Comprehensive definitions and explanations of key affiliate marketing, SaaS, and partner program terminology.
The total annual value of all active subscription contracts. A key metric in SaaS that indicates business health and growth.
A centralized marketplace where advertisers post affiliate programs and affiliates discover opportunities. The network handles tracking, attribution, and commission payments.
A marketing partnership where affiliates earn commission for driving sales, signups, or other desired actions for a brand.
Software-as-a-Service products designed for and sold to businesses (versus consumers). Examples include CRM, project management, and marketing automation platforms.
Software-as-a-Service products marketed to individual end users rather than businesses. B2C SaaS typically has lower price points, higher volume, shorter sales cycles, and faster affiliate conversions than B2B SaaS.
The length of time a tracking cookie remains active after a user clicks an affiliate link. If a customer converts during this window, the affiliate receives credit for the sale. Common durations are 30, 60, 90, or 180 days.
The duration from when a customer clicks an affiliate link until the deadline for a tracked action to count as a conversion. Often the same as cookie duration, but sometimes different (e.g., 180-day cookie but 90-day conversion window).
The sum of all future profit contributions from a customer throughout their relationship with the business. High-CLV products are more valuable for affiliate programs.
A performance metric calculated as total commissions earned divided by total clicks. EPC helps affiliates compare the profitability of different offers.
Affiliate programs for enterprise software or services, characterized by longer sales cycles, larger deal values, and typically more hands-on partner support.
A structured program enabling complementary businesses to collaborate. Partner programs often include affiliate, reseller, integration, and technology partnerships.
A structured system of partner levels (e.g., Silver, Gold, Platinum) where affiliates unlock higher commission rates, faster payouts, dedicated support, or bonuses as they reach revenue or referral thresholds.
An ongoing commission earned by an affiliate on every subscription renewal or recurring billing cycle of a customer they referred. The commission is paid as long as the customer maintains an active subscription.
A compensation model where an affiliate receives a percentage of the gross or net revenue generated by customers they referred. Revenue share is common in enterprise partnerships and high-ticket sales.