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Affiliate income calculator
See what recommending a tool could earn: clicks, conversion, price and commission, including recurring payouts.
Recurring vs one-time commissions: what an affiliate link is worth
Two affiliate programmes can advertise the same commission rate and pay very different amounts. The difference is how long the commission lasts. A one-time commission pays once per customer. A recurring one pays every month the customer stays, up to the programme’s limit, so income from the same clicks keeps stacking.
The table uses the calculator’s defaults (2,000 clicks a month, 3% conversion, a $30 a month tool, 30% commission) and changes only the payout period. The headline looks one year ahead, so a 24-month commission shows the same monthly figure after a year as a 12-month one, but each customer is worth twice as much in the end.
The fairest way to compare programmes is earnings per click (EPC): income divided by clicks. In the default case one customer is worth $108 over 12 months and 3% of clicks become customers, so each click is worth about $3.24. A programme paying a $50 flat bounty at a 4% conversion rate earns $2.00 per click, so the recurring programme wins despite its smaller first payment.
Placement matters as much as the programme. The same link converts very differently in a dedicated tutorial, a pinned comment, a resource page or a newsletter footer, because the reader’s intent differs. If a programme lets you add tracking or sub-IDs to links, tag each placement separately and work out EPC for each. A few placements often bring most of the income, and those are the ones to update first when a better programme comes along.
To model a flat bounty in the calculator, enter the bounty as the price, 100% as the commission and 1 as the number of months. For physical products, enter the average order value as the price and the store’s commission rate, again for one month.
Real income lands below the headline for two reasons. Customers cancel, so a 12-month commission rarely pays all 12 months on every customer, and programmes reverse commissions on refunds and chargebacks. If you have no cancellation data yet, try fewer payout months than the programme offers to see a cautious figure.
| Commission structure | Months paid | Monthly income after a year | One customer is worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-time (first payment only) | 1 | $540 | $9 |
| Recurring, 6 months | 6 | $3,240 | $54 |
| Recurring, 12 months | 12 | $6,480 | $108 |
| Recurring, 24 months | 24 | $6,480 | $216 |
How it works
Each month your clicks bring new paying customers. With a recurring commission, every customer keeps paying you for the commission period, so monthly income stacks up month after month.
The headline shows your monthly income once twelve months of customers are stacking (or fewer, if the commission stops sooner). Real numbers are lower if customers cancel early.
Programmes differ a lot: some pay once, some for 12 months, a few for as long as the customer pays. Check each programme’s terms, and never buy through your own link.
Questions
What conversion rate should I use?
It depends on how warm your audience is and how well the tool fits them. A tutorial that shows the tool in use converts far better than a link in a list. Start low and adjust with your real numbers.
Do I need to disclose affiliate links?
Yes, where the law or the platform requires it, which is most places. Say it plainly near the link.
What is a good affiliate commission rate?
It depends on the product. Software and online tools often pay somewhere around 20% to 40%, sometimes recurring, because an extra customer costs them little. Physical products from large retailers usually pay much lower, single-digit percentages. Compare programmes on what a click earns, not on the headline rate.
What is EPC in affiliate marketing?
Earnings per click: total affiliate income divided by the clicks that produced it. It folds conversion rate, price and commission into one number, which makes it the fairest way to compare two programmes or two placements. Some networks report it per 100 clicks.
What is a cookie duration?
The time after a click during which a purchase still earns you the commission. If a reader clicks your link and buys three weeks later, you are only paid if the cookie lasts longer than three weeks. Longer windows suit products people research before buying.
When do affiliate programmes pay out?
Most hold commissions for a period that covers the refund window, often 30 to 60 days, then pay monthly once you pass a minimum balance. Income from this month’s clicks often arrives one or two months later. Each programme states its schedule in its terms.
How does customer churn affect recurring commissions?
Each cancellation ends that customer’s payments to you. If a tool loses a noticeable share of customers every month, your stacked income levels off below the calculator’s headline. Recommending products people keep using is the best protection.