impact.com has announced new measures designed to help creators, publishers and affiliates get paid faster, reducing the point at which brand accounts are suspended for overdue invoices from 60 to 40 days.
The change, which came into effect on 1 October 2026, is another positive step towards tackling an issue that has affected the affiliate industry for many years: ensuring partners are paid promptly and predictably for the revenue they generate.
Under impact.com’s previous policy, a brand partner’s account could be suspended when an invoice became more than 60 days overdue. That window has now been reduced to 40 days.
The aim is to encourage the small proportion of brands that do not settle their impact.com invoices within 30 days to pay sooner, allowing funds to be released to creators, publishers and affiliates more quickly.
impact.com says it already releases funds to partners almost immediately after receiving payment from brands. It has also introduced Anytime Withdrawal, allowing eligible creators to withdraw up to £350 from their account within minutes via PayPal, rather than waiting for scheduled payout dates.
Anthony Clements, impact.com UK and DACH Country Manager, said:
Delayed payments hurt creator and publisher trust, whereas reliable payment timelines keep top-tier partners engaged and delivering high-quality traffic. We’ve been pleased to see the increased recognition of the importance of prompt payment at an industry-level in recent years. This is another positive step in that direction.
Why faster payments matter to the affiliate industry
Payment terms can sometimes be viewed as an administrative part of running an affiliate programme. In reality, they can have a direct impact on the strength and growth of the channel.
Affiliates and publishers are businesses. Many are investing significant amounts in people, technology, content and customer acquisition before receiving the commission generated from that activity.
Long or unpredictable payment cycles therefore have consequences beyond an individual invoice.
APMA research has previously found that 51% of publishers said payment issues had a moderate to significant impact on their business. When asked what improved cash flow would enable them to do, 39% said they would increase spend or acquisition activity, 31% would expand into new verticals or regions, and 29% would launch or scale new content.
Put simply: when partners are paid reliably, they are in a stronger position to reinvest in the activity that generates growth for advertisers.
The APMA Advertiser Payments Code of Conduct
Improving payment practices across the affiliate industry has been a key area of focus for the APMA for the last 18 months.
Our Advertiser Payments Code of Conduct was developed to establish clearer standards and expectations around payments and to help advertisers, agencies, networks and publishers work together more effectively.
The Code recognises that good payment practice is about more than simply paying an invoice. It requires clarity and consistency throughout the process, from validating transactions through to resolving queries and ensuring partners understand when they can expect to be paid.
It sets out best-practice principles covering areas including validation timelines, payment visibility and communication, transaction queries and disputes, bonuses and incentives, and predictable and consistent payment processes.
At the heart of the Code is a simple principle: partners should be paid accurately, transparently and within reasonable timeframes for the value they deliver.
That responsibility is shared across the ecosystem. Networks and platforms can create systems that make payments faster and more transparent, but advertisers also need robust internal processes to approve transactions, settle invoices and resolve issues promptly.
Payment is part of the partner relationship
The affiliate and wider partnerships industry has evolved considerably. Publishers, creators and other partners are increasingly viewed as strategic growth partners rather than simply another marketing supplier.
Payment practices need to reflect that evolution.
For advertisers, there is also a commercial argument for getting this right.
The best partners have choices about which brands they invest their time, audiences and resources in. Clear communication, reliable validation and prompt payment all contribute to the quality of that relationship.
Improving payment practices therefore isn’t simply about solving a historic industry pain point. It can help create stronger relationships between advertisers and their partners and ultimately support greater investment and growth across the affiliate channel.
Reducing the overdue invoice window from 60 to 40 days won’t solve the industry’s payment challenges on its own, but it is another practical step towards achieving the industry standards the APMA and its members are striving for.
Fill out the form below to download the APMA Advertiser Payments Code of Conduct and find out the practical steps advertisers can take to improve payment practices across their affiliate programmes.
