The attribution rule for an Affiliate Program is the system’s criteria to attribute the commission to Affiliate “A” or “B” in the cases where more than one Affiliate referred the same client.
Hotmart's tracking technology allows different allocation rules to be set by the Producers to attribute commission to their affiliates, with each rule having its own characteristics and consequences.
It’s our opinion that the “Last click” rule (explained below) is the most coherent one and that is why it’s the standard rule at Hotmart. However, we do like to offer options for our sellers so they can pick the rule that fits their strategy the best.
The commission attribution options are:
Last Click (LCC)
Also known as “Last Cookie Counts” or “Last Click Counts”. It’s the most common rule in Affiliate programs and the standard rule at Hotmart, because we believe it is the most assertive one. This rule attributes the commission to the Affiliate who last recommended the product, which means, the most recent Affiliate HotLink the customer clicked on.
Main consequence: this rule allows Affiliates to offer a special bonus to clients, who get to choose who they’d like to buy from. Therefore, it’s a fair rule for the buyers and, at the same time, it encourages a healthy competition among Affiliates, who are always going to try to offer what would please their customers the most.
First Click (FCC)
Also known as “First Cookie Counts” or “First Click Counts”, this rule is less common and favors the Affiliate who took the customer to the seller’s website for the first time. Therefore, if the client returns later on through another Affiliate’s HotLink, this second Affiliate will not get the commission.
Main consequence: It’s favorable for Affiliates who generate more leads, while at the same time preventing customers from choosing who they wish to buy the product from. It's common in big launches, for Affiliates to offer a bonus for clients, encouraging them to buy from their links.
As the client will always be attributed to the first link, they won’t be able to change to another Affiliate to get a better bonus, which may cause dissatisfaction and, consequently, could affect the number of complaints the Producer gets.
Multi Clicks (MCC)
Here, the commission of a sale can be shared with more than one Affiliate. This happens in cases where the same buyer clicks on more than one Affiliate HotLink. Thus, the commission is split between the first and last Affiliate who promoted the product through their respective HotLinks.
Main consequence: it offers advantages for Affiliates who are less competitive or beginners. It helps to distribute commissions to more people, though the amounts are smaller per sale.
These cases actually don’t happen that often. Though in some niches - especially in product launches - this kind of situation is more likely to happen.
Where do I set the commission attribution rule?
For Producers who wish to alter attribution rules, they simply need to go to the Affiliate Program settings.
Each attribution rule has its own characteristics and may be best suited to each Affiliate depending on their profile and their strategy. However, we recommend you start by setting LCC (Last Click Counts), which is the most familiar for Affiliates and the affects the Producer-Buyer and Producer-Affiliate relations the least.