CPA, CPS, Revenue Share—what it means in real life
Affiliate marketing has different commission models. The labels sound fancy, but you only need to know one thing: what action triggers your payout.
CPA (Cost Per Action)
CPA means you get paid when a specific action happens (often a confirmed sale). This model is popular when brands want clean performance and don’t want to pay for “awareness”.
- Good for: creators who can drive strong intent traffic
- Watch out for: validation rules (COD returns can affect it)
CPS (Cost Per Sale)
CPS is the most common: you earn a percentage (or fixed amount) per sale.
- Good for: product-based niches like fashion, beauty, gadgets
- Watch out for: returns/cancellations, especially with COD
Revenue Share
Revenue share usually means you earn a percentage of revenue over time (more common in subscriptions or SaaS). It can be powerful if you bring recurring customers.
- Good for: subscriptions, memberships, SaaS products
- Watch out for: long payout windows and churn
Which is best in Pakistan?
- Creators: CPS/CPA with transparent tracking + reliable payouts wins.
- Brands: CPA/CPS is great when you want to pay only for performance.
Street-smart advice
Don’t get hypnotized by a high commission percentage. A lower commission with high conversion and reliable payout will beat a “high commission” program that never validates sales.
Quick move: If you want access to affiliate campaigns with clean tracking and payout structure, apply and get verified. Creators go to Become a Creator. Brands go to Become a Brand Partner.