actual delivery route. |
| PartnerStack | Choose affiliate links or lead and deal registration to match your sales process. | The program reviews commissions against the qualifying deal. | The company funds approved amounts. PartnerStack records availability and withdrawal. | Confirm the quoted plan, chosen tracking mode and payment charges. | Partners can export their own commissions. Check company export scope separately. |
| Tapfiliate | A qualifying conversion can come from a link or an assigned coupon. Check the attribution rule. | Review the conversion and commission before approving it. | Confirm the payout method. Scale lists Trolley as a separate integration. | Launch lists 50 affiliates, 5,000 monthly clicks and 500 monthly conversions. | Keep the commissions CSV, rules and proof of payment. |
Which totals belong on the payout sheet?
Keep the purchase amount, refund, commission and payment fee in separate columns. When comparing plans, check whether the allowance is attributed revenue, commission paid or another number.
Before sending any real payout, reconcile eligible entries against actual payments and previous transfers. Stop on an uncertain payment rather than issuing a second one from a dashboard label alone.
How can you rehearse a refund without paying anyone?
Use a fictional US$100 sale and a 20% rule on the amount kept. Use no checkout, affiliate link, payout, email or account.
- Draw the original saleWrite US$100 received and US$20 pending for one fictional partner.
- Apply a full refund before payoutWrite US$0 retained. Under the paper rule there is US$0 to pay.
- Show the evidenceKeep the sale and refund next to the commission adjustment. Leave the payout marked unsent.