Why do affiliate publishers usually get their earnings in 90-180 days?

Affiliate marketing is all about a win-win-win scenario in which everyone benefits: advertisers, networks, and publishers. One aspect that puzzles many newcomers is the time lag between generating earnings and receiving payments. It is not uncommon for publishers to wait anywhere from 90 to 180 days before receiving their commissions from actions that occurred months prior. But why is there such a delay? Let’s delve into this process and understand the underlying mechanisms, focusing particularly on the “hold period.”

The hold period explained

Delayed payments in affiliate marketing are caused by the “hold period.” This term refers to the duration that affiliate networks impose before allowing publishers to cash out their earnings. The length of this period typically ranges from 90 to 180 days.

Why is it necessary? Primarily because affiliate networks need to verify traffic quality, while advertisers confirm the transactions, and the refund window needs to close.

Regardless of the payment model, affiliate networks and advertisers must verify that the leads, sales, or conversions driven by the publisher are legitimate. Traffic fraud (such as fake clicks, duplicated sales, etc.) is one of the biggest threats to the industry, which is why many processes are in place to prevent it.

In e-commerce, there is also a long window during which customers may return products, cancel subscriptions, or reverse transactions after making a purchase. During the hold period, the advertiser monitors these actions to ensure the transaction remains valid.

Cashflow – an important factor

Another factor affecting the payment timeline is when the advertiser pays the invoice. Many advertisers operate on a monthly billing cycle and often don’t receive payment from their customers or partners immediately. This means they must wait for their funds before they can pay affiliates. For retailers using credit payments like Klarna, receiving payments from customers can also take time.

While waiting 90-180 days for payments may seem long, it ensures security and consistency for all parties involved. Advertisers can confirm the quality of the traffic and conversions they are paying for, while networks have time to process payments from multiple advertisers. For publishers, although the payment cycle may be lengthy, it is reliable once established.

Solution tailored for the market

CapyFast addresses this by bypassing hold periods. AI models and historical data provide Capy with insights into the probability of payments. When the probability is high, publishers can get paid within days. In this scenario, CapyFast waits 180 days, while the publisher benefits from receiving their earnings faster.

Leveraging expertise from the parent brand Mitgo, CapyFast has become a solution tailored to all players in the affiliate market. If you want to use this tool, sign up below.