8 Affiliate Marketing Tools for Managing Performance-Based Payouts

Navigating the affiliate marketing landscape can be a complex endeavor, especially when it comes to managing performance-based payouts. This article demystifies the process by presenting top affiliate marketing tools, each dissected with insights from industry experts. Discover how these tools can streamline your affiliate management and enhance payout efficiency, directly impacting your bottom line.

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Impact Platform Tracks Performance-Based Commissions

I use Impact platform to track all of the performance-based commissions. I prefer this platform over others (and I have tried all the most popular ones) because it provides an opportunity to look at the performance in-depth. Besides basic performance metrics like clicks, actions, and revenue, you can examine product performance, partner activity, ad performance, specific URL reports, click reports, and much more! It also has an extensive network of potential partners that I can reach out to invite to the program. There are opportunities to run various campaigns like bonus payments for performance, products, and many more. Their customer service is very helpful and replies in a timely manner.

Aleksandra Cepulska, Sr Affiliate Marketing Manager, Caraway Home

Refersion Simplifies Affiliate Management

If there’s one affiliate marketing tool that truly changed the game for me, it’s Refersion. I’ve always been a fan of performance-based marketing, but managing multiple affiliates while ensuring transparency and timely payments used to be a logistical nightmare. That all shifted when I decided to give Refersion a try. The turning point came when we launched an affiliate program for one of our digital products. We wanted to reward affiliates based on the performance of their sales, but manually tracking those conversions and making sure payments were accurate was proving too complex. I needed something streamlined. 

Refersion not only made tracking affiliates’ performance incredibly easy but also offered a seamless payment integration. I set up a tiered commission structure, allowing high-performing affiliates to earn more, which I knew would incentivize quality leads. The best part? Automated payments based on actual performance meant I didn’t have to manually calculate commissions anymore. Affiliates could track their earnings in real time, and I had the peace of mind that all payments were transparent and timely. 

The results? We saw a 40% increase in affiliate sign-ups after launching through Refersion, and affiliate sales skyrocketed. This tool allowed me to scale our affiliate program without adding complexity. For any business owner thinking of adopting affiliate marketing, Refersion’s performance-based model ensures that both you and your affiliates win. It’s efficient, transparent, and the reason I’ll always prefer working with performance-based compensation.

Martynas Siuraitis, SEO Consultant, The SEO Consultant Agency

Post Affiliate Pro Automates Commission Tracking

One of the best affiliate marketing tools for paying affiliates on a performance-based structure is Post Affiliate Pro. It automates commission tracking, integrates with multiple payment gateways, and ensures affiliates are only paid for verified conversions. I prefer it because it offers robust tracking, customizable commission structures, and fraud detection, ensuring that every payout is accurate and justified.

In my experience managing affiliate programs, I’ve seen businesses struggle with manual tracking, leading to overpayments or disputes. With Post Affiliate Pro, I’ve helped clients streamline payments by setting clear rules—such as paying only for completed sales or leads that meet specific criteria. This has significantly reduced disputes and increased trust among affiliates, leading to higher engagement and better overall results. If you want to scale an affiliate program while maintaining full control over performance-based payouts, this tool is a solid choice.

Brandon Leibowitz, Owner, SEO Optimizers

Rewardful Enhances SaaS Affiliate Compensation

Designed especially for subscription and SaaS-based companies, Rewardful is an excellent tool for performance-based affiliate compensation. Using Rewardful’s Stripe interface, we easily managed affiliates, enabling a 30% quicker payout system.

Rewardful is special because of its emphasis on lifetime value-based commissions, which encourage associates to generate top-notch recommendations. During our subscription shipping campaign, for example, Rewardful let us provide affiliates with regular commissions linked to client retention, thereby increasing long-term affiliate involvement by 20%. Its simplicity, open tracking, and configurable compensation choices make it perfect for establishing confidence with associates, guaranteeing a durable and results-oriented relationship.

Aman Chopra, Marketing Manager – Lead SEO, Stallion Express

PartnerStack Elevates Affiliate Relationships

PartnerStack has been a game-changer for managing performance-based affiliate payouts. Its intuitive interface lets us track affiliate performance in real-time and automate commission payments precisely. The platform integrates seamlessly with our e-commerce system, ensuring every sale is accurately attributed.

Features like custom reporting and fraud prevention make it stand out. We can identify top-performing affiliates, tailor incentive plans, and maintain program integrity. The automated payouts save hours of administrative work while building trust with affiliates by ensuring timely payments.

PartnerStack doesn’t just handle logistics; it elevates our affiliate relationships. Affiliates feel valued, knowing their contributions are tracked and rewarded accurately. This fosters loyalty and drives better results, making it a vital part of our affiliate strategy.

Fahad Khan, Digital Marketing Manager, Ubuy Nigeria

Voluum Provides Comprehensive Tracking

One affiliate marketing tool that I highly recommend for managing performance-based payments to affiliates is Voluum. I prefer it because it offers comprehensive tracking and reporting capabilities, making it easy to manage affiliates based on their performance.

The platform allows me to track conversions, clicks, and sales in real time, ensuring I only pay affiliates for the results they generate. This performance-based payment model aligns well with our marketing goals and helps ensure that both parties are incentivized to perform at their best.

Voluum also simplifies the payment process by integrating with various payment systems and allowing me to set up custom payment thresholds and terms. This flexibility is crucial in ensuring that affiliates are paid accurately and on time, based on the results they drive. The tool also provides detailed reports that I can share with affiliates, offering transparency and building trust between both sides.

Another reason I prefer Voluum is its ability to automate much of the process, saving time and reducing the risk of errors. Everything is streamlined, from tracking affiliate performance to processing payments, which allows me to focus on scaling our affiliate marketing efforts without getting bogged down by administrative tasks. Overall, Voluum’s performance tracking and automated payment features make it a reliable choice for managing affiliate relationships efficiently and fairly.

Georgi Petrov, CMO, Entrepreneur, and Content Creator, AIG MARKETER

Tapfiliate Supports Multi-Tier Commissions

Tapfiliate is an excellent tool for managing affiliate payments on a performance-based structure, and by far the easiest to navigate out of the ones I’ve used personally. Its intuitive dashboard provides clear insights into affiliate performance, and also supports multi-tier commission setups, making it versatile for diverse affiliate programs. It has some good integration options into Shopify, allowing you to track conversions and pay commissions automatically, reducing manual workload.

Kate Kandefer, CEO, SEOwind

Thrivecart Boosts Revenue with Custom Order Forms

I’ve been using Thrivecart since 2017 for my affiliate marketing. I switched from Infusionsoft/Keap which I used from 2015-2017 because I wanted the ability to custom design my order forms and include bump and upsell offers (which added 30% more revenue to my bottom line). 

My business has been leveraging other people’s audiences since 2015. I’ve collaborated with 400 speakers on my virtual summits who shared and promoted their appearances which led to over 100,000 leads for my business in the first 18 months of starting. I’ve also appeared as a guest on 60+ podcasts of which many wanted an affiliate link to share. Many of my affiliates have been promoting me every year since we first met, some dating back to 2015 when we started. 

This was all made possible by getting in front of other people’s audiences. Having the right affiliate marketing tool is crucial for trust and long term relationships with influencers. 

Liam Austin, CEO, Entrepreneurs HQ

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