Affiliate Marketing Glossary

Affiliate (Publisher, Associate, Partner, Reseller)	An independent party, or website, that promotes the products or services of a merchant in exchange for a commission.
Affiliate Marketing Program	A type of revenue sharing program where an affiliate receives a commission for generating a lead or sale for a merchant online.
Click-through	The action a visitor makes when they are referred from one website through to another, via an advertisement or link.
Commission	The amount of income paid to an affiliate for generating a sale or lead for a merchant via the affiliate’s website.
Cookie	A small file stored on a visitor’s computer that records information relevant to the merchant’s site.
Cost per Lead	The commission structure where the merchant pays the affiliate an agreed fee for each qualified lead (potential customer) referred to the merchant’s website.
Cost per Sale	The commission structure where the merchant pays an affiliate a percentage or flat fee for a sale of a product or service to a customer referred to the merchant’s site.
CPA	(Cost Per Acquisition) – An agreed payment rate for a specific action taken by a visitor to a merchant’s site, such as an application or purchase.
Lead	When a visitor registers, signs up for something, fills out a form, or downloads something at a merchant’s site.
Link	A form of advertising on a website, email or online newsletter, which, when clicked on, refers the visitor to a merchant’s website.
Merchant (Advertiser, Retailer, E-retailer, or Online Retailer)	A website that sells a product or service, accepts payments, and fulfills orders. Merchants place ads and links to their products and services on other websites (affiliates) through a network and pay those affiliates a commission for the resulting leads or sales.
Sale	When a visitor makes a purchase from a merchant’s website.