Payment terms define when money is due after an invoice is issued or a period closes. "Net 30" means payment is due 30 days after the invoice date; "Net 60" means 60 days.
Definition
Payment terms define when money is due after an invoice is issued or a period closes. "Net 30" means payment is due 30 days after the invoice date; "Net 60" means 60 days.
In affiliate and media contexts the terms also specify the billing cycle (usually monthly), the cut-off for a period, when the statement or invoice is generated, the minimum payout threshold, the payment methods and currencies, who bears transfer fees, and how adjustments (clawbacks, corrections, held commissions) are handled.
The terms matter for cash flow. A media buyer who pays traffic sources upfront or weekly but is paid by the programme on Net 30 or Net 60 is financing the gap, and the length of that gap — plus any additional hold for validation — determines how much working capital is tied up and how fast a profitable campaign can be scaled.
In context
In iGaming affiliate programmes, monthly billing with Net 30 is common, but effective payment timing is often longer: a period closes at month end, the statement is issued some days later, then Net 30 runs from there, and some programmes add a validation hold on new affiliates or on CPA deals pending player-quality checks. Revenue-share deals may also carry negative-carryover rules that delay or reduce a payment after a losing month.
The practical figure an affiliate needs is days from generating a conversion to receiving cleared funds, which can be 45–75 days even when the headline term is "Net 30".
This shapes affiliate strategy and negotiation. New or scaling media buyers ask for shorter terms, weekly or bi-weekly payments, or an advance line, because being paid faster directly increases how much traffic they can run.
Established affiliates with trusted traffic have leverage to negotiate better terms. On the operator side, payment terms are a genuine cost-of-programme lever but also a reputational one — slow, opaque or frequently "delayed" payments are one of the most damaging things said about an affiliate programme in a market where affiliates share experiences.
Clear terms, a predictable schedule, transparent statements, and paying on time are a competitive advantage in recruiting good affiliates.
Worked example
A media buyer scaling casino push traffic pays its ad networks weekly but is on Net 30 from statement date, an effective 50-day gap. It negotiates bi-weekly payments once it passes a volume threshold, halving the working capital locked up and letting it reinvest into more traffic sooner.
A second programme's repeated late payments lead the buyer to cut volume there regardless of the rate.
Related terms
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