How to choose an affiliate program: a 10-term checklist with real examples

Last updated October 18, 2026 · By Orenston

Disclosure: some links on this site are affiliate links, marked "sponsored". If you buy through one, Orenston may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. This page summarizes published program terms; it is general information, not a forecast of results. Many people never earn a commission.

Short answer: Pick a program by its terms, not its headline rate. Before you build a single page, check the 10 terms below. Two of them, banned tactics and reversals, decide whether a commission is ever paid at all. Nothing here predicts income, and many people never earn a commission.

The 10-term checklist

#	Term	What to look for
1	Rate and basis	Is it a percent of the sale, a flat fee, or a share of someone else's commission? Find out what it's calculated on.
2	Duration	One-time, capped (for example 12 months) or lifetime of the subscription.
3	Cookie or attribution	How long a click counts, or whether the referral is tagged to you permanently.
4	Payout rules	Minimum payout, method (PayPal, wire, bank) and schedule.
5	Reversals	How long refunds and cancellations can claw back a commission. Count only what is paid.
6	Paid ads	Are paid ads allowed, allowed with approval, or banned?
7	Brand bidding	Can you bid on the brand's name in search ads? Usually banned.
8	Coupon and deal sites	Are coupon, deal and voucher placements allowed? Many programs ban them.
9	Incentives and sub-affiliates	Cashback, points, rewards, and letting others share your link usually need written permission.
10	Self-referral and confidentiality	Can you buy through your own link? May you publish the rate? Some terms say no to both.

Real clauses from published terms (dated)

Term	Example from a program's own terms	Source, checked
Self-referral	systeme.io bans being your own referrer	systeme.io help article 83, Oct 16, 2026
Lifetime attribution	systeme.io tags a referral to the affiliate permanently on free sign-up	systeme.io/affiliate-program, Oct 18, 2026
Paid ads	SAUNABOX bans all PPC, brand and generic	saunabox.com affiliate terms, Oct 14, 2026
Coupon sites	Mito Red Light bans coupon and deal sites and "coupon code" bait posts	mitoredlight.com affiliate agreement, Oct 14, 2026
Brand bidding	Pera Sail bans brand bidding and needs approval for paid ads	perasail.com/affiliate, Oct 15, 2026
Confidential rates	YATR's affiliate terms (§13) ask affiliates to keep commission rates confidential	yatr.co/affiliate-terms, Oct 17, 2026

These are terms as published on the dates shown. Terms change, so re-read them before you rely on them. Source links are plain citations, not affiliate links.

A quick decision rule

Any banned tactic you rely on = skip the program. If your plan is coupon pages and coupons are banned, the plan fails.
An unclear term = ask in writing before you build, and keep the reply.
Several programs left? Compare duration and attribution next (see recurring vs one-time commissions).

[GATED · Starter] Program scoring worksheet and terms-question email

Members get: a worksheet that scores each of the 10 terms 0–3, with "skip" rules built in, and a short, polite email template for asking an affiliate manager to confirm unclear terms in writing. It also includes an AI prompt that pulls each clause from a terms page with a direct quote, so nothing is paraphrased wrongly.

FAQ

What should I check before joining an affiliate program?

The rate and what it is based on, how long it lasts, the cookie or attribution rule, payout and reversal rules, and the banned tactics: paid ads, brand bidding, coupon sites, incentives, sub-affiliates and self-referral.

Can I put an affiliate code on a coupon site?

Only if the program allows it. Several programs ban coupon, deal and voucher sites outright, and a code placed where it isn't allowed can get commissions reversed or the account closed.

Can I publish a program's commission rate?

Check the terms first. Some programs treat their rates as confidential and ask affiliates not to republish them.