Clickbank Cookies - First or Last Affiliate? Who Really Gets The Commission?

I would really appreciate the views of members about this issue. With some things I have been experiencing lately concerning clickbank, some things are not really clear about their cookies. Which affiliate really gets commission for referring a buyer? Is it the affiliate who first introduced the product to the buyer? Is it the last affiliate to refer the buyer to the product?

I have experienced 2 different scenerios that bring about the confusion to me. I will explain them thus:

1. FIRST AFFILIATE GETS THE COMMISSION?

I have some products listed on the clickbank marketplace and as a vendor I also promote my products as an affiliate. I have received emails from 2 buyers who complained that they could not get commission for buying my product with their own affiliate links. This was one of the mails sent to me:



2. LAST AFFILIATE GETS THE COMMISSION?

Almost every week, new clickbank products are launched in the IM niche. From my experience, I make more money after the product has been launched and people are already buying it. The vendors of those products usually have "Pre-launch" whereby they collect emails of those who would promote those products. Most affiliates create review site for those products and visitors are only directed to an opt-in page of the vendor.

From my experience, I make more money if I start promoting their products after full launch than before full launch. Does it mean that my affiliate link cookie overwrites those of other affiliates? Is the last affiliate the one who really gets credited for the sale? Is this just a coincidence?

Last Affiliate gets the commission. Its easy to check by clicking on different affiliate links then your own then go to order page and see who shows up right at the bottom as the affiliate.

I am sure the person that sent you the email made a mistake or did something stupid or is just lying.

^^ Bestmate speaks the truth.

Be sure you tell the person buying through their own link to clear their browser cookies before purchasing. Another thing is to be sure the vendor has "whitelisted" you. In other words be sure to sign up via their affiliate product resources page before before buying through your own affiliate link.

I understand your point. However, the issue is that no vendor really likes affiliates buying products through their affiliate links.

In most cases, clickbank commissions are 60-75% and you would not like anybody reducing that part which belongs to you as the vendor.

Hence, I would not like to tell affiliates to clear their browser cookies.

myapps43 said:

Be sure you tell the person buying through their own link to clear their browser cookies before purchasing. Another thing is to be sure the vendor has "whitelisted" you. In other words be sure to sign up via their affiliate product resources page before before buying through your own affiliate link.

Click to expand...

It is inevitable. You can find ways to stop them from buying through their own link, but they can always find someone else like friends or family members who can rebate them.

Or find someone who wants to buy it and do reciprocal purchase.

'A' sign up through 'B'
'B' sign up through 'A'

If im a vendor, i would not bother too much on how to prevent the above, but find a bonus to bundle with and push micro-continuity that they cant miss at less or same as the current price.

Short term it looks as if vendor is losing out, but on long term, vendor gets more.
Give it as a time limited offer to lock it in the special price and this may very well boost some sales and monthly income. =)

Yeah! You're right

From my experience its mostly goes to last link, I tried cookies stuffing before and I got thousands of hop but no sales credited, and Im always buying on my link too without deleting cookies..and if sometimes sales not credited its either vendor making some hocus focus, browser error or clickbank having problem with tracking.

Yeah!. You're right. Some vendors play all kinds of games.

But I dont do that. I only promote my own products like any other affiliate.

I suspect one of the problem is with those vendors that are also affiliates, especially those with opt-in pages. You send a prospect to the sales page, prospect opt-ins to vendor newsletter. Next vendor starts selling prospect on product affiliate promoted. Before you know it vendor starts sending other products to your prospect via their own affiliate link as well and you are in essence competing with that vendor. In essence affiliatea are building the subscriber lists of vendors so that the same prospect you brought for the vendor will ultimately be bombarded with that vendors affiliate links as well.

any cookie with a specific "name" will replace any prior cookie of the same name, regardless of the source. - as a general rule

I think the last affiliate is the one getting the commission here.