Two affiliates can send a broker the same number of traders and earn very different amounts. Usually the difference is not the traffic but the deal. CPA, revenue share, hybrid and lot-based rebates each reward different kinds of traffic, and the small print decides how much of the headline number you actually see.
This guide explains the common deal types, the terms to read before you sign, and how to pick the model that fits your audience.
The four common deal types
CPA (cost per acquisition)
You get a fixed amount for each new client who meets the broker’s qualification rules, usually a first deposit above a minimum plus some trading activity. CPA pays quickly and is easy to forecast. The catch is that you earn nothing from a client’s later activity, no matter how long they trade.
Revenue share
You receive a percentage of the net revenue the broker earns from your clients, typically from spreads and commissions, minus costs such as bonuses or chargebacks. Revenue share starts slowly but can pay for years if your clients keep trading. It also means you share the broker’s risk: if a client wins big, net revenue for that month can be low or negative.
Hybrid
A smaller CPA plus a smaller revenue share. Hybrid deals smooth out cash flow and are often the best starting point when you do not yet know how your traffic behaves after the first deposit.
Lot-based rebates (IB deals)
Common for introducing brokers and trading communities. You earn a fixed amount per lot your clients trade. It rewards active traders and is easy to check against client activity, but it pays little for clients who deposit and trade rarely.
Which model fits which traffic
| Traffic type | Typical fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Paid ads, broad audiences | CPA | Quality varies; you need fast payback to fund the next campaign. |
| SEO content, reviews, education | Revenue share or hybrid | Readers research before signing up and tend to stay longer. |
| Signal groups, communities, coaches | Lot rebates or revenue share | Members trade actively and follow along, so volume is high. |
| New site, unknown client quality | Hybrid | Some income now, upside later, and data to negotiate with. |
The terms that decide what you actually earn
- Qualification criteria. Minimum deposit, minimum number of trades or volume, and the time window to reach them. A high CPA with strict criteria can pay less than a modest CPA with easy ones.
- Country tiers. Payouts often differ by client country. Check that the countries your traffic comes from are in the tier you were quoted.
- Negative carryover. On revenue share, ask whether a negative month is carried into the next one. “No negative carryover” protects you from a single large client win wiping out several months.
- Lifetime or limited. Some revenue share deals end after 12 or 24 months. Lifetime deals are worth more for long-term traffic.
- Payment terms. Monthly or weekly, minimum payout, and how many days after month-end you are paid.
- Duplicate and fraud rules. How the broker handles clients who already had an account, used a VPN or registered through several partners.
- Tracking. Whether the program supports server-to-server postbacks, so you can verify conversions independently. See Pixel vs S2S postback tracking for why this matters.
A simple example
Imagine an affiliate refers 20 qualified clients a month. These numbers are illustrative only; real values vary widely by broker, country and product.
- CPA: 20 clients × $400 = $8,000 once.
- Revenue share: say each client generates $60 in net revenue per month and you receive 30%. That is $360 per month for the cohort in month one. If most clients keep trading, the monthly amount grows as new cohorts are added, and after a year it can exceed the CPA total. If they stop after a few weeks, CPA would have been better.
- Hybrid: 20 × $200 = $4,000 now, plus 15% revenue share, roughly $180 per month for this cohort.
The right choice depends on one question you can only answer with data: how long do your clients keep trading?
Regulation shapes the deals
In the EU, the UK and other regulated markets, brokers offering CFDs to retail clients must follow strict marketing rules, including standard risk warnings, and in the EU they cannot offer retail clients trading bonuses. Affiliate agreements usually pass these duties on to you. This is one reason deals for regulated markets are structured differently from offshore offers, and why a slightly lower payout from a well-regulated broker can be the safer long-term choice. Read the marketing guidelines in your agreement as carefully as the payout table.
How to negotiate a better deal
- Bring data. Deposit amounts, how many clients are still active after three months, and trading volume. Account managers can approve better terms when they see quality.
- Ask for tiers. Higher CPA or revenue share percentage once you pass a monthly volume.
- Start with a test period. Agree on a review after 60 or 90 days with the option to switch models.
- Compare the full package. Payment speed, tracking quality, landing pages in your language and a responsive manager are worth real money.
Negotiating deals is a core part of what we do for our partners. If you want to know what your traffic should be earning, see our services, read how we monetise forex traffic, or talk to us.
