Clawback (Chargeback)
A clawback is the reversal of a previously credited affiliate commission when the underlying sale is refunded, cancelled, or charged back.
If a referred customer returns the product, disputes the charge, or cancels within a defined period, the merchant claws back the commission so the affiliate is not paid for revenue the business did not keep. This is also called a reversal or, when triggered by a card dispute, a chargeback.
Programs reduce disputes by holding commissions in a pending state through a clearing window before approval, only paying out once the sale is final. Clear clawback rules protect the merchant without surprising honest partners.
See also
- Commission
A commission is the payment an affiliate earns for each qualifying conversion they drive, set as a percentage of the sale or a fixed amount per action.
- Payout Cadence
Payout cadence is how frequently an affiliate program pays out approved commissions, such as weekly, monthly, or net-30 after a sale clears.
- Affiliate Fraud (Click Fraud)
Affiliate fraud is any attempt to earn commissions illegitimately, such as fake clicks, forced cookies, self-referrals, or fabricated conversions.
- Conversion
A conversion is the qualifying action — such as a sale, signup, lead, or subscription — that triggers an affiliate commission.
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