In this article, you will learn:
What is the Customers Feature?
For many businesses, tracking a referred individual separately from their specific purchases is vital. Whether you need a customer_id to link recurring payments to a single user or simply want to enrich your data, the Customers feature bridges the gap between affiliates and long-term user behavior.
Key Benefits
Track Lifecycle: See if an account is actively earning affiliate commissions over time.
Conversion Tracking: Evaluate if a trial user or lead eventually becomes a paying customer.
Eligibility Checks: Quickly verify if an affiliate is eligible for future commissions from a specific user.
Data Consolidation: See all conversions and external IDs tied to a single customer in one view.
Commission Caps: Set limits on how much or how long an affiliate can earn from one customer.
Customers vs. Conversions
Understanding the difference is key to setting up your tracking correctly:
Feature | Definition | Example |
A unique individual who signed up or was referred. | A trial user, a lead, or a new account holder. | |
A specific action that triggers a commission. | A one-off purchase, a monthly subscription renewal. |
Pro Tip: You can track both simultaneously. This is ideal for scenarios where a customer signs up and makes an immediate purchase.
Commission Structures
Your structure determines how affiliates are rewarded and for how long.
1. One-off Commissions
The "Last Cookie Counts" rule. You reward the affiliate who referred the visitor for their specific purchase. Once the transaction is over, the link between the affiliate and customer ends unless they click a referral link again.
2. Recurring Commissions (SaaS/Subscription)
The affiliate earns a commission for every recurring payment (monthly/yearly) a customer makes.
Setup: Often requires the REST API or Zapier to trigger a new conversion for every billing cycle.
Caps: You can limit these (e.g., "Commission for the first 12 months only").
Depending on your integration, setting up a recurring commission structure may require the intervention of a developer. Your developer can consult our Recurring/Lifetime commissions through the API or Zapier guide.
It's possible to place caps on the number of commissions or time-frame an affiliate can earn through a customer.
3. Lifetime Commissions (eCommerce/Retail)
Similar to recurring, but used for repeat, non-subscription purchases. The original referring affiliate receives a commission on any future purchase the customer makes, indefinitely or until a cap is reached.
Some integrations already have this feature built-in - look for the green, highlighted feature box at the top of the integration guide.
If this isn't supported in your integration, setting up a lifetime commissions may require the intervention of a developer. Your developer can consult our Recurring/Lifetime commissions through the API or Zapier guide.
Attribution Flows
Once you have chosen a commission structure, you can implement the code that matches your goals. Below are the recommended formats for the three most common business models.
1. SaaS & Subscription
Designed for services with recurring billing cycles or trial periods.
SaaS + Recurring Commissions
With Free Trial: Use the
tap('trial', customer_id)method on the thank-you page after the initial sign-up.No Free Trial (Immediate Payment): Use the
tap('conversion', external_id, amount, {customer_id: "the-customer-id"})method on the thank-you page reached after the first purchase.Ongoing Payments: To reward recurring commissions, create subsequent conversions for the Customer via the REST API or Zapier whenever a payment is processed.
Note: You must enable "Recurring / Lifetime commissions" in your program settings.
SaaS + One-off Commissions
If you do not want to offer recurring rewards, simply use the
tap('conversion', external_id, amount)method on the thank-you page after the initial sign-up or purchase.
Use Case | Implementation Method |
Free Trial → Future Payment | Use tap |
Immediate Paid Sign-up | Use tap |
Handling Renewals | Create subsequent conversions via the REST API or Zapier whenever a payment is processed. |
One-off (No recurring) | Use tap |
2. eCommerce
Designed for retail businesses focusing on repeat purchases.
eCommerce + Lifetime Commissions
To reward an affiliate for every subsequent purchase a customer makes, use the
tap('conversion', external_id, amount, {customer_id: "the-customer-id"})method on the checkout thank-you page.Note: You must enable "Recurring / Lifetime commissions" in your program settings.
eCommerce + One-off Commissions
To reward the affiliate only for the current transaction, use the
tap('conversion', external_id, amount)method on the thank-you page.
🛒 eCommerce
Use Case | Implementation Method |
Lifetime Rewards | Use tap |
One-off Rewards | Use tap |
3. Lead Generation
Designed for long sales funnels where the final payout happens offline or at a later date.
Lead Generation + Later Commissions
Step 1: Use the
tap('lead', customer_id)method on the thank-you page after the user fills out your contact or lead form.Step 2: When the deal is closed, create a conversion to mark the recorded lead as "Won." This can be automated via your CRM or handled manually through the platform. For more information, you may consult this article.
Different or Complex Use Case?
If your setup involves complex logic or unique requirements, we are here to help. Drop our support team a message with:
A detailed explanation of your current user journey.
Your specific commission goals.
We will carefully review your case and provide a tailored approach for your integration.
Customer Status & Lifecycle Management
Depending on your business model (SaaS, Lead Gen, or eCommerce), our system uses specific "aliases" for customer statuses. While the names differ, the underlying logic remains the same.
Model | Initial Status | Active Status | End Status |
SaaS | Trial (No payments yet) | Paying (Min. 1 conversion) | Canceled |
Leads | Lead (Form filled) | Won (Deal closed) | Lost |
Generic | New (Account created) | Active (Purchased) | Stopped |
Trial → Paying → (Capped) → Canceled (recommended for subscription/SaaS)
Lead → Won → (Capped) → Lost (Aimed at lead generation)
New → Active → (Capped) → Stopped (For eCommerce or generic use)
Detailed Status Definitions
🟢 Trial / Lead / New (Initial Status)
This is the starting point for every new Customer record.
Definition: The system has successfully identified and tracked the individual, but no Conversions (payouts) have been registered yet.
Example: A user who has signed up for a free trial but hasn't made their first payment.
🔵 Paying / Won / Active (Active Status)
This status indicates a successful conversion and an active earning relationship.
Definition: At least one Conversion has been created for this Customer.
Future Earnings: If you have enabled Recurring/Lifetime commissions, this Customer is now linked to the affiliate and will continue to generate commissions for future purchases or renewals.
🟠 Capped (Limit Reached)
This status acts as a safety barrier for your commission budget.
Definition: If you have configured a Commission Cap (e.g., limiting payouts to the first 6 months or the first 10 transactions), the Customer moves to this status once the limit is reached.
Result: Any future Conversions sent for this Customer will be automatically rejected and will not appear in your account.
🔴 Canceled / Lost / Stopped (Termination Status)
This status is used to end the commission lifecycle for a specific user.
Definition: Once a Customer is marked with any of these statuses, they can no longer accrue future Conversions or Commissions.
Use Case: Ideal for when a subscriber cancels their plan or a lead is officially disqualified.
⚠️ Important Tracking Rules
The "Single Track" Rule Regardless of which status flow you choose, once a Customer ID has been tracked in the system, it cannot be "re-tracked" as a new customer.
You cannot "reset" a customer to start their journey over. You may only:
Add new conversions to their existing profile.
Manually update their status (e.g., from Active to Canceled).
FAQ
❓What should I use for the customer_id?
Use your internal Database ID or the user's email address (hashed if you prefer privacy). It must be a value that never changes for that user.
❓I sent a conversion with a customer_id, but it’s not showing up.
Check if "Recurring/Lifetime Commissions" is toggled ON in your Program Settings. If this is off, our system ignores the customer_id field.
❓Can I change which affiliate is linked to a customer?
Yes, you can manually re-assign a customer to a different affiliate via the admin dashboard under the Customers tab.
❓Can I show customer ids to my affiliates?
We do not show the customer_id to the affiliate, it is not recommended to display customer IDs to your affiliates.They will only see that "Customer #X" made a purchase. This keeps you compliant while providing transparency to your partners. Sharing sensitive, identifying customer information with a third-party (your affiliates) without the customer's consent can enter in direct conflict with the European GDPR or California's Consumer Privacy Act.
❓When does a customer status change?
Customer statuses will change depending on the following:
If conversions are attached to the customer
If the customer has been canceled
❓Can I issue a reward when tracking a customer?
No, rewards cannot be issued solely when tracking a customer. Rewards are typically associated with specific actions or conversions, such as making a purchase.
If you'd like to create a conversion alongside your customer, use the tap('conversion', external id, amount, {customer_id: "the-customer-id"}) attribution flow.
❓I need help figuring out what's the best attribution flow for me - can you help?
Of course! You can submit a detailed explanation of your use case and goals to our support team. We'll carefully evaluate your use case and give you tailored advice on what's the best approach for you to take.
❓Can I limit the amount of commissions an affiliate gets per customer?
If you have Recurring/Lifetime commissions enabled, you have the option to set a limit on the number of commissions that an affiliate can receive per customer. To read more on Caps, please read this article.