Attribution modeling dictates how affiliate commission revenue is divided across the multiple touchpoints an online consumer interacts with prior to completing a purchase.
1. Primary Attribution Models in Performance Marketing
| Attribution Model | Commission Distribution Formula | Best Use Case / Industry Alignment |
|---|---|---|
| Last-Touch / Last-Click | 100% credit to the final referring affiliate link clicked | Coupon / cash-back sites, final conversion triggers |
| First-Touch / First-Click | 100% credit to the introductory traffic source | Top-of-funnel brand discovery, technical guides, influencers |
| Linear Multi-Touch | Equal percentage across all recorded click touchpoints | Complex B2B SaaS software evaluation cycles |
| Time-Decay Attribution | Exponentially increases credit closer to the purchase event | Short consideration consumer ecommerce purchases |
| W-Shaped Attribution | 30% First Touch, 30% Lead Creation, 30% Opportunity, 10% Middle | High-ticket enterprise software and B2B affiliate networks |
2. The Coupon Hijacking Problem in Last-Touch Models
Traditional last-click attribution frequently penalizes in-depth editorial review sites when a consumer reads a 2,000-word tutorial, opens a new tab to find a discount code, and awards 100% of the commission to an unassociated coupon aggregator.