Automated payouts

Automated payouts mean the tool calculates what each affiliate or partner has earned and sends the money for you. It typically waits until the refund period has passed, checks a minimum balance and then pays through a connected service such as a payment platform or bank transfer. FirstPromoter, Partnerstack, Rewardful, Tapfiliate and Tolt are examples of tools with this feature.

Paying affiliates by hand is slow and easy to get wrong. A spreadsheet of what each person is owed, followed by many separate transfers, takes time every month and can lead to late or wrong payments, which makes partners lose trust. Automation helps once you have more than a handful of partners. If you have two or three, a manual monthly payment may be fine.

Payouts also bring paperwork. Depending on where partners live, you may need tax forms, invoices or VAT details, so a tool that helps with these saves effort.

• Which payout methods and countries are supported, and what are the fees and who pays them?
• Can you set a holding period for refunds and a minimum balance before payment?
• Does the tool collect tax forms or invoices from partners?
• Can you review and approve a payout batch before the money moves?