Validating transactions

Overview

This article explains how to review and validate (approve or decline) your transactions. Validating transactions on time helps protect your budget, ensures partners are paid correctly, and keeps your program running smoothly.

How validating works

1. Tracking: When a customer completes a purchase through a partner link, the sale is tracked in Awin and appears as a pending transaction

2. Validation period: Each program has its own validation period. This is the time in which you must review and confirm whether each transaction is valid. If a transaction isn’t reviewed before the period ends, it will be automatically approved in line with the program’s auto validation period.

   You should use this period to check whether:  

   1. The order was cancelled or returned.

   2. The payment was successful.

   3. The transaction meets your program’s terms and conditions.

3. Validation: When reviewing each transaction, you can:

   • Approve it: The commission is confirmed and payable to the partner.

   • Decline it: The commission is cancelled and will not be paid.

4. Payout: Approved transaction are added to the partner’s next payment cycle.

Why validations matter

• Partners have a clear visibility on when they will be paid, which helps build trust.

• You only pay commission on genuine, completed transactions.

• It keeps the network fair, transparent, and accurate for everyone.

Validating pending transactions

To review your pending transactions, go to Commission > Validate > Validate Pending Transactions.

By default, you’ll see all pending transactions.

You can manually work through the list, or filter the view using:

• Search in: Filter using specific columns. Choose a column from the drop down and type your search:

  • Order Reference, Click Reference and Voucher Code - use letters and numbers in the search.

  • Transaction ID, Commission and Sale Amount - use only numbers in the search.

• Publishers: Filter by publisher name or ID.

• From and To: Set a date range to view transactions from specific day, week, or month.

To clear chosen filters, select Reset filters.

Approving or declining

Use the checkboxes in the table:

• Tick the Approve (green) column checkbox to approve.

• Tick the Decline (red) column to decline.

Important

You must select a decline reason before declining the transaction.

Decline reasons

You can decline a transaction for several reasons, including:

• The order was cancelled or fully returned.

• The commission should have been awarded to a differing marketing source.

  • You can prevent this by implementing de-duplication.

• A violation of your program terms such as:

  • Illegitimate PPC activity.

  • Unauthorized voucher code use.

• The order cannot be fulfilled.

• The sale is fraudulent.

Important

Make sure your program terms clearly outline what partners can and cannot do.

Batch validating pending transactions

You can validate multiple transactions at once using Batch Process Commission option. This can be done manually or automated.

Creating an approved or declined file

1. Go to Commission > Validate > Batch Process Commission, then select Manual Upload.

2. Download the Accepted or Declined template.

3. Complete the columns:

   1. Order Reference

   2. Transaction Date

   3. Status

      • For decline transactions, enter Declined. In the Status Note column enter one of the decline reasons listed in the template.

      • For approved transactions, enter Accepted.

To correctly format your file

• Save your file as a .csv.

• You can keep the column headings.

  • If you remove column headings, untick Contains column headings when uploading.

Uploading your file

1. Go to Commission > Validate > Batch Process Commission.

2. Select Manual Upload.

3. Under File Settings:

   • Contains column headings and Remove duplicates options should be checked.

   • Leave amended commissions as pending should be unchecked.

4. Add your email address if you’d like to receive an upload notification.

You can review your upload results in the Batch Process History section.

Exporting pending transactions

To retrieve accurate details for each pending transaction you want to batch upload, go to the Upload Order References page (linked within Commission > Validate > Batch Process Commission) and upload a list of the order numbers.