Approval: how many leads become money
The approval rate is the share of leads the advertiser confirms. In cash-on-delivery Nutra, an operator calls the buyer to confirm the order; some leads drop out: wrong number, changed mind, duplicate.
The formula is simple: approval = confirmed ÷ all leads. 100 leads and 62 confirmed is a 62% approval rate.
Hold: why the money doesn't arrive at once
The hold is the time the advertiser takes to review an action. While a lead is on hold, it can't count as revenue: it may be confirmed or rejected. The hold period is stated in the offer terms upfront — and it's the first thing to ask before launching.
Under our agreement the hold can't exceed 60 days from the action date, and a confirmed action is paid no later than 10 business days after confirmation.
Profit per period
Spend is counted on the day it's charged, and revenue on the day the action is confirmed. That's why the first days of a launch are almost always "in the red" — the revenue is still on hold.
| Period (3 days) | Spend | Confirmed | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 October | $600 | $300 | −$300 → carried forward |
| 4–6 October | $400 | $1,100 | $1,100 − $400 − $300 = $400 |
The first period's loss isn't "lost" and doesn't become a debt: it reduces the profit of the following periods until it's covered. That way spend made before confirmation is fairly balanced by revenue that arrives later.
How that becomes a payout
In the second period the profit is $400. A Trainee gets 70% — $280, the company 30% — $120. The buyer's payout is all the period's revenue minus the company's share: $1,100 − $120 = $980. It covers both the spend and the profit share.
If a period is in the red, the company's share is zero and the buyer receives all of the period's revenue. There's never a debt to the company.
Reversals after a payout
Sometimes an affiliate program reverses actions that were already paid — for example, when goods are returned. An honest team shows the program's document and accounts for the reversal in future payouts instead of sending the buyer a "bill". If you're asked to "cover the loss with a transfer", that's a red flag.