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Affiliate Decision Engine

Compare two affiliate scenarios using percentage or fixed commission, costs, ROI and break-even estimates.

Model two scenarios

Enter your own assumptions. Grey example values are placeholders, not industry averages. All monetary inputs use the currency you select.

Visits in one month; use the same month for costs.

Applies to every money field. No currency conversion is performed.

Both scenarios share monthly visitors and currency. Enter assumptions for both; no scenario is automatically recommended.

Scenario A

The percentage of visitors who click an affiliate link.

The percentage of affiliate clicks that lead to a sale.

Eligible merchant order value in the selected currency.

Choose how each conversion earns commission.

Percentage: 0–100%. Fixed: amount per sale in the selected currency.

Leave blank to omit costs. Zero is allowed; ROI needs a positive cost.

Scenario B

The percentage of visitors who click an affiliate link.

The percentage of affiliate clicks that lead to a sale.

Eligible merchant order value in the selected currency.

Choose how each conversion earns commission.

Percentage: 0–100%. Fixed: amount per sale in the selected currency.

Leave blank to omit costs. Zero is allowed; ROI needs a positive cost.

Reset

Calculations run on this server without JavaScript. Submitted values are not saved as scenarios or sent to third-party services.

Your estimated results

Enter your assumptions and calculate to see results.

How it works

Build two versions of the same monthly traffic opportunity. Each scenario follows visitors through affiliate clicks and conversions, then applies its own commission and cost assumptions.

Formula

  • Affiliate clicks = visitors × CTR ÷ 100.
  • Conversions = affiliate clicks × conversion rate ÷ 100.
  • Merchant revenue = conversions × average order value.
  • Percentage earnings = merchant revenue × commission percentage ÷ 100.
  • Fixed earnings = conversions × fixed commission per conversion.
  • EPC = affiliate earnings ÷ affiliate clicks.
  • Revenue per visitor = affiliate earnings ÷ visitors; multiply by 1,000 for earnings per 1,000 visitors.
  • Profit = affiliate earnings − costs. ROI = profit ÷ costs × 100, only when costs are positive.

Break-even

Commission per conversion is order value × commission percentage ÷ 100, or the fixed payment. Divide costs by this amount for break-even conversions. Divide again by conversion rate ÷ 100 for clicks, then by CTR ÷ 100 for visitors. A zero denominator or missing cost makes that step unavailable.

Worked example

An illustrative 10,000 visitors, 5% CTR, 3% conversion rate, £100 order value and 10% commission produce 500 clicks, 15 conversions, £1,500 merchant revenue and £150 affiliate earnings. EPC is £0.30, revenue per visitor is £0.015 and earnings per 1,000 visitors are £15. These are model inputs, not benchmarks.

With £100 costs, that scenario has £50 estimated profit, 50% ROI and break-even at 10 expected conversions, about 333.33 clicks and 6,666.67 visitors. At a fixed £12 per conversion with the same inputs, Scenario B earns £180: a £30 difference, not an editorial recommendation.

How to interpret your results

Merchant revenue belongs to the merchant; it is not your affiliate income. EPC and revenue per visitor describe different parts of the funnel. Profit subtracts only the cost you entered, so include all relevant campaign or content costs before interpreting ROI.

Important assumptions

The model applies constant rates over one month and treats every conversion as eligible. It does not model repeat commissions, cookie windows, tiered rates, tax, refunds or changing traffic quality. Fractional conversions describe an expectation across traffic, not a partial sale. All money inputs must use the selected currency; no exchange rates are used.

Related tools

Relevant affiliate programs

Profiles provide official terms and research dates. The Decision Engine can show programme context; only compatible, unambiguous, current one-time commissions can prefill a rate.

Explore the programme directory

Frequently asked questions

Are these earnings guaranteed?

No. The estimate follows the assumptions you enter. It is not a forecast based on independently verified traffic or merchant performance.

Why is a result not calculable?

A ratio needs a positive denominator. Zero traffic or clicks can make per-visitor or per-click values undefined. ROI needs a positive cost; break-even also needs a commission and usable funnel rates.

Does a higher result make a scenario better?

The table compares arithmetic only. Programme eligibility, audience fit and verified terms require separate research. Neither scenario receives a rating or recommendation.

Are my scenarios saved?

No account or saved scenario is created. Calculations work through a normal form submission. URL-prefilled assumptions still require you to press Calculate. Avoid putting private values into shareable URLs.

Related reading and tools

Compare your monetisation options

Use the Affiliate vs AdSense Calculator to compare revenue assumptions, or combine both channels in the Website Monetisation Calculator.