Finding partners and letting them in
Most programs stall before they start: the software is ready and nobody joins. Your own customers are the easiest first partners, since they already pay for the product. Beyond them you need a public place to apply and a way to be found.
- A hosted signup page, open to anyone or invite-only, on Refgrow's domain or your own.
- Manual approval of new partners when you want to vet who promotes you.
- A listing in the Refgrow Partner Network, where affiliates looking for SaaS programs in their niche can find yours and join in one click. Included on every plan; a program is listed once its payments are connected, signup is public and the commission is set.
Commission rules you can change without a spreadsheet
Programs change: a launch bonus, a better rate for a partner who sends ten customers a month, a product that should pay less. In Refgrow the project has default terms (percentage or fixed, one-time, for a set number of months or lifetime), individual partners can have their own terms, and specific products can pay differently. Partner terms win over product terms, which win over the default. Two-tier commissions, where a partner earns on the partners they recruit, are on Pro and above.
Holds, approvals and fraud
A commission paid on a payment that is refunded a week later is money you rarely see again. A hold period of 0 to 365 days delays when earnings become payable, so refunds and chargebacks arrive first. Conversions can also be approved by hand, and in Refgrow anything reported from a browser instead of your billing provider or server always waits for review and is kept out of automatic payouts.
Payouts and paperwork
Paying partners is where small programs lose the most time. Refgrow keeps each partner's balance, enforces a minimum payout, and either sends the money through PayPal or Wise (automatic payouts on Pro and above) or records a payment you made yourself.
- Self-billing invoices for every payout, on all plans, with your company details.
- EU VAT IDs checked against VIES as partners enter them.
- Tax data required before a partner can request a payout, if you switch it on.
- A payout history and downloadable invoices for partners in their own dashboard.
Keeping partners active
Partners who see zeros stop promoting. Messages to partners and gamification are on Pro and above, as are team seats (3 on Pro, 10 on Business) and outgoing webhooks for your own automations. White-label portals are on Business and above.
When Refgrow is not the right pick
- You run a channel program with resellers: deal registration, MDF, a partner LMS and CRM workflows. PartnerStack's plans are built around those; Refgrow is not.
- Your affiliates bring in more than $100,000 a month. That is the top of Refgrow's Enterprise plan.
- Your billing runs on Chargebee, Recurly or Braintree and you do not want to report payments through an API.
Frequently asked questions
What is affiliate management software?
Software that runs the people side of an affiliate program: partner signup and approval, commission rules, fraud checks and hold periods, payouts, invoices and tax data, and communication with partners. Tracking is usually part of it.
Can I approve affiliates before they can promote?
Yes. Refgrow can require approval for new partners, and the portal can be open to anyone or invite-only.
How does Refgrow pay affiliates?
Through PayPal or Wise, automatically on Pro and above once partners request a payout above your minimum, or by recording a payment you sent yourself. Every payout gets a self-billing invoice.
Can different affiliates have different commission rates?
Yes. Each partner can have their own type, value and duration, which take priority over product-level and default terms.
Does Refgrow help me find affiliates?
Every plan includes a listing in the Refgrow Partner Network, where affiliates browse SaaS programs by niche and join in one click. Results depend on your niche and your terms.