CPA vs. RevShare: how affiliate commissions work

CPA: a fixed amount, a specific event

Under a Win Commission CPA offer, the paid result is a qualified new depositing customer. Read the required first deposit, eligible countries, customer exclusions, attribution rules and verification period before starting. Clicks, views and registrations alone are not paid. The agreed fee is an affiliate commission, not a share of the customer’s deposit.

RevShare: first ask “a share of what?”

Revenue share can refer to gross gaming revenue, net gaming revenue after specified deductions, or a share of the affiliate commission received by a hub. These are different bases. Read the agreed definition, reporting period, negative carryover treatment and adjustment policy. Two offers showing the same percentage may produce very different commissions.

Hybrid: track each component separately

A Hybrid agreement combines a fixed acquisition component and a revenue share component. Keep both lines in the reporting and ledger. That makes it possible to explain an adjustment, apply the correct terms version and reconcile the operator report without hiding one component inside a total.

An example, not a forecast

Suppose an illustrative CPA agreement pays $80 per approved acquisition. Five approved qualifying events would produce $400 before any agreed adjustments or fees. If only three events pass validation, the approved amount is $240. This example explains multiplication; it says nothing about the number of results a campaign will achieve.

Questions to answer before accepting an offer

An attractive headline rate is only one part of an agreement. Keep the accepted version of the terms attached to your campaign and historical commission records.

1. What exact event earns commission?
2. Which countries, audience and traffic sources are permitted?
3. What revenue base and deductions apply?
4. What are the attribution window and supported tracking identifiers?
5. When are results validated, and how can they be reversed?
6. What threshold, schedule, fees and payment methods apply?
7. When do updated terms begin, and which events do they cover?

Which model should a new affiliate choose?

There is no universal best model. Assess audience fit, your ability to produce compliant work, the evidence available to reconcile results and how long you can wait for validation. A clearer offer with accessible reporting can be more useful than a higher rate you cannot interpret or reliably attribute.