A 1% rate cut hurt less than a 15% AOV swing, because earnings track price x rate

A 1% rate cut hurt less than a 15% AOV swing, because earnings track price x rate

Affiliates panic over rate-card cuts and ignore the bigger lever: average order value.

Commission per order = AOV x rate. Sensitivity at fixed traffic:
— Rate 3% -> 2% on $80 AOV: -$0.80/order
— AOV $80 -> $115 at 3%: +$1.05/order

(n=modeled on real category averages)

Guiding buyers toward bundles, higher tiers, or complementary add-ons (which ride the same cookie) moves AOV more than fighting a rate change you can't control.

So what: You can't negotiate the rate card, but you fully control which price tier you recommend. Feature the mid-premium option, not the cheapest, and let indirect cart-stacking lift AOV.