About Impact.com
Impact.com is a powerful platform known for being a leading global Partnership Management Platform. It provides brands, agencies, and publishers with the tools to discover, manage, and scale all types of partnerships, including affiliates, influencers, strategic B2B, and more, all within a single unified platform. It helps automate the entire partnership lifecycle, from recruitment and contracting to tracking, payment, and optimization.
Impact.com Affiliate Program Overview
The Impact.com “affiliate program” is actually a marketplace and technology platform where thousands of different brands host their own individual affiliate programs. Affiliates, or partners, join the Impact.com platform to get access to these numerous brand programs. Therefore, the specifics (like commission rates, cookie duration, etc.) vary significantly from one brand’s program to another.
| Feature | Description |
| Industry | Partnership Management Platform (Technology, SaaS) |
| Product Type | Digital Software/Service (Managing affiliate, influencer, and other partnerships) |
| Affiliate Program Type | The Impact.com platform itself offers a Referral Partner Program where you earn commission for referring new brands/publishers to use the platform. However, the main use for most affiliates is accessing the thousands of individual brand programs hosted on Impact.com. |
Impact.com Affiliate Program Offers
As a platform, Impact.com offers robust features that brands often leverage for their hosted programs. The specifics are set by each brand, but here is what the platform generally facilitates:
| Factor | Description (Brand-Specific, Facilitated by Platform) |
| Promotional Materials | Brands provide various materials like banners, text links, unique promo codes, and product feeds directly through the platform. |
| Affiliate Cookie Duration | Varies by brand’s program. The platform supports various tracking methods (cookie and non-cookie based, cross-device). |
| Accepted Traffic Source | Varies by brand’s program. The platform supports all types (content, social, coupon, loyalty, review sites, etc.), but brands set their own specific rules. |
| Accepted Countries | Varies by brand’s program. Impact.com is a global platform, so many international programs are available. |
| Explicit Content | Generally restricted by the brand’s individual program terms to ensure brand safety. The platform has fraud and brand monitoring tools. |
| Religious or Political Content | Generally restricted by the brand’s individual program terms to ensure brand safety. |
Impact.com Affiliate Commissions & Payments
Payment logistics are managed through the platform, offering flexibility for both the brand and the affiliate. The actual rates are determined by the brand.
| Factor | Description (Brand-Specific, Facilitated by Platform) |
| MLM | The platform structure is not Multi-Level Marketing (MLM). It is a performance-based partnership model. |
| Commission Rate | Varies widely by brand and industry. Ranges from a percentage (e.g., 5%-50% or more) to a flat fee (CPA, CPL). |
| Commission Structure | Supports CPA (Cost Per Action/Sale), CPL (Cost Per Lead), CPC (Cost Per Click), CPI (Cost Per Install), and the Dynamic Payout model, which allows brands to reward partners based on their contribution throughout the customer journey, not just the last click. |
| Payout Frequency | Varies by brand/program. Brands can configure next-day payments for flat fees or the typical 30-day performance-based payouts. |
| Payout Methods | Direct Transfer (ACH/BACS), PayPal, and others, often available in various currencies. |
| Minimum Payout | Varies by brand/program and chosen payment method. Generally, there is a low or negotiable minimum threshold. |
Suitable Affiliates for Impact.com Affiliate
The Impact.com platform is designed to cater to a vast ecosystem of partners, making it suitable for almost any type of creator or publisher due to the diversity of programs it hosts (retail, travel, finance, SaaS, etc.).
| Affiliate Type | Suitability on Impact.com |
| Bloggers | Highly Suitable. Excellent access to content-rich brands in all niches. |
| TikTokers | Highly Suitable. The platform supports the recruitment and tracking of Creators and Influencers, who are core to TikTok marketing. |
| KOC/KOL | Highly Suitable. The platform has specific tools and programs for both Key Opinion Consumers (KOCs) and Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) under its broader “Creator” management solution. |
| Influencers | Highly Suitable. The platform is a major hub for influencer marketing, offering discovery, contracting, and performance tracking tools. |
| YouTubers | Highly Suitable. Can easily use custom links, codes, and cross-platform tracking for video-driven promotions. |
| Video Editors | Suitable. If they are content creators themselves or work with brands to create sponsored content, they can benefit from the creator tools. |
| Livestreamers | Highly Suitable. Can use unique promo codes and links to monetize live audiences on platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok. |
Impact.com Affiliate Software
Impact.com uses its own proprietary, industry-leading Partnership Management Platform (SaaS) called The Partnership Cloud to manage affiliate and other partner programs. It is an advanced, enterprise-grade solution that provides full-lifecycle automation, sophisticated tracking (cookie and non-cookie based), fraud protection, and flexible payment options.
3 Alternatives for Impact.com Affiliate Program
Here are three common alternatives to Impact.com’s marketplace/platform, which are also popular choices for brands and affiliates: CJ Affiliate, Awin, and PartnerStack.
- CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction): A large, long-standing affiliate network that hosts many premium, big-name enterprise brands. Known for reliable tracking but has an older, clunky interface.
- Awin (formerly Affiliate Window/ShareASale): A global network popular in Europe, with a large affiliate base and many e-commerce and physical product merchants.
- PartnerStack: A newer platform primarily focused on managing partnerships for B2B SaaS (Software as a Service) companies, known for its automation and network of B2B partners.
| Comparison Factor | Impact.com | CJ Affiliate | Awin | PartnerStack |
| Focus | All Partnerships (Affiliate, Influencer, B2B, etc.) | Traditional Affiliate Marketing | Traditional Affiliate Marketing (Global, strong in EU) | B2B SaaS Resellers, Referrals, Affiliates |
| Average Bill (Advertiser Setup) | Enterprise/Custom pricing (High) | Custom/High Setup Fees | Setup fees & transaction fees for merchants | Custom pricing, geared for SaaS (High) |
| Entry Fees (Affiliate/Publisher) | Free to join | Free to join | Free for affiliates | Free for partners |
| Withdrawal Threshold | Varies by brand/payment method | $50 (Direct Deposit), $100 (Check) | $\text{\pounds}20 / \text{\euro}20 / \$20$ (Varies) | Varies by program, often around $25-$50 |
| Payment Frequency | Varies by brand (e.g., 30 days) | Net 30/60 (depends on advertiser) | Twice monthly (for verified accounts) | Monthly via PayPal or Stripe Express |
| Commission | Varies widely by program | Varies widely by program | Varies widely by program | Varies widely by B2B SaaS program (often recurring) |
| Conversion | Varies (Supports CPA, CPL, Dynamic Payout) | CPA, CPL, RevShare | CPA, CPL, etc. | High-value SaaS deals, recurring revenue share |
| Marketing Materials | Provided by brands via platform tools | Provided by brands via platform tools | Provided by brands via platform tools | Provided by brands via platform tools |
