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We’ve all been there.
You see a sudden spike in affiliate sales and feel that initial rush of success, only to realize later that the math just doesn't add up.
While cashback sites can be a great way to reach new shoppers, they often operate in a gray area that can quietly erode your profits if you aren't watching closely.
I’ve seen these patterns play out in my own programs more times than I’d like to admit. It’s frustrating, but it is part of the game.
The goal isn't to ban every cashback partner, but to make sure they are actually bringing value instead of just skimming off the top.
Here are four common ways these platforms might be hurting your business:
Brand Bidding: Always surprised that this still happens. Instead of using their internal traffic, partners bid on your brand name in search engines to get them to their cashback platform. You end up paying a commission for a customer who was already looking for your brand (and would have bought something anyway.
The Coupon "Side Business": This one is a major pet peeve of mine. A site sells itself to you as a pure cashback partner, but then you find a massive coupon section on their homepage. It gets even messier when their browser extension has a built-in coupon injector.
They aren't just giving cash back; they are actively hunting for your private codes, hurting your profit margins.Extension Attribution Hijacking: This is the "last-second" grab. A browser tool detects a user is already in your checkout, shows you there is a cashback available and hopes you click on it.
It’s essentially stealing credit for a sale you already had in the bag.Cookie Stuffing: This is the invisible "dark art." It involves dropping tracking cookies in the background without any user interaction or actual click.
In the below example, you’ll see someone checking out in less than 13 seconds, which raises suspicion. Especially on a larger scale.
How I Handle the Cleanup
In my experience, being prepared is your only real defense.
I always try to have a quick chat with a cashback partner before clicking "approve." It sets the expectations early and stops them from using the "I didn't know that was against the rules" excuse later on.
In my weekly workflow, I’m constantly looking for those "too good to be true" conversion rates or orders that happen within seconds of a click.
I use tools like Marcode’s extension scanner and brand bidding tools to keep an eye on the landscape without it taking up my entire day. When we catch something off, we act fast to revert the commission and fix the damage. It’s all about protecting your marketing spend.
However, while those tools handle the obvious stuff, cookie stuffing remains a real challenge. I’m always looking to sharpen my toolkit to make my detections even more evidence based and automated.
So if you know if any great tool, feel free to reach out!
The Bottom Line: Cashback sites aren't the enemy, but they do need clear boundaries. If you have solid T&Cs and keep a close eye on the data, you can keep the "bad" apples out and focus on the partners who actually help you scale.
I’m planning to share more of these insights moving forward. In fact, I’m shifting gears with this newsletter: you’ll be hearing from me weekly now, which is a big jump from my previous (not even close to) monthly schedule.
Want to see what I've covered previously? You can find all my past posts in the archives.
See you next week!
P.S. If you’re worried about brand bidding or those coupon injectors, I’m happy to help. I use some solid tools for this and can give you an introduction to the teams behind them. Just reply to this email and I’m happy to make the connection.
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