Should affiliate cookies be over-writeable?

[universal4]

This poll and following discussion is based around visitor cookies placed on a visitor's computer when following an affiliate link to the program's property.

For those programs that use a cookie, if a visior returns to the property and signs up later the casino or other property will often read the cookie to see which affiliate gets credit.

Affiliate credit is often based upon #1: Cookie Length (different poll) #2 Whether Cookie is overwriteable by last visit.

Rick
Universal4

To clarify:
If the cookie is over-written, the player's computer will contain a cookie by the second affiliate that sends the visitor, if the cookie is not over-written, the first affiliate to have sent the visitor to the property gets credit for the sale up until the time frame the cookie expires.

[wettFORM.AT]

I abolutely prefer cookies with last click count. This is the fairest option. Anyway you would need more statistic material to say which option is better for yourself because you could be the first click affiliate in many cases. But this is something we will never know. Because of this I voted for I prefer those cookies but if the program is good I would accept the other option as well.

[p.arena]

Interesting topic Rick, I've seen some discussions on this on GPWA in the past but will be interested to see what the results are of the poll.

From our point of view, we went with the over-writeable cookies so that the last click counts.

It seems like the fairest option for affiliates. Comparing it to another area such as a retail shop assistant, if one of the staff members offers to help a customer and they leave the shop without buying anything, and then 2 weeks later the same customer returns and the person serving them is really helpful and sells them a truckload of items, which one of them deserves the commission in that case? the one that didn't close the deal or the one that got the results in the end?

Be interested to see the reasoning for those voting the opposite though.

[universal4]

Excellent analogy Peter,

Yes we have discussed this many times here, but it has been a while and there is a much longer list of programs that have shorter cookie times as well as a long list of new affiliates that may not understand how the cookie works.

Rick
Universal4

[RacingJim]

Agreed very good analogy Peter and sums up my thoughts on the issue.

[p.arena]

Thanks, although thinking about it again from an affiliate perspective it would be a more accurate analogy if the customer went to an entirely different store to make the purchase, and still gave the commission to the first guy from the other store where the customer took a look around and left empty handed.

Also if an affiliate asks a friend to sign up through their link, I'd image it would be a shock to log in to their account and see no signup being recorded despite them directly being responsible for the referral and that someone else gets credited.