# Turn on your affiliate programme

> Turn on affiliates, set your default commission and payout rules, then turn on affiliates for each form that you want promoted.
>
> Source: https://docs.bcl.my/enable-affiliates/

An affiliate programme lets other people promote your forms with their own link and earn a commission on each sale. You turn it on once for your account, set the default commission, and then choose which forms affiliates can promote.

## Switch on the programme

You need the Admin or Super Admin role to change these settings.

1. In the sidebar, go to **Affiliate** → **Settings**.

   *(Screenshot: The Affiliate menu in the BCL sidebar, with Settings highlighted)*

2. On the **Affiliate Settings** tab, under **Global Settings**, turn on **Enable Affiliate Program**.

   *(Screenshot: The Global Settings box with the Enable Affiliate Program switch turned on and highlighted)*

3. Optional: turn on **Private Affiliate Program** so only people with your invitation link can join. You can also turn on **Require Manual Approval** so new affiliates stay pending until you approve them.

   *(Screenshot: The Private Affiliate Program and Require Manual Approval switches highlighted)*

4. Under **Affiliate Program Link**, click **Copy** on the **Sign-up link** to share with new affiliates. The **Sign-in link** is for people who already have an affiliate account.

   *(Screenshot: The Affiliate Program Link box with the Sign-up link and its Copy button highlighted)*

5. Under **Tracking Settings**, set **Cookie Expiration Days**, the number of days after a click that a sale still counts. Turn on **Direct Link Attribution** instead to count only the sales made straight from the link.

   *(Screenshot: Tracking Settings with Cookie Expiration Days and Direct Link Attribution highlighted)*

6. Under **Additional Settings**, choose the **Commission Base Amount**, the amount the commission is worked out on:

   | Option | Commission is worked out on |
   | --- | --- |
   | **Total Amount (includes shipping, tax, fees, coupon)** | What the customer paid in total |
   | **Subtotal After Coupon (excludes shipping, tax, fees)** | The items' price after the coupon discount |
   | **Subtotal Before Coupon (excludes shipping, tax, fees)** | The items' full price, before the coupon discount |

   *(Screenshot: Additional Settings with the Commission Base Amount field highlighted)*

7. Under **Regular Affiliate Settings**, choose the **Commission Type** (**Flat Rate** or **Percentage**) and fill in the **Commission Rate**.

   *(Screenshot: Regular Affiliate Settings with Commission Type set to Percentage and a Commission Rate of 10)*

8. Under **Payout Settings**, set the **Minimum Payout Threshold** and the **Payout Schedule** (**Weekly** or **Monthly**), then click **Save Affiliate Settings**.

   *(Screenshot: Payout Settings and the Save Affiliate Settings button highlighted)*

The **Sign-up link** opens the **Create your affiliate account** page, where your affiliates register. See [Invite affiliates to join](/affiliate-sign-up/).

*(Screenshot: The public Create your affiliate account page that the Sign-up link opens)*

## Enable affiliates on a form

Affiliates see only the forms that have **Enable Affiliates** turned on. The **Affiliate Settings** section shows on payment, event and booking forms after you turn on the programme and save it. On a new payment form, **Enable Affiliates** is already on.

1. Open the form, for example under **Payments** → **Forms**, and click **Edit**.
2. Scroll to the **Affiliate Settings** section, directly above **Embed Code**, and turn on **Enable Affiliates**.

   *(Screenshot: The Affiliate Settings section of a payment form with Enable Affiliates highlighted)*

3. Optional: turn on **Show Affiliate Information** to show customers who referred them.
4. Optional: to pay a different rate on this form, turn on **Override Commission Settings**. Then choose the **Commission Type** and fill in the **Commission Rate**. BCL shows the **Global Rate** from your settings next to the field.

   *(Screenshot: Commission Settings on a form after turning on Override Commission Settings, with the Global Rate shown)*

5. Click **Update Form**.

You cannot turn on affiliates for a form that uses Direct Debit.

## Tips

A few things make the programme easier to run:

- **Switch forms on and off from the list.** When the programme is on, the **Payments** → **Forms** list has an **Affiliate** column. The column has a switch for each form, so you do not need to open every form.
- **Pay commission per item or across levels.** Forms with **Multiple Items** or **Items with Variations** can pay a rate on each item. See [Set commission per item](/per-item-commission/). To reward affiliates for people they recruit, see [Multi-tier commission](/multi-tier-commission/).
- **Keep the threshold realistic.** Affiliates can request a payout only when their unpaid commission reaches the **Minimum Payout Threshold**. So a high threshold can make new affiliates wait for months.

## Common issues

### A customer bought through an affiliate link but the affiliate got no commission. What do I check?

Check that the link ends with the affiliate's ID, the affiliate is Active (not pending), and Enable Affiliates is on for that form. Free orders and forms that use Direct Debit earn no commission. If the sale is valid, add it under Affiliate → Referrals with Add Referral.

### I turned on Show Affiliate Information but the affiliate's name does not appear on the form.

Both Enable Affiliates and Show Affiliate Information must be on for the form, the affiliate must be active, and the link must contain their ID. Also check "Referred By" Display Control in the affiliate settings. If affiliates control it, check that the affiliate did not hide their name.

### Can I review affiliates before they start promoting?

Yes. Turn on Require Manual Approval. New affiliates join as pending and earn nothing until you approve them under Affiliate → Affiliates.