Recurring vs. One-Time Commission Breakeven Calculator
Find the month when cumulative recurring commissions overtake your one-time payout, accounting for subscriber churn.
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Earnings Projection
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a recurring affiliate commission?
A recurring affiliate commission pays you a percentage or flat amount each month for as long as the customer you referred remains an active subscriber. Software-as-a-service and subscription-box programs commonly use this model. Because the payment repeats, your income from a single referral can compound over time as long as the subscriber stays active.
What is a one-time affiliate commission?
A one-time affiliate commission pays a single fixed amount when someone you refer makes their first purchase or signs up. The payment does not repeat regardless of how long the customer stays. These commissions tend to be larger per event than monthly recurring payments, which makes them look more attractive at first glance.
What is churn rate and why does it matter?
Churn rate is the percentage of subscribers who cancel their subscription each month. A 5% monthly churn rate means 5 out of every 100 subscribers leave in a given month. High churn erodes the pool of active subscribers generating your recurring commissions, which pushes the breakeven point later or eliminates it entirely within a realistic projection window. Programmes with low churn — typically software tools people use daily — produce much more favourable recurring commission trajectories.
When does recurring affiliate pay off more than one-time?
The recurring option pays off more once the cumulative total of all monthly recurring payments across all your referred subscribers exceeds the cumulative one-time payments you would have received for the same referrals. This calculator shows you that exact month. The key variables are how large the monthly payment is relative to the one-time amount, and how quickly subscribers churn. A small monthly commission with high churn may never catch up within a 36-month window; a healthy monthly payment with low churn often crosses over within the first year.
Should I always choose recurring over one-time commissions?
Not necessarily. If you promote a product to an audience that churns quickly, or if the one-time commission is very large relative to the monthly amount, one-time pays better in practice. Cash flow timing also matters: one-time commissions put money in your account today, while recurring commissions build slowly. Use the breakeven month as one input into your decision alongside programme reputation, conversion rate, and how reliably the merchant pays out.