Summary
What an affiliate programme costs depends less on a price tag than on the model. There are four cost items: set-up, a monthly platform fee, a network fee on commissions and the effort of managing the programme. This article lays out each item, works through an example with 50,000 euros of sales and shows what to check when you compare providers. Every external figure carries a source and a date. Our own calculations are marked as examples.
How much does an affiliate programme cost?
An affiliate programme has up to four cost items: a one-off set-up fee, a monthly platform fee, a network fee on the commissions actually paid, and the time it takes to run it. On top comes the commission itself, which you pay publishers. Not every network charges every item, and some waive set-up and platform fees entirely.
The commission is the real advertising spend, because it is only due when a sale happens. The other items pay for technology, access to publishers and reporting. When you compare offers, always work out the total cost as a percentage of sales rather than looking at the platform fee alone.
What are the cost items in detail?
The German consultancy sendschafter describes four items and gives ranges for large networks [1]. These are guide values. Providers change prices and often quote them only on request. The figures below are in euros as quoted by the source.
| Item | What it covers | Range according to sendschafter [1] |
|---|---|---|
| Set-up (one-off) | Building the programme and tracking | about 500 to 5,000 euros, some networks charge nothing |
| Monthly platform fee | Platform rental, independent of sales | typically 150 to 500 euros, sometimes zero |
| Network fee | Mark-up on commissions paid to publishers | around 30 per cent as a starting value, negotiable at higher volume |
| Management | Network package, agency or your own working time | usually the largest item, per sendschafter |
In retail, commission usually sits between 5 and 12 per cent according to the same source [1]. It depends heavily on your margin and sector, so treat it as a starting point.
What do UK networks charge in practice?
Few providers publish prices. On its UK advertiser page, Awin lists the Access plan at 99 pounds a month plus a 3.5 per cent tracking fee on each successful transaction, and Accelerate from 199 pounds a month plus 2.5 per cent, all excluding VAT [2]. Awin states there is no joining fee, while a one-off integration fee may apply depending on the plan [2]. These are prices in pounds for the UK market.
The agency Why Matters worked through the Access plan in an article updated on 15 October 2026: on 10,000 pounds of affiliate sales with 15 per cent commission, the commission is 1,500 pounds, the tracking fee 350 pounds and the platform fee 99 pounds, a total of 1,949 pounds or 19.5 per cent of affiliate sales before VAT [3]. The same article notes that the US Shopify page of the provider lists different dollar prices, so UK brands should check the UK pages [3]. Other networks, including Tradedoubler and CJ, do not publish prices according to sendschafter [1].
How does selecdoo structure its costs?
On Starter you pay 0 euros platform fee per month. You place a 500 euro deposit at the start, which is offset against your commissions, so it is not a fee. A network fee of 30 per cent applies to the commissions actually paid. You set the commission yourself, and it is calculated on the net basket. Tracking runs through a tracking pixel or the Shopify app. selecdoo is now opening to UK brands, and prices are billed in EUR.
If you want more support, Growth costs 859 euros a month and Scale 1,379 euros a month, each plus the network fee, billed in EUR. You can cancel with four weeks' notice to the end of a quarter. Access is through curated publishers.
What does 50,000 euros of sales cost?
An example shows how the items add up. Assume publishers bring 50,000 euros of net basket sales in a month and you pay 10 per cent commission. This is an illustrative calculation, not a forecast or an industry figure.
| Item | Starter at selecdoo | Network with a platform fee (example values) |
|---|---|---|
| Commission (10% of 50,000 euros) | 5,000 euros | 5,000 euros |
| Network fee (30% of commission) | 1,500 euros | 1,500 euros |
| Platform fee | 0 euros | e.g. 300 euros |
| Total | 6,500 euros | 6,800 euros |
| Share of sales | 13% | 13.6% |
The right-hand column uses an assumed platform fee of 300 euros from the sendschafter range and leaves out set-up and management [1]. On Starter, the 500 euro deposit is offset once against the first commissions, so it does not raise the total. sendschafter itself calculates 13 per cent total cost for a fee-free network at 50,000 euros of sales and 10 per cent commission [1].
When does a network without a platform fee make sense?
At low volume, fixed costs weigh heavily. A sendschafter example shows total costs of just over 21 per cent at 50,000 euros of sales on a network with fees, against 13 per cent without them. At 1,000,000 euros of sales the same calculation gives 13.4 per cent [1]. The larger the volume, the less fixed costs matter.
sendschafter recommends a fee-free network when you expect under 100,000 euros of sales in year one, and warns that affiliate rarely pays off with margins below about 20 per cent [1]. That is the source's judgement rather than a fixed rule, so check your own margin.
How much work does a programme take?
Money is not the only effort. sendschafter plans for 8 to 15 hours a week of management in the early phase [1]. That covers recruiting publishers, answering questions, agreeing promotions and checking statements. Include that time when you compare offers. It is paid for in agency and service fees, or by your own working time if you run it yourself.
Which costs are easy to miss?
Four points are often overlooked: a one-off integration fee for tracking, minimum terms, prices in a foreign currency excluding VAT, and the handling of cancelled orders. Awin lists a three-month minimum term for Access and 14 days' notice afterwards [2]. These are examples of how differently contracts are built.
For cancellations and returns, ask whether commissions already paid are clawed back or offset against later payments, and ask before you sign. A commission on the net basket, meaning without shipping and VAT, keeps the maths clean and avoids disputes over money you never received.
How do costs relate to your margin?
Total costs can be no higher than what you can afford to spend acquiring a new customer. Work backwards: how much margin is left after cost of goods, shipping and returns, and what share of it can you give away for a new customer? If commission plus network fee exceeds that limit, the channel does not pay off even with low fixed costs.
A simple test helps. Express commission plus all fees as a percentage of sales and compare it with what a new customer costs you through paid ads. Why Matters compares affiliate commission plus fees of 18.5 per cent of each sale with just under 67 pence of ad spend per pound of revenue on Meta, based on a ROAS just above 1.5 for its own clients, and recommends 15 to 20 per cent commission on first-time customers only [3]. That is one agency's client data, so replace it with your own numbers. sendschafter suggests checking after six months whether new customers make up at least 40 per cent of attributed orders, and cutting commission for existing customers if not [1].
Conclusion
An affiliate programme costs more than the commission: set-up, platform fee, network fee and management all belong in the calculation. At small volume the platform fee often decides, at large volume the network fee. Calculate with your own numbers and get offers in writing. You can see how costs are built at selecdoo on the pricing page with Starter, Growth and Scale. You can start free or work through what suits your brand in a Discovery Call. This article is not tax or legal advice.
Sources
- sendschafter (August 2026, date per URL 20 August 2026): Lohnen sich Affiliate-Netzwerke? Anbieterübersicht, Kosten und die To-dos vor dem Start (in German)
- Awin UK (accessed 4 November 2026, prices in GBP excluding VAT): Frequently Asked Questions
- Why Matters (15 October 2026): Awin for Shopify Brands: Costs, Setup and Commission Rates
Note: All sources were accessed on 4 November 2026. Third-party prices can change, so the provider's current offer is what counts. The figures in the example calculation are assumed.