Ask HN: What is the best free affiliate tracking system?
Hello, i would like to set up affiliate partnership for my project and I am looking for some good free solution to handle all my affiliates, see statistics, etc.
- Recruit and sign up affiliates
- Collect W9s and other tax forms from each new affiliate and organize/file those documents safely and securely
- Monitor the affiliate sales daily for signs of fraud and abuse from people trying to do things like earn a commission for sales that didn't occur, cookie stuff people with hidden images in forums and adware to steal legitimate affiliates' commissions, etc.
- Keep the books on all affiliate commissions due
- Cut and mail the checks to affiliates all around the world
- Handle customer support for the affiliate program -- how to use your affiliate software, how to set up the tracking links, what your cookie policies are, payment policies, delayed and lost payment checks, terminating people that violate your terms and handling their complaints afterwards
- File the 1099-MISC forms with the affiliates and the IRS at the end of the year
In the end, letting an affiliate network take care of all that might be worth the small fee they charge. I can highly recommend Shareasale for one, which charges 20% of the commission (not 20% of the sale) you pay to affiliates as their commission. For example, if you are paying a 10% commission on sales, and someone buys a $50 item, the affiliate earns $5, and you pay Shareasale $1. In return for that $1, they take care of everything in the list above.