Losing money on a test hurts, but it buys data. Driving profitable traffic and then not getting paid loses you money, time, and faith in the vertical at once. Here is how to vet a CPA network before your first campaign — and which signals mean you should walk away.
The basics every network runs on
- Hold — the payout freeze period for traffic checks. Normal: 7–14 days, up to 30 for newcomers. "End of month + net 30" is bondage.
- Approval rate — the share of confirmed leads. In nutra the network''s call center decides: identical traffic can approve at 30% in one network and 60% in another.
- Shaving — the network "losing" part of your leads. Nobody admits it; only split tests reveal it.
- Bump — an individual payout raise for volume or quality. If a network never bumps, you are forever on the minimum rate.
The 12-point checklist
- 1. Network age and living reviews on forums — not on its own website.
- 2. Support speed and adequacy: message the manager BEFORE registering, ask 3 questions, time the reply.
- 3. Hold terms, minimum payout, payment methods (cards, crypto, Capitalist, etc.).
- 4. On-request / early payouts for trusted affiliates.
- 5. Direct offer or a resell through 2–3 hands (resells pay less and approve opaquely).
- 6. Offer freshness: a "top list" unchanged for six months is a dead shop window.
- 7. Real-time stats and postbacks to your tracker without drama.
- 8. Transparent lead rejection reasons (trash statuses with explanations).
- 9. Test caps: can you send 10–20 leads to check approval with no commitments.
- 10. The reaction to your first dispute — that is where a network shows its face.
- 11. References: ask the manager to name public affiliates who have run with them for long.
- 12. Fix agreements in writing, not in calls.
Red flags that mean "run"
Rates visibly above market at a no-name network; a manager rushing you to "launch today, the offer closes tomorrow"; holds extended retroactively; approval dropping by half exactly after you scaled; a terms clause saying "the network may void leads without explanation". One of these is a warning; two or more — leave before a month of payouts hangs in hold.
How to test for shaving
The only method that works is a split: identical traffic 50/50 to the same offer in two networks, at least 50–100 leads per side. A 10–15% approval gap is noise and call-center variance; a stable 25–30% gap is a conversation to have with numbers in hand. Without your own tracker this test is impossible — one more reason to have one.
We collect vetted networks and honest affiliate reviews in the Affiliate Programs section — share your experience, especially the negative kind: one non-payment story saves others thousands of dollars.