SaaS affiliate terms: cookie, clawback and payout
This post covers six terms an affiliate wants in writing: the cookie window, how long you pay, the hold, the payout day, the minimum and method, and the refund and fraud rule. The two tables show what nine programs state on most of them. Almost none state a refund rule, so that gets its own section. For rates, see what SaaS programs say they pay.
Three words carry the most weight. The cookie is the window that gives them credit for a sign-up. The clawback is money you take back after you have already paid it. The hold is the days you wait before paying a commission, so a refund can still reach it.
SaaS means software people pay for each month or year. An affiliate is someone who recommends your product and earns a commission, a cut of each sale they send.
We read the public pages of nine software and hosting programs on 28 October 2026 and put what they state into two tables. These are the nine programs we read; they are not a ranking or a full list. Check the live page before you copy a figure.
What cookie windows do SaaS programs state?
A cookie window is how many days after a click a sign-up still counts for the affiliate. Attribution is the rule that decides which affiliate gets credit for a sale. The table also shows how long each program says it pays. "Not stated" means the page is silent, not that no rule exists.
| Program | Cookie or attribution window it states | How long it pays |
|---|---|---|
| HubSpot | 180 days | "Up to one year" |
| Notion | "within 180 days" | "20% of year one revenue" (no period for payments) |
| Semrush | 120 days | Not stated |
| GetResponse | Earns a commission if a visitor returns and converts "within 90 days" | "12 months" |
| Kinsta (web hosting) | 60-day tracking cookie | "Lifetime monthly commissions" |
| Systeme.io | "No expiry" on attribution (a lifetime tag: the credit never lapses) | "Lifetime recurring" |
| Moosend | Not stated | "For as long as" the customer stays a paying customer |
| ActiveCampaign | Not stated | "Up to 12 months" in one section; "as long as you regularly refer new customers" in another |
| Hostinger (web hosting) | Not stated | Not stated |
Notion's page says it is not accepting new affiliates, so its figure describes a closed program. We found no cookie figure for Hostinger, Moosend or ActiveCampaign. We found no pay duration for Semrush or Hostinger, and Notion gives none beyond "20% of year one revenue".
Among the programs that state a window, the range is 60 days to lifetime, and most sit between 60 and 180 days. Nine pages cannot show a market norm. We claim none.
Notion words its 180 days as a rule about the sale ("within 180 days", paid on a last-click basis) rather than as a cookie. Semrush states a 120-day cookie life and uses last-click attribution. Last-click means the most recent link a buyer used gets the credit.
Our advice: start at 60 to 90 days if you run a trial. A trial plus a buying decision can run past a month. For the reasoning, see what cookie window a SaaS program should use.
What do these programs say about clawbacks?
A clawback happens when a customer asks for a refund after you paid the affiliate. You then ask a person to hand money back, which is an awkward conversation.
Of the nine pages we read, only Notion ties a clawback to refunds. If a user "receives a refund within the first 2 months of the subscription", it says it may "claw back the reward" or deduct it from future commissions.
We read the other eight pages and none states a refund rule. We also read two linked agreements on 28 October 2026. Neither names refunds in the sections we read.
HubSpot's Affiliate Program Agreement says payments "are subject to offset by us against any amounts owed by you to us". Moosend's affiliate terms reserve "our right to seek the return of any payment made for commissions". We did not read the network terms for Semrush or GetResponse.
Rewardful, a tool that tracks affiliate sales, describes the fix. Its default pending period is 30 days. It says to match that to your refund policy. If a refund comes after a commission is paid, you handle the overpayment by hand (Rewardful, read 28 October 2026).
When and how do they pay?
| Program | Payout timing it states | Minimum | Method it states |
|---|---|---|---|
| Systeme.io | Monthly, processed on the 10th | $30 | PayPal or wire transfer |
| GetResponse | Around the 13th of each month | Not stated | Not stated (page says it is partnered with PartnerStack, an affiliate network) |
| Semrush | Locks "27 days after the end of the month", pays 21 days after; unclear | Not stated | Electronic funds transfer or PayPal (program hosted on Impact, an affiliate network) |
| Moosend | Monthly | Not stated | PayPal or Stripe |
| HubSpot | Not stated | $10 minimum balance | Direct deposit or PayPal |
| Kinsta | "ready for the next monthly payout" | Not stated | Not stated |
| ActiveCampaign | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Hostinger | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Notion is left out: our read recorded no payout timing, minimum or method for it.
Monthly is the common pattern. Minimums, where stated, are small: $10 and $30. Systeme.io's page says "Terms as of April 2026" and to "confirm current payout minimums and schedule" in your dashboard.
Semrush states two numbers, 27 and 21 days after the month ends, and its wording is unclear. Either way, a sale can wait at least three weeks after that month ends. That is fair if it covers refunds. The affiliate should still know up front. Our view is that a published day beats a clever schedule.
A worked example with made-up numbers
These numbers are made up. Swap in your own. Let's say your plan costs $50 a month, your refund window is 30 days and you pay 20%. That is $10 for each payment.
| Day | What happens |
|---|---|
| 0 | The buyer clicks the affiliate's link. The cookie starts. |
| 20 | They start a 14-day trial. |
| 34 | The trial ends and they pay $50. The commission is $10. |
| 64 | The 30-day refund window ends. The hold is over. |
| Next payout day | You pay the $10. |
Rewardful calls the hold the pending period. Say the customer asks for a refund on day 40. You refund $50 and owe the affiliate nothing. You never ask for money back. Without a hold, you paid the $10 on the first payout day after day 34. You now need to reclaim it, or absorb the $10 and keep the relationship.
Also check the cookie. With a 14-day window, the trial on day 20 and the sale on day 34 both fall outside it, so the affiliate earns nothing. A 60-day window covers both. A short cookie plus a trial is one way a fair deal turns unfair.
Which six terms should you write down?
None of the pages we read states all six. That leaves affiliates guessing, so writing yours down is a small edge. Every figure below is our advice, not a benchmark.
- Cookie window. Start at 60 to 90 days if you run a trial.
- How long you pay. 12 months is the safest start, since extending later is easier than cutting a lifetime promise. See what to offer affiliates.
- Hold. Make it equal to your refund window. Refund in 30 days, hold for 30.
- Payout day. Pick one, for example the 15th for the previous month's sales, and keep to it.
- Minimum and method. A small minimum such as $10 to $30, paid by PayPal, Wise (a money transfer service) or bank transfer.
- Refund and fraud rule. Say what happens if a customer refunds after payment, and that you will not pay for sign-ups the affiliate made themselves.
For rates, read what SaaS programs say they pay. If you plan a ladder for top performers, see when to raise a top affiliate's rate. Coupon sites can also take credit for sales, so read how to stop them.
Where RecruitAffiliates.ai fits
Terms are only useful when someone reads them. Once your offer is written, you need people to send it to. Our guide to how to find affiliates for your SaaS covers where they are.
RecruitAffiliates.ai finds the people and sends the first email after you approve it. When someone joins, AffiliateRail, our sister product, tracks their sales and helps you pay commission.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good affiliate cookie duration for SaaS?
The programs we read state 60, 90, 120 and 180 days, and Systeme.io states a lifetime tag. Start at 60 to 90 days if you run a trial. Make it longer than your trial plus the time a buyer needs to decide, so a 14-day window fails a buyer who starts a trial on day 20.
What is a clawback in affiliate marketing?
A clawback is money you take back after you have already paid it. It happens when a referred customer refunds after the affiliate was paid. The cheapest fix is a hold that matches your refund window.
How long should I hold affiliate commission?
As long as your refund window. Rewardful's page says to match the pending period to your refund policy, and its default is 30 days.
How often should I pay affiliates?
Monthly is the pattern in the pages we read. Pick a day, publish it and keep to it.
Do I need a minimum payout?
Not required. The two programs that state one use $10 and $30. A small minimum saves you paying tiny amounts one by one.
Find people to offer your terms to
Try RecruitAffiliates.ai free. The 7-day trial includes 20 email lookups, and it needs no card.
Sources
All read on 28 October 2026. Check each page for its own date; we note one where it states it.
- HubSpot affiliate program
- Notion affiliate program (the page says it is not accepting new affiliates)
- Semrush affiliate program
- GetResponse affiliate program
- Kinsta affiliate program
- Systeme.io affiliate program (its page says terms are current as of April 2026)
- Moosend affiliate program
- ActiveCampaign affiliate program
- Hostinger affiliate program (read in full; it states no cookie, duration, payout or refund terms)
- HubSpot Affiliate Program Agreement
- Moosend affiliate terms
- Rewardful, automated refund handling