Are your affiliate receivables under better control now than they were a year ago?

[MichaelCorfman]

Getting paid as an affiliate is not always easy. Many programs pay promptly through payment methods we use - affiliates love that. It is a cornerstone of a solid relationship. But it is not always that simple. There are frequently payment quotas, and it might take a while to reach the quota. And sometimes available payment methods change, and it might take a while to adapt to the available choices. And then there are cases where issues arise ranging anywhere from a payment method needing to be updated of confirmed before payment is made to delays that fall outside the agreed payment terms. And then there are cases where affiliates are not even sure whether they have been paid or not. Perhaps a payment through moneybookers where you are not actually sure who has made the payment, and where it might take a long time to figure it out. All things considered, managing receivables as an affiliate is not necessarily that easy a task.

So for this week's poll I thought I would ask affiliates about their overall view of their management of receivables. Do you think you have it more under control than a year ago, is it about the same, or has it gotten worse. Share your view of the challenges. Share your view of how you've evolved the way you handle receivables based on what you have learned over time.

Michael

[TheGooner]

It's the same - EVERY partner pays within 30 days.

Delays are chased up - repeated delays are tackled directly with AMs and managers.
Consistent slow payers are removed from site.

[Bettingsites]

Same process as TheGooner. You get to know the timely payers pretty quickly and they generally don't let you down.

[-Shay-]

Last year at this time, I made a post where I suggested 20% of the programs we work with were either paying later than their "due date" or paying a lesser amount than they owed. I also suggested that at least one program gave us the "sorry mate, was at BAC" excuse for why they were late or paid less than they were obligated to pay.

As of this month, I'm happy to say that there's only a single program that is paying late. We had widdled the list down to 2 programs. However, bgo buddies finally paid within their stated schedule - thus removing them from my list of "late payers".

The only program left who does not pay "on time" is Ignite Bingo - which to be perfectly fair - I'm not sure why we're still even working with this group. The Ignite Bingo tracking software is not capable of tracking mobile clicks accurately and their terms list payment by the 15th, yet they pay around the 28th. I guess I assumed that when they discreetly changed ownership, I expected their payment to be cleaned up and I expected to see a change in affiliate tracking. Guess the deal was either not finalized or was given a lower priority (though they've launched a number of newer sites recently, so I guess their priorities are to see what sticks when throwing a lump against the wall).

Anyway, I know that I am a bit more "particular" about how and when I'm paid than many people are. I consider payment late if it comes later than the terms and conditions or program FAQ suggest. I believe that if a program promises something, they should deliver just like I believe I should deliver how and when I claim I will.

I think industry-wide, there's still a long way to go in terms of payments but looking back to a year ago, I am very pleased with the progress that has been made.

[Christiaan]

I started as a gambling affiliate about 2 years ago. Since then I have gained a lot of experience. In the beginning I didn't know much about the whole system and business in general.
If an affiliate manager said or promised something I believed it, what did I know...

Last year I still had many problems. But as I gained more and more experience, I learned how everything works and what kind of people/programs I had to avoid.

Now I have a good relationship with the programs I work with. I met almost everyone in real person at the conferences (or at office/dinner for those who live closer). Going to conferences and meeting the people you work with is something I encourage everyone to do. It makes the relationship better and it will be easier to get things done.
They pay correctly and by now I know around which date I can expect the payments. If there is a delay or problem with a payment the managers answer quickly and resolve the issues.

It was a process of trail and error, but I learned a lot from it and have most things under control now. So for me the receivables are under much better control.