When designing and planning out your campaigns in affiliate marketing, you need not only proper creatives or approaches but also the right payout model. In a nutshell, affiliates can choose between fixed income and percentage-based payouts: Cost Per Action (CPA) vs. RevShare.
Let’s compare these two payout models and provide a guideline on when to pick one or the other. But before all that, we need to start with the basics and then examine the pros and cons of CPA and RevShare. Since CPA is a complex term, uniting a myriad of submodels, it would be easier to start with RevShare.
How RevShare Works
RevShare is the default model when working with PIN-UP Partners, offering regular payouts. With PIN-UP Partners, the affiliate earns 40% of the advertiser’s Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) for every new client and their recurring deposits. In addition, the affiliate can opt for RevShare+, which can boost their rate up to 50%, provided that quality traffic runs non-stop.
RevShare income depends not only on the players’ activity; the terms and conditions of the platform affect it too. The thing is, payouts are typically made only after deducting the admin fee. Depending on the affiliate program, these administrative and managerial costs can include anything. With PIN-UP Partners, however, the formula on how to calculate the affiliate’s payout is always available to you:
((SUMbet — SUMwin) * Y — (SUMdep * K)) * RSrate
Y — commission to the game’s providers (10%)
K — commission to payment systems (10%; exception: 15% for UA)
SUMbet — amount of all bets
SUMwin — amount of player wins
SUMdep — amount of all deposits made by a player
RSrate — RevShare percentage (40%)
Go for RevShare if any of the following applies to you:
- You have experience working on CPA in iGaming and would like to increase your income in the long run
- Your specialization requires you to have thematic social groups with loyal audiences (social media communities, YouTube, Telegram, etc.).
- Alternatively, you’re a SEO specialist and know how to generate search traffic
- You are confident in the quality of your traffic and regular player bets
- You have financial stability and can afford to wait for several months before making a profit
- You can take extra risks to start making a passive income
Advantages and Disadvantages of RevShare
Before jumping into it, make sure to heed the pros and cons of RevShare and see if it truly fits your campaign.
| Pros: | Cons: |
| ✅ Higher profit from high rollers ✅ Mathematical expectation is on your side ✅ You can make income on the already stopped campaigns ✅ Wide variety of traffic sources (When working with PIN-UP Partners): ✅ Lifetime RevShare ✅ The negative balance doesn’t carry over ✅ Transparent payment calculation ✅ Comprehensive statistics in the dashboard ✅ Extra LTV support from the advertiser (promo, sales, calls, push, SMS) | ❌ Sometimes players win, which means you won’t get paid ❌ Some Affiliate Programs carry over a negative balance ❌ Some Affiliate Programs limit lead attribution time ❌ Some Affiliate Programs limit how much the player can spend ❌ Income grows with delays, sometimes up to 8–10 months ❌ Income depends on the player’s bets, which means it’s harder to predict ❌ The need to watch out for scheme traffic and turn it off ❌ Accounting issues in large media buying teams |
Do you feel like you should try out RevShare? Register at PIN-UP Partners and make money with our Affiliate Program; fair terms & conditions, years of experience, a plethora of payment methods, and all-around support — we go the extra mile to make your campaigns profitable.
No need to fret if the drawbacks outweigh the positives. PIN-UP Partners offers the CPA model, which might be just what you’re looking for.
How CPA Works
Sometimes, though, you might prefer a one-time payout of a fixed amount. Various verticals offer such payout models as Cost Per Lead (CPL), Single Opt-In (SOI), Double Opt-In (DOI), Cost Per Sale (CPS), Cost Per View (CPV), and Cost Per Install (CPI). All these models are under one umbrella term: Cost Per Action (CPA).
CPA pays out for a specific target action, which, in the world of iGaming, can be:
- Making a deposit
- So-called Baseline (FTD for a certain amount (e.g., $50)
- More specific KPIs, like a rake in poker
Remember, you need to provide info and stats before being able to access the CPA payout model. Also, to qualify for CPA with PIN-UP Partners, you need to keep in mind that there is a KPI put in place. Specifically, the number of recurring deposits must be higher than the number of FTDs. Additionally, the sum of all stakes for the period must exceed threefold the sum of all FTDs.
Make sure that you pay close attention to the terms and conditions of the affiliate program to know what you are paid for. When working by CPA, you need to accomplish a target action, or no money will be paid, even if the player is a high roller.
By definition, CPA offers a lower payout compared to a proper RevShare in the long run. However, CPA serves as financial security, granting payouts even if the player doesn’t play much or the advertiser faces financial difficulties.
But in order to fulfill our CPA payments, PIN-UP Partners needs to first assess the quality of your traffic. That’s why initially CPA and Hybrid models are locked; you ought to discuss the campaign details with your account manager before unlocking them. Specifically, you will be required to provide your list of potential traffic sources and their related statistics.
CPA is a fast way of making money, but you need to keep the campaigns up and running. This model is more predictable in terms of payments than RevShare, but lead approval takes longer — at least 14 days. Nonetheless, PIN-UP Partners is always open to negotiations and ready to cater to your needs.
Advantages and Disadvantages of CPA
In a nutshell, CPA’s pros and cons are opposite to the RevShare ones:
| Pros: | Cons: |
| ✅ Predictable income ✅ Quick ROI ✅ Stable payouts no matter how users perform ✅ People are prone to try out casino games ✅ Simpler accounting in large media buying teams ✅ Serves as financial security when testing new sources | ❌ The profit is short-term ❌ You cannot turn it into passive income ❌ Stricter moderation to ensure traffic quality ❌ High cost of opportunity on high rollers ❌ In case of disputes, it might be harder to prove the quality of traffic ❌ KPIs tend to have more conditions |
Cost Per Action (CPA) offers quicker ROI. This model is easier to begin with, whether you only start your affiliate marketing journey or switch to another vertical. CPA simplifies accounting and improves financial stability.
RevShare vs. CPA Comparison
Take a look at the comparison table below to ease your choice between RevShare and CPA.
| Model | RevShare | CPA |
| Definition | % from the advertiser’s Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) | Fixed commission for a target action |
| Reward | Percentage of the advertiser’s revenue | Fixed rate |
| Stability of income | Unstable: correlates positively with the player’s deposits and negatively with their winnings | Stable: the payout rate is established beforehand and is paid for every approved lead |
| ROI time | 6–12 months | After meeting the KPIs (2 weeks at least) |
| Examples of rates | 40%, 30–50%, depending on traffic’s volume | $100 for FTD |
| Flexibility of the Model | Flexible: the best case studies are made on RevShare | Inflexible: limited income for improved stability |
| Recommendations | For professionals with their own audience and large budgets | For beginners with financial limitations and without established sources |
Picking the Right Payout Model with PIN-UP Partners
When choosing a payout model, it is best to be honest with yourself. Even if you’re a seasoned marketer, it’s better to go with CPA, especially if you are new to such a vertical as iGaming. This way, you will protect your budget from financial risks, learn the ropes of the vertical, and get to know what will work best in your case.
Sometimes your budget won’t be able to support long-term investments, and this is when CPA shines and generates a quicker ROI for future reinvestment.
Remember, with PIN-UP Partners you’re not pigeonholed into one or another model. Try out our Hybrid model, which combines the advantages of both approaches. This is an ideal pick if you feel handicapped by CPA but are not ready to embrace RevShare just yet.
Of course, RevShare offers better income opportunities, even when your campaigns are inactive. Moreover, the range of allowed traffic sources is also wider, because CPA is more risky for the advertiser.
One condition, though, still applies: we do not accept brand traffic by RevShare. But this source is acceptable for the CPA model.
Conclusion
CPA is known for having better predictability; while the traffic runs, you get paid, provided all the KPIs are met. Also, fixed payouts make accounting easier. Coupled with the fact that you earn them twice a month, you keep your finances readily available for reinvestment.
However, if you’re experienced in iGaming, patient enough, and confident in your marketing approaches, RevShare drawbacks become irrelevant.
For those of you who feel experienced but not quite ready for RevShare, stick to our Hybrid model, where the pros of CPA and RevShare intertwine. If you’d rather maximize your income and are industrious, go for RevShare+, which grants up to 50% of the advertiser’s GGR. But you need to keep traffic flowing (just like in the case of CPA) or your income will drop.
FAQ
In this section of the article, you will find answers to some frequently asked questions:
Which model should I choose as a beginner?
Cost Per Action (CPA) is the best pick for beginners 99% of the time. It boasts stable payouts, both in terms of volume and frequency.
CPA grants first earnings quicker, which inspires beginners to push forward and learn more about the industry. Gradually, with more experience and budget, consider switching to Hybrid.
How does the model I picked affect my income?
A proper model, especially in iGaming, helps either maximize one’s gains from active players or protect oneself from financial losses during lead acquisition. It all boils down to the affiliate’s experience and personal preferences.
Remember to communicate with your account manager, who will help develop the best promotional strategy for you.
What can PIN-UP Partners recommend for different types of traffic?
In case you are not certain about the quality of traffic or its stability, pick CPA.
Now, if you deal with diverse and exotic sources, then RevShare is a better choice thanks to simpler KPIs. It is also the best model for organic traffic.
One thing to note, though, is that we do not accept brand bidding on RevShare. Other than that, we are always open to mutually beneficial cooperation. Register on PIN-UP Partners and let’s get to work.
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