Minimum Cookie Lengths

[universal4]

Many of us know that cookie length that affiliate programs provide can affect conversions since visitors may visit a number of properties before making the decision to sign up.

The poll below should be answered by what you as an affiliate prefer as a minimum standard cookie length. We understand there are many variances to this and other factors to consider when evaluating affiliate programs, but this poll is meant to get a general feeling about the minimum lengths you prefer and to help raise awareness to how this can affect conversions.

Explain below some of the variances in cookie length you are willing to accept and other factors surrounding cookies. (A different poll will be posted concerning over writing of cookies)

Rick
Universal4

[JackTenSuited]

As a player I don't often signup impulsively, I may signup a week later so theres no reason that affiliate shouldn't be credited.
I think 30 days is fair, I never send traffic to sites with session only cookies like paddy power.

[sweetbet]

A minimum of 30 days is fair enough. And of course, the longer, the better. Session cookies are not exactly affiliate friendly since the potential player can return for a second look by typing in the domain name. And walla, the casino can now keep 100% of the profit.

[Anthony]

I prefer 30 day cookie length.

(Here is a little derail just for Rick) I also prefer cookies that are overwritten and the latest referrer receives credit for the player.

[wettFORM.AT]

I think more important than the cookie time itself is the type of the cookie. (first click count, last click count)
In my option the fairest option is the last click count option because this is the click that refers the player. A long cookie time only helps you when the player clicks on your banner and then stops to visit other pages during the next weeks and then makes the registration but this is not the case. So I am fine with 7 days cookie time when last click counts.

[F-L-C]

I think 30 days is fairest although I would accept a minimum of 14 if the program is good. Last click is fairest and I thought most programs operated this way, perhaps we could have a separate thread of first click programs?

[thebookiesoffers]

never even check

[mobilcasino]

My 5 cents on the matter.

Minimum 30 days, but the credit could be split after 2 weeks.

Sign up before 2 weeks = 100% credit to first click
Sign up after 2 weeks = 50/50 spilt between first and last click.

That's my 5 cents

[Rostick]

Session cookie - no way. That`s why I don`t promote Paddy Power, though I love them.

3 days - reluctantly, but it's good to have bookies like William Hill working with you. Only for the best of the best.

The bookies I promote the most generally have 14+ days cookies.

If you want to raise awareness, I think this link would fit very well
https://www.gpwa.org/forum/cookie-mo...cookie+monster

[justbookies]

cookie length is one of the most important factors. A session cookie probably halves your percentage on net revenue because of half the referred players being lost. So if you are on a session cookie and 30% rev share, for that read actually 15%. Would you sign up for a firm offering 15% rev share on a 30-day cookie? No. So why sign up for 30% on a session cookie? It is the same thing.

This is used by firms as a back-door way to shamelously shave affiliates. Affiliates need to keep the pressure up on this issue or face losing great chunks of what should have been their future income. The ****** mexos software is on 72 hours, which is pretty disgraceful too. Lots of reasons to avoid mexos companies. They should all be 30 days, though I dont start worrying about the consequences of losing referrals because of it until a cookie is less than 14 days.

[RacingJim]

I promote them all in different ways, but the ones with longer cookie lengths get massively prioritised.

Any company that doesn't recognise the value of the affiliate model is living in the dark ages. I believe this is the case for the session cookie and 3 day types.

[justbookies]

Any company that doesn't recognise the value of the affiliate model is living in the dark ages.

sums it up nicely

[Azureus]

Thanks a lot for the list Rostick!!!

I never investigated this and only knew that Unibet has session-only cookie which is a f***ing joke. I didn't check the other programs but some convert better and some worse and I'm pretty sure that A BIG part of this is influenced by the cookie lengths.

[webanalysissolutions]

Cookie length is key, yet the lesser converting brands still seem to insist on business strategies that come no where near competing with the big brands out there who provide 30+ day cookies. The smaller brands survive by spamming thousands of affiliates and hoping that they'll hook a few good affiliates into advertising them without seeing the poor terms and conditions under the hood of the affiliate program.

Check your program terms, drop the bad guys. If we all did this the poorer programs would have to compete or drop out of the affiliate market.

[justbookies]

Cookie length is key, yet the lesser converting brands still seem to insist on business strategies that come no where near competing with the big brands out there who provide 30+ day cookies.

Unfortunately there are quite a few big brands with cookie lengths of 3 days and under - ladbrokes, hills, paddy power, all those awful companies using mexos - most of them are floated on stock exchange.

[webanalysissolutions]

Unfortunately there are quite a few big brands with cookie lengths of 3 days and under - ladbrokes, hills, paddy power, all those awful companies using mexos - most of them are floated on stock exchange.

Yep, and many affiliates have dropped these brands or refuse to advertise them due to poor conversion, primarily down to cookie length. Many won't advertise Paddy at all due to session cookie and no cross product. As for anyone based on Mexos, it's a blanket no for most savvy affiliates - too much negative history behind this system and owner company to trust it.

[ocreditor]

Minimum 30 days, below that its just a scam !!

[baldidiot]

Clearly stating the obvious here, but the longer the better...

30+ days is preferred, and I only work with a small number of programs with less than that. Afaik I don't currently promote any brands with that have a session cookie.

[555]

Would anyone drop a program here if the cookie length was only 1 day?

[universal4]

I would never join a program with a one day cookie length, nor the groups who have a session cookie.

Depending on the group and how long I have been promoting them and how much exposure I might have given them years ago, if I did not drop them I would most likely reduce their exposure.

Rick
Universal4