The Affiliate Slop Tax Is Eating Your Marketing Margins
Some checkout-intercept and referral tools may be billing brands for demand they already had. Here is the math, what recent reporting and litigation allege, and the 30-day test that shows how much of your growth is yours.
Some checkout and referral tools may be taking credit, and charging brands, for sales that were already happening.
Recent reporting and litigation have raised versions of that question. A 30-day test can help you establish whether it is happening to you.
The claim I want CMOs to test is simple: some last-click affiliate and checkout channels may be capturing demand rather than creating it, quietly taxing margin while making CAC look better.
What the disputes have in common
On 1 September 2026,Inc. reported on a series of commission disputes involving affiliate platforms, calling it the fourth version of the same story over the past two years.
The cases are different and should...
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