Trusting network reporting vs building your own click data

Trusting network reporting vs building your own click data
Hot reminder: if your only record of a click is the vendor's dashboard, you have no way to catch them undercounting.

Vendor/network reporting: convenient, single source, and the only party that benefits from a number being lower has total control of it.

Your own click log (redirect + SubID + timestamp): you count clicks independently, then reconcile against their reported conversions. A widening gap between your clicks and their sales is the first sign of leakage, broken tracking, or shaved conversions.

The tradeoff:
— Network-only: zero setup, zero leverage, zero proof in a dispute.
— Own data: real work to maintain, but you walk into disputes with numbers instead of feelings.

Verdict: you can't dispute what you didn't measure. Log your own clicks, or accept whatever the vendor decides to report.