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How do you know which method(s) an affiliate program uses to track referrals? Most programs don’t go into much detail in their recruitment literature because they don’t want to make process sound too complicated for people who are just getting started with affiliate programs. Any program that deserves further scrutiny will provide an email address or form to ask questions, though. Send an email specifically asking which of these methods are used.

A few companies are avoiding issue of tracking repeat customers while still looking for ways to reward affiliates. They provide incentives such as a publicized discount for customers who return to company’s web site through your affiliate link. This idea has some merit, although it forces customers to jump through some inconvenient hoops. A good rule of thumb in business is to make it as easy for your customer to buy from you as possible.

I should also mention that an affiliate program that offers unlimited return days is not necessarily paying lifetime commissions. When someone clicks on your affiliate link, clock starts ticking. If they come back within specified number of return days and make their purchase, you earn a commission. Just because an affiliate program offers unlimited return days, does not mean that you will earn commission on any purchases after initial one.

I don’t mean to sound critical of return days. Return days are a boon to affiliates because many customers don’t make a purchase until they’ve visited a site several times. Ideally as an affiliate you would like company you work with to provide a healthy number of return days as well as lifetime commissions. When a company touts unlimited return days, though, realize nothing about a customer is stored in a database until that customer makes a purchase. So return days can only be tracked by a cookie or IP address. As stated above, these tracking methods are not perfect.

There are a lot of strong affiliate programs that don’t offer lifetime commissions. The point here is to make sure you understand exactly what to expect from your compensation plan before you invest your money or (more valuable still) your time.