Your 'best' offer has a 35% return rate. That's why payouts are short.

Your 'best' offer has a 35% return rate. That's why payouts are short.

Celebrated a great month on an apparel brand. Then the clawbacks hit — returns gutted a third of my commissions weeks later.

The mistake: optimizing for sales volume while ignoring return rate, which quietly eats locked commissions.

Do this → ask brands for their return/refund rate before you scale. High-return categories (fast fashion, sizing-dependent) need honest sizing content to cut returns, OR you weight toward low-return niches (consumables, accessories).

I shifted budget from a 35%-return brand to a 6%-return one with lower AOV. Net payout went UP because almost nothing clawed back.

Ask your top brand their return rate this week. Bet they dodge.