Affiliate Terms and Conditions For Your Program (With Templates)

This article guides you through creating robust terms and conditions for your affiliate program. It also includes ready-to-use affiliate T&C templates that you can easily customize to fit your needs.

Let’s get started!

Do affiliate terms and conditions really matter?

Imagine inviting dozens (or hundreds) of affiliates to promote your products without setting any rules.

What if one of them promotes your product using shady tactics?
What happens if they demand commissions on refunded orders?
Or worse, what if they start using your brand name in their paid ads?

It’s just messy, right? That’s why having robust affiliate program terms and conditions is non-negotiable.

Think of it as the rulebook for your affiliate program—a document that outlines expectations, explains how commissions work, prevents misuse and protects both you and your affiliates.

Ten essentials to include in your affiliate terms and conditions

Here’s a breakdown of all the essentials your terms and conditions should cover:

1. Affiliate enrollment criteria

Let the affiliates know about the enrollment criteria.

How can people join your program?
Do you manually approve affiliates or is it automatic?
Reserve the right to reject applications that don’t align with your brand.

Here’s an example:

“Affiliates must apply through our website. We reserve the right to accept or reject any application at our sole discretion.”

2. Promotional guidelines

Set boundaries for how your brand can be promoted.

Can affiliates use your logo?
What kind of content is acceptable?
Can they run PPC ads using your brand keywords?

Make your brand values crystal clear so affiliates stay aligned with them.

3. Commission structure

This is the part everyone’s curious about—how much they’ll earn.

For this, you need to specify:

Commission rates
Cookie duration (how long the affiliate link is valid)
Payout threshold
Payment frequency and method
If commissions are revoked after refunds/chargebacks
Whether you offer lifetime commissions

4. Payment terms and conditions

Next, define the payment terms for your affiliate program.

Clearly mention when affiliates will receive their payouts—this could be on a fixed date like the 15th or 20th of the following month. It’s a good idea to include a buffer period to account for any possible refunds or chargebacks.

Also, state the minimum earnings an affiliate must accumulate before they’re eligible for payment.

5. Self-referral policy

Will you allow affiliates to earn commissions on their own purchases?

Most store owners don’t—but if you do, make it clear. Otherwise, state that self-referrals are not allowed.

6. Refund and return policy

Affiliates shouldn’t earn commissions on refunded or canceled orders. Clearly mention this clause to avoid confusion.

7. Termination clause

Give yourself the right to terminate an affiliate’s account if they break the rules—whether it’s spamming, inactivity or misleading promotions.

8. Modification clause

Your affiliate program will evolve, and so should your terms. Let affiliates know that terms can be updated and that continued participation implies acceptance of any changes.

9. Dispute resolution (optional but helpful)

Outline how disputes will be resolved—whether via arbitration, mediation or another method.

10. Contact information

Provide a dedicated support email or contact form so affiliates can reach out when they need help.

Ready-to-use affiliate terms and conditions templates

To save you time, we’ve created two customizable affiliate agreement templates. You can use them as-is or tweak them to match your brand’s vibe and program rules.

Affiliate Agreement Template 1

– Effective Date: [Insert date]
– Store Name: [Your store name]
– Support Contact: [Your support email]

1. Enrollment
Affiliates must register via our website. We reserve the right to accept or reject any application.

2. Responsibilities
Affiliates must:

Promote ethically and align with our brand.
Avoid misleading advertising.
Follow all legal and regulatory guidelines.

3. Commissions

Excluded Products: [List them here]
Cookie Duration: [e.g., 30 days]
Payout Threshold: [e.g., $50]
Payment Schedule: [e.g., Monthly on the 1st]
Payment Method: [e.g., PayPal, Stripe]
Self-Referral: [Allowed/Not allowed]
Refund Period: [e.g., 30 days]

4. Promotions & Restrictions
Affiliates may use unique referral links and approved assets. Misleading promotions, spam and PPC on brand keywords are prohibited.

5. Termination
We may terminate accounts for inactivity, unethical practices or brand damage.

6. Updates
We may update the terms at any time. Affiliates will be notified, and continued use indicates acceptance.

Affiliate Agreement Template 2

[Store Name] Affiliate Program Agreement

1. Our Brand Values
At [Store Name], we value [Insert your values]. We expect our affiliates to uphold these values in their promotions.

2. Affiliate Application
Submit an application through our site. We approve applications based on brand alignment.

3. Marketing Guidelines
Use only approved materials. Disclose your affiliate relationship clearly. Don’t engage in spam or copyright infringement.

4. Commission Details
You’ll earn commissions for valid referred sales.

Excluded Products: [List them here]
Cookie Duration: [e.g., 30 days]
Payout Threshold: [e.g., $50]
Payment Schedule: [e.g., Monthly on the 1st]
Payment Method: [e.g., PayPal, Stripe]
Self-Referral: [Allowed/Not allowed]
Refund Period: [e.g., 14 days]

5. Prohibited Activities
No bidding on branded keywords, misleading promotions or impersonating our brand.

6. Modifications & Termination
We may modify or end the program with reasonable notice.

7. Confidentiality
Keep affiliate-related data confidential.

8. Dispute Resolution
Disputes will be resolved through [e.g., mediation, arbitration].

9. Agreement
By joining, you agree to follow these terms and help us grow together.

You can also check more templates here.

Ultimate affiliate marketing tool to set up an affiliate program

If you’re running a WooCommerce store and haven’t launched your affiliate program yet, now’s the perfect time to get started with Affiliate for WooCommerce.

Get all the powerful features – commission plans, marketing campaigns, automated payouts and more. And manage all of them from one place – without coding. Easy and quick.

5,700+ store owners rely on Affiliate for WooCommerce to increase sales, expand their customer base and maximize return on investment.

Where should you share these affiliate terms and conditions?

Once finalized, share your terms in visible and accessible places like:

A dedicated Terms & Conditions page
During affiliate registration
In blog posts or your help center
In your welcome email or onboarding documents
In your Affiliate Dashboard using the “Campaigns” feature (Only if you use the Affiliate for WooCommerce plugin)

Final thoughts

Launching an affiliate program is exciting but protecting it with clear terms and conditions is smart. It keeps your affiliate relationships clean, professional and productive.

Whether you’re running your program manually or using Affiliate for WooCommerce, make sure your affiliates know the rules from day one.

Use our templates above, customize them to your store’s needs and share them with your affiliates today. A little structure now means a lot fewer headaches later.

Need help setting up affiliate agreement rules in the plugin? Or customizing your affiliate program terms and conditions? Let us know in the comments!