The bonus stack that doubled signups and halved keepers

The bonus stack that doubled signups and halved keepers

Everyone copies the "buy through my link, get my $300 bonus pack" play. Here's the cohort it produces.

Affiliate added a heavy bonus bundle to a SaaS offer. Signups doubled: 80 → 160/month. The post went semi-viral.

Then the retention curve told on them:

— Bonus-driven buyers churned at 64% by month 4 vs 28% for the no-bonus cohort.
— Why: people bought for the bonus, not the tool. Once they had the bundle, the subscription was dead weight.
— Clawback-adjusted commission per 100 signups: bonus cohort $1,300, organic cohort $3,100.

They doubled the vanity number and less than halved the real one.

Bonuses select for people who want your bonus, not the product. Those people churn on schedule and take your commission with them.