Short answer Pick a platform that fits your business model (DTC product store vs. digital/SaaS vs. marketplace), plugs into your tech stack, gives reliable tracking & fraud protection, and has pricing that keeps your unit economics healthy. Use a 30–60 day pilot with real affiliates before committing long-term.

How to decide — a simple 6-step framework

1. Define what “success” looks like

• Target CPA / ROAS, average order value (AOV), lifetime value (LTV), and the types of affiliates you want (content creators, influencers, coupon sites, referrals, publishers).

2. Match product + channel fit

• High-AOV physical goods: networks & platforms with creator/influencer marketplaces and branded affiliate portals.
• Low-AOV, high-margin or subscription products: look for platforms that support recurring commissions and Stripe/Paddle integrations.

3. Check technical fit and ease of integration

• Does the platform have an official plugin for your store (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento)?
• Are there webhooks / APIs if you need custom attribution or CRM sync?

4. Validate tracking, attribution, and fraud controls

• What tracking method (first-party cookies, server-to-server postbacks, pixel-based, or hybrid)?
• Attribution window length and how it handles returns/refunds.
• Built-in fraud detection or third‑party integrations.

5. Understand costs and payments

• Monthly fees vs. per-transaction tracking fees vs. network commissions.
• Payout timing and minimums (for you and for affiliates).
• Any onboarding, setup, or chargeback fees.

6. Service, scale, and data ownership

• Support SLA, access to a marketplace of affiliates, reporting granularity, and whether you own your affiliate list and conversion data.

Key questions to ask any vendor (use this checklist with demos)

• Do you have a native integration with my e‑commerce platform? (Shopify/WooCommerce/BigCommerce/etc.)
• How is tracking performed and where is the conversion recorded? How do you handle returns/refunds?
• What attribution windows and multi-touch options do you offer?
• What fraud-prevention features exist (and can I see examples/reports)?
• What are all fees (monthly, per-conversion, gateway or payout fees)?
• How/when are payouts made to affiliates? What’s the minimum?
• Do you offer an affiliate marketplace or discovery channels?
• What data/analytics and export options are available? Can I get raw conversion/webhook data?
• Who “owns” the affiliate relationships and contact info?
• Are you GDPR/CCPA compliant? Do you support VAT or local tax requirements?

Shortlist of platform types and when to pick them (examples)

• Shopify-focused, easy & cost-effective for DTC brands: UpPromote — good if you want a Shopify‑native app and a market to recruit affiliates. (linkedin.com)
• Good all-around SaaS for DTC & influencer programs: Refersion — strong Shopify/WooCommerce/BigCommerce integrations, branded affiliate portals and marketplace features. Good when you want a turnkey DTC solution. (searchenginejournal.com)
• Plug-and-play networks with many publishers/brands: Awin — good if you want access to a large, vetted publisher pool and reliable payments; note Awin’s advertiser tier options like Awin Access with fixed fees plus a tracking fee. (Useful for scaling into many affiliates quickly.) (authorityhacker.com, awin.com)
• Flexible SaaS / mid-market: Tapfiliate — multi-platform integrations, real-time tracking and a focus on flexible commission structures for growing stores. (cotocus.com)
• Enterprise / scalable performance networks with fraud controls: Scaleo and Affise-style platforms — choose these if you need advanced analytics, API-first workflows, and stronger anti-fraud tools at scale. (scaleo.io)

(Those examples are to illustrate types; run a short platform demo checklist against your store before choosing.)

Pricing & economics — what to watch for

• Monthly vs. variable fees: Some providers charge only monthly SaaS fees; networks often add per-transaction tracking fees or take a cut.
• Hidden costs: setup, white-label, API access, sandbox/environment fees, payout processing (PayPal/ACH) or chargeback handling.
• Commission structure: fixed-per-sale vs. percentage vs. tiered/bonus. Model commission + platform fees into your target CPA before you launch.

Implementation & launch checklist (practical steps)

• Run a short pilot (30–60 days) with a small group of affiliates to validate tracking, attribution windows, and CPA outcomes.
• Use promo codes and unique links to cross-check tracking accuracy.
• Define return/refund policy for affiliates and ensure platform supports negative adjustments.
• Prepare an affiliate welcome package: creatives, product assets, conversion tips, brand guidelines.
• Set clear rules for fraud, cookie-stuffing, and disallowed tactics; monitor early and adjust.

KPIs to measure during the pilot

• Conversion rate and average order value (by affiliate).
• Cost per acquisition (CPA) and return on ad spend (ROAS) attributable to affiliates.
• New vs. returning customer ratio and 30/60/90‑day LTV from affiliate traffic.
• Time-to-first-payout and rate of disputed/refunded commissions.

Fraud, compliance and legal

• Require FTC disclosures for affiliates (clear requirement in U.S.).
• Make sure platform enforces anti-fraud measures (click fraud, cookie stuffing) and allows negative commission adjustments for returns.
• Check privacy compliance (GDPR/CCPA), cookie consent compatibility, and how first-party tracking is handled.

Next steps I recommend (fast)

1. Pick 2–3 finalists that integrate natively with your platform. 2) Run a 30–60 day paid pilot with a few affiliates (use promo codes + links). 3) Compare true CPA and integration reliability, then scale the winner.

If you want, tell me your platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Shopify Plus, etc.) and your AOV/target CPA and I’ll shortlist the 2–3 platforms that most often fit that exact profile and give a one‑page implementation plan. (I can also prepare a vendor questionnaire you can send to each platform.)