Affiliate software pricing: billing models and hidden costs to check

Two platforms with the same monthly fee can cost very different amounts by the end of the year. The difference is in the billing model and in what happens when you grow.

The most common models

• Monthly fee with included volume: you pay a fixed amount with a number of conversions or clicks included, and extra for each unit above that.
• Per conversion or per click: you pay only for what you use. Cheap at the start, hard to predict with traffic spikes.
• Percentage of revenue or payouts: the cost grows with your business, even if the platform does the same work.
• Price on request: you only learn the price after a sales call. It usually comes with an annual contract.

Hidden costs to look for

1. Overage: what does each conversion or click above the included volume cost?
2. Setup fee and mandatory training.
3. Features on higher plans: white label, API, anti-fraud, payout rules.
4. Users and affiliates: is there a limit on team accounts or partners?
5. Minimum term: can you leave monthly or do you sign for a year?
6. Increases: can the price go up at renewal?

How to compare

Run the numbers for your volume today and for double that. Ask for the price in writing, with the overage. A platform that doesn't publish prices isn't necessarily expensive, but it makes you negotiate with no reference.

In RastroAff

Prices are published: Free (100 conversions a month), Starter at €24.99 (5,000 conversions), Growth at €99 (25,000, with white label) and Scale at €259 (250,000). Above the included volume, each conversion costs €0.008 (€0.005 on Scale). There is no setup fee and no minimum term. See the price comparison.