What Is a Recurring Commission Affiliate Program?

There are three common ways a software affiliate program pays.

One-time pays you once, when the customer signs up or makes a first payment. Capped recurring pays every month, but only for a set term, like the first year. Recurring pays every month for as long as the customer keeps paying, under the program's current rules.

The word "recurring" alone does not tell you which of the last two you get. Read the terms for the length.

A recurring commission is small on day one and adds up while the customer stays. Take one Scaley Media Buyer customer at $5,000 a month in Google Ads spend. At 20%, that is $29.80 a month, or $357.60 over a year if they stay all year.

A one-time payout can look bigger at first. Over a long-lived customer, recurring usually wins. Over a customer who leaves fast, one-time can win. So the length of time customers stay is the number that decides it.

Check what counts as a payment. Some programs pay on the base fee only, not on usage or add-ons. Check the hold, which is how long a commission waits before it can be paid, so refunds can clear. Check the minimum payout and whether a small balance rolls over or expires.

And check whether the program can change. Most programs, ours included, keep the right to change the rules going forward. What matters is that what you already earned stays earned.