Usually, commission refers to the percentage of an affiliate’s product sale that the affiliate receives. In some cases, affiliate payments are based on a fixed amount of money.
The commission rate may differ even within the same affiliate program. Therefore, the maximum commission rates and payouts are often indicated in the description of a program. Also, the affiliate commission rate can increase during a period of one partnership for achieving individual goals by affiliate.
The best affiliates always find a balance between different types of affiliate programs. For example, Amazon Associates pays a maximum of 10% of a sale. And let’s say an affiliate program with a 40% commission will cover many sales under the Amazon program with one deal. Thus, for affiliate marketing to become your daily job, you need to find something in between regarding the affiliate programs’ commission structure.
It’s even better when you receive some payouts during all customer’s activities. Recurring lifetime commissions earn you money for every purchase one of your referrals makes, not just a commission on their first purchase alone. So pay attention to it.