What is a CPA network?
A CPA network is an intermediary platform that connects advertisers who need customers with affiliates who have traffic. CPA stands for cost per action: the advertiser pays only when a defined action happens, not for impressions or clicks. The action can be a lead, an app install, a purchase or, in iGaming, a first deposit.
The network aggregates offers from many advertisers, gives affiliates tracking links, records conversions, checks them and pays affiliates on a schedule. It earns a margin between what the advertiser pays and what the affiliate receives. For an affiliate it works as a single marketplace: one account, one reporting dashboard and one payout schedule instead of dozens of separate sign-ups. In everyday speech “CPA network”, “CPA marketing network” and “CPA affiliate network” mean the same thing.
This guide explains the mechanics. If you want a list of networks to compare, go to the CPA networks catalog.
How does a CPA network work?
The flow has three parties and a handful of steps:
- The advertiser publishes an offer with a payout, a target action, allowed GEOs and traffic rules, and pays the network.
- The network moderates the affiliate’s application, gives access to offers and issues tracking links with the affiliate’s own identifiers.
- The affiliate sends traffic, usually through a tracker, a landing page or a pre-landing page, to the offer.
- A postback reports the result. When the user completes the action, the advertiser’s system sends a server-to-server signal to the network (and the network can pass it on to your tracker), so the conversion is recorded without relying on cookies alone.
- Validation follows. The network or the advertiser checks the conversion against the offer rules and either approves or rejects it.
- The payout is made after the hold period, once your balance passes the minimum.
Two points are easy to miss. First, the network sits in the middle of the money flow, so its terms (hold, minimum payout, payment methods) apply to you whatever the advertiser promises. Second, your rate on a given offer can differ from what the advertiser pays the network, because the network’s margin is part of the arrangement.
What is FTD in affiliate marketing?
FTD means first-time deposit (sometimes written “first deposit”). It is the first successful deposit made by a new user whom an affiliate referred. In iGaming and broker-style offers it is the most common qualifying event: the affiliate is paid a fixed CPA for each referred user who makes an FTD.
Not every first deposit counts. Programs usually define the event in their terms, and typical conditions include:
- a minimum deposit amount (often called the baseline or qualification threshold);
- completed identity verification or an accepted payment method;
- a minimum amount of activity after the deposit, such as a first wager;
- a time window between registration and deposit.
You may also see NDC (new depositing customer) instead of FTD. The two are close: NDC counts new customers who deposit, and some programs report both. Always read how the program defines the event and how rejected conversions are reported.
The related metric FTD rate is the share of referred users who make an FTD. It tells you how well your traffic converts into depositors, not just into registrations.
Which payout models do CPA networks use?
Despite the name, networks pay on more than one model. The common ones:
| Model | What triggers the payment | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| CPA (cost per action) | A defined action, such as an FTD or a purchase | iGaming, finance, e-commerce |
| CPL (cost per lead) | A valid lead, such as a form or registration | Dating, nutra, finance, sweepstakes |
| CPI (cost per install) | An app install | Mobile apps and games |
| CPS (cost per sale) | A completed sale | E-commerce, nutra |
| RevShare | A percentage of the net revenue the referred user generates | iGaming, crypto |
| Hybrid | A reduced fixed payment plus a reduced revenue share | iGaming, new partners |
Among the 311 CPA networks in the CPA GURU catalog with a known payout model, 98% list CPA, 54% RevShare, 53% CPL, 44% sub-affiliate terms, 29% Hybrid and 27% CPS (as of 31 October 2026). The shares add up to more than 100% because many networks offer several models.
Among 43 networks that publish a maximum RevShare percentage, the median is 50%, with the middle half between 40% and 55% (same date). Treat this as a picture of what is advertised, not a promise of what you will receive: the net revenue formula behind the percentage matters as much as the number. For a deeper comparison of the models, see RevShare vs CPA vs Hybrid.
CPA network vs direct affiliate program: which should you use?
A direct affiliate program is run by the advertiser itself, typically a casino, a sportsbook or a service. A network sits between you and many advertisers. Neither is better in every case.
| CPA network | Direct affiliate program | |
|---|---|---|
| Choice of offers | Many advertisers and verticals in one account | One program or operator, sometimes several brands or products |
| Sign-up and reporting | One application, one dashboard | A separate account for every program or operator |
| Rates | Network margin is built in | Can be higher, negotiated with the affiliate manager |
| Payment risk | Network handles payouts and disputes | You rely on a single advertiser |
| Terms | Standard per network, with offer-level rules | Individual, often negotiable at volume |
| Relationship | With the network’s manager | With the advertiser’s own manager |
| Fit | Testing verticals, GEOs and offers quickly | Scaling with a brand you know well |
The catalog shows how the two worlds differ in structure. Among 2,187 affiliate programs with a known payout model, 97% offer RevShare and 79% CPA; among the 311 CPA networks above, CPA is almost universal and RevShare is offered by 54%. Direct programs lean towards revenue share; networks lean towards fixed payments (as of 31 October 2026, in the CPA GURU catalog).
A common path is to test offers through a network, then add direct programs for the brands that perform; the affiliate programs section of the catalog lets you compare their terms.
Which verticals do CPA networks cover?
Networks usually specialise, and each vertical has its own events and traffic rules:
- iGaming: casinos, betting and poker, normally paid on FTD or as RevShare. See iGaming CPA networks.
- Dating: registration, trial or subscription offers, often CPL or CPA. See dating CPA networks.
- Nutra: health and wellness products, paid per confirmed order or lead. See nutra CPA networks.
- Finance: lead and application offers for financial products.
- E-commerce: paid per sale or per lead.
- Sweepstakes: paid per submission or sign-up.
- Crypto: exchange and wallet offers, paid on sign-up, verification or first deposit.
As of 31 October 2026, the CPA GURU catalog lists 442 CPA networks in total, of which 279 are in iGaming, 103 in dating, 103 in finance, 97 in nutra, 90 in sweepstakes, 76 in e-commerce and 73 in crypto. A network can appear in several verticals, so these numbers do not add up to the total.
What payout terms should you expect?
Payout terms are where networks differ most, and where affiliates are often caught out. Three parameters decide your cash flow.
Hold. The delay between a conversion and the moment it becomes payable. It covers validation and the network’s own payment hold. Longer holds mean more money tied up while you keep paying for traffic.
Minimum payout. Among 301 CPA networks with a known minimum, the median is 100 (USD or EUR), and the middle half is between 50 and 100 (as of 31 October 2026, in the CPA GURU catalog).
Payout frequency. Among 339 networks with a known schedule, 30% pay once a month, 24% once a week (plus 5% listed simply as weekly), 8% twice a month, 4% twice a week and 4% daily; 11% pay on request, and for 6% it depends on the offer (same date). Weekly and more frequent schedules ease cash flow when you buy traffic.
Also check the payment methods. Among 358 networks with known methods, bank transfer is listed by 57%, PayPal by 41%, USDT by 31% and WebMoney by 27% (same date). Minimums and fees can vary by payment method, so read the payout page, not just the headline.
Key metrics: CR, EPC and baseline
Three terms come up in every network’s dashboard:
- CR (conversion rate): the share of clicks or visits that become the target action.
- EPC (earnings per click): payout multiplied by conversion rate. It lets you compare offers with different payouts on the same footing: a small payout with a high conversion rate can out-earn a larger payout with a low one, so do not choose offers by payout alone. A network-wide EPC is only a hint: your own traffic quality, GEO and device mix decide your result.
- Baseline: the minimum qualifying deposit or activity for a CPA to be paid. Ask for it in writing, because it determines how many of your referred users count.
Watch rejection reasons too. A high headline payout with heavy rejections can pay less than a modest payout that is approved consistently.
How to choose a CPA network
Use this checklist before you commit traffic:
- Fit. Does the network cover your vertical and the GEOs you buy traffic in? The catalog’s hub filters for commission type, payout frequency and GEO help narrow the list.
- Event definition. How is the CPA event defined (FTD, baseline, time window), and how are rejections reported?
- Money terms. Hold, minimum payout, payout frequency and payment methods, all in writing.
- Tracking. Is postback supported, can you pass your own click identifiers, and are reports near real time?
- Traffic rules. Which sources are allowed or forbidden for each offer? Breaking them is the usual reason for withheld payouts.
- Support. Is there a named affiliate manager who answers questions and can give a GEO-specific rate?
- Track record. How long has the network operated, and is its contact information public? Among 442 CPA networks in the catalog, 70% have contacts on record (as of 31 October 2026).
- A small test. Run a limited budget first, compare approval rates with what you were told, and request a first payout before scaling.
Ready to compare? Start with the CPA networks catalog, or go straight to the iGaming CPA networks section if that is your vertical.