This article will take you through the different commission payment models you can set up on Awin. This will allow you to fully customize your commission rules so that they reflect your business requirements.
Types of commissions you can pay your partners
At Awin you can choose from three commission models:
Cost per Acquisition (CPA)
Cost per Lead (CPL)
Cost per Click (CPC)
Cost per Acquisition
CPA is the amount you pay a partner when they drive a sale. You can set this as either a percentage of the order value or a fixed amount.
How CPA works
Percentage-based CPA: You pay a percentage of the total order value. This makes commission scale with basket size, helping motivate partners to drive higher-value sales.
Fixed-value CPA: You pay the same amount for every sale, regardless of order value. This can help simplify forecasting and keep costs consistent.
When to use CPA
CPA works well when you want to reward partners directly for generating revenue. It gives you flexibility to:
Incentivize higher-value customers.
Offer different commission levels for specific partner types.
Adjust rates easily based on performance or promotional periods.
Tips for optimizing CPA
Create tailored commission groups to offer higher or lower rates depending on partner type or audience value.
Use custom rules to reward new customer acquisition, higher basket values, or specific product categories.
Review results regularly to ensure your CPA settings align with your overall goals.
Cost per Lead
CPL is the fixed amount you pay a partner when they generate a qualified lead, such as an account signup, newsletter subscription, or completed form.
To use CPL, set the transaction type to Lead. CPL is always a fixed-value commission because there is no sale amount to calculate a percentage from.
How CPL works
Fixed commission: Partners receive the same amount for each valid lead. For example, if you set £3 per lead, they earn £3 whenever they refer a user who completes the selected action.
Consistent costs: Because CPL doesn’t depend on order value, it’s easier to forecast spend and measure performance.
Clear definitions: Make sure your lead criteria are well-defined (e.g., verified email, completed profile) so partners know exactly what qualifies.
When to use CPL
CPL is a strong option when your goal is to increase:
Newsletter signups
Trial activations
Account creations
Any other pre‑sale activity that grows your audience or pipeline
It’s also useful when you want predictable costs and a simple commission structure.
Setting up a CPL campaign
There are different ways to set up a CPL campaign, depending on your setup and e-commerce platform. Please contact us and we will guide you through the process. If you have a dedicated Awin contact, please reach out to them. If not, you can get in touch with our support team by filling out the contact form.
Tips for optimizing CPL
Set clear validation rules so partners know what counts as an approved lead.
Combine CPL and CPA campaigns using separate commission groups if you want to incentivize both leads and sales.
Use Partner Discovery to find partners who specialize in lead‑generation activity. Search for Lead generation or select the Lead Generation category in the filters. This will help you quickly identify partners open to working on a CPL basis. Additionally, we recommend reaching out to partners directly to discuss and negotiate CPL campaigns.
Cost Per Click
Plan availability
The CPC Campaigns tool is available only for Awin Accelerate and Advanced customers.
CPC is the amount you pay a partner for each valid click they generate on your campaign. CPC campaigns can run on their own or alongside CPL and CPA campaigns. When campaigns run in parallel, partners will earn commission for each active campaign unless you specify otherwise.
How CPC works
Per‑click payment: Partners earn a set amount each time a user clicks on the linked creative.
Flexible setup: CPC campaigns can be generic (apply across your program) or creative‑specific, where the CPC rate applies only to a chosen creative via its creativeID.
Daily calculation: Click commission is calculated at 2am daily. Clicks recorded between midnight and 2am count toward the previous day’s total.
When to use CPC
CPC works well when you want to:
Drive traffic to your website during key periods (e.g., Black Friday or Christmas).
Test new partners before moving to CPA or CPL models.
Boost visibility for specific creatives, placements, or campaigns.
Create predictable cost structures for traffic generation.
CPC can be particularly useful for partners who specialize in high‑volume traffic or content placements where clicks are the primary outcome.
Tips for optimizing CPC
To make the most of your CPC campaigns and ensure they stay cost‑effective and easy to manage, keep the following best practices in mind:
Choose the right partners: Only one CPC campaign per partner can run at a time, so select them carefully.
Set monthly limits: Use the monthly budget limit to control spend and maintain predictable costs.
Use schedule options: Create scheduled campaigns to test performance or run seasonal pushes, or ongoing campaigns, for continuous visibility.
Use creative‑specific campaigns: Link CPC logic to a specific creative by using its creativeID, and make sure partners use the correct creative to ensure accurate tracking.