When a consumer clicks the affiliate link on the affiliate’s website, a cookie is stored in their device. This cookie allows the merchant to track the sale. Cookie also holds a specific expiration date (mostly 30 days) so the affiliate gets paid even if the buyer delays the purchase of the product.
Hi AJ, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I found the breakdown of the three different business models to be particularly helpful. Most affiliates often automatically assume Pay per sale is the only way to generate commissions, while a pay per lead model would be more profitable.

Affiliate marketing is an arrangement between two parties – the affiliate and the online retailer, whose products are promoted by the affiliate. The retailer pays a commission for traffic, or more commonly, for leads or sales generated by each referral from the affiliate.
I’ll be honest, starting in affiliate marketing was hard at first. I didn’t have any people to teach and guide me. But what made me learn a lot faster in this industry was because of Wealthy Affiliate. They give affiliate marketing training step by step and it’s very easy to follow even if you’re not tech-savvy (like I was 2 years ago).