A $250 CPA can net less than a $160 one — here's the clause

A $250 CPA can net less than a $160 one — here's the clause

The advice: negotiate the highest CPA number you can get. The headline price is the least important term in the contract.

What actually moves take-home, across ~25 deals where I saw both sheets:
— Baseline quality requirement: $250 CPA often carries a min-deposit of $50 and a 7-day activity gate. The $160 deal had a $20 deposit, no gate.
— After the gate, the $250 deal paid on only 61% of FTDs (first-time depositors); the $160 deal paid on 92%.
— Effective CPA: $250 x 0.61 = $152.50 vs $160 x 0.92 = $147.20. Nearly identical — and the cheaper deal had a lower chargeback/shave rate on top.

The correction: model effective CPA = headline x qualification rate, then subtract expected shave. A high sticker with a strict baseline is a high-variance, lower-mean payout.

Ask for the qualification definition in writing before the rate. The deposit threshold, the activity window, and the bonus-abuse clause decide your real EPC (earnings per click), not the number on the banner.

Benchmark of the day: effective CPA = headline price x FTD qualification rate; demand that rate before you celebrate the headline.