Hold and conversion approval
Why a hold period is needed, how a commission travels pending → approved → payable, what turns it into money available for withdrawal and how reversal on a refund works.
After a conversion is attributed, the commission does not immediately become "available for withdrawal". First it goes through a hold — a freeze period that protects both sides from refunds, chargebacks and fraud. Here is why it is needed, which statuses a commission passes through and what moves it into a withdrawable balance.
Why a hold period is needed
The business pays for a result, but the result can "reverse": the user returns the product, cancels the subscription, the bank runs a chargeback. If the commission were paid out instantly, the platform would have to claw already paid money back. The hold gives time to make sure the sale is final.
- The duration is set by the offer (
hold_days, a typical value — 14 days). - During the hold the commission is already accrued and visible in your statistics, but not yet available for withdrawal.
- The money for this commission is already reserved on the business escrow balance — the payout is guaranteed if the conversion is confirmed.
Hold does not mean 'the money is gone'
A commission in hold is already yours in effect — it is simply waiting for the freeze period to end. You see it in the Payouts and balance section as pending, separate from the withdrawable amount.
Conversion lifecycle (FSM)
A conversion and its associated commission follow a strict sequence of statuses. Transitions are not "blind" — each one is checked and logged.
postback accepted
│
attribution found
▼
PENDING ──────────────► APPROVED ──────► PAYABLE
(in hold) hold expired, (confirmed) (available
│ no fraud flag │ to withdraw)
│ │
fraud/ ▼ ▼ refund/chargeback
reject REJECTED REVERSED| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
pending | Created, the hold period is running. Visible in statistics, not available for withdrawal. |
approved | The hold has passed, there are no fraud flags — the commission is confirmed. |
payable | Included in the withdrawable balance — you can request a payout. |
rejected | Declined: fraud, an invalid conversion or a business decision. |
reversed | Reversed by a refund/chargeback after confirmation. |
Conversion without attribution
If no click is found, the conversion gets the unattributed status and waits for resolution — see the Attribution and window section. When the click is found, it moves to pending and joins the common cycle.
What moves a commission to "available for withdrawal"
Two conditions must be met for a commission to become payable:
The hold period has expired
hold_days days have passed since the conversion. The platform moves eligible commissions from pending to approved daily.
There is no open fraud flag
If a suspicion flag is set on the conversion, the hold timer will not confirm it automatically — a manual check comes first. A clean conversion is confirmed without delay.
After confirmation, the commission is included in the payable balance — payout requests are formed precisely from it. When you create a request, the selected commissions are reserved (locked) so that the same money cannot be withdrawn twice. More on withdrawal — Payout methods.
Refund and chargeback: commission reversal
If a cancellation postback (refund, chargeback) arrives after confirmation — the commission is reversed (reversed). Further behavior depends on whether the money has already gone out:
| Commission state at the time of the refund | What happens |
|---|---|
Still approved / payable (not paid) | Simply deducted from the balance, no real loss |
Already paid (paid out) | A negative adjustment (clawback) is created — it goes into the negative balance and is offset against future accruals |
Paid-out money is not 'rolled back' by force
The platform never edits an already processed payout. A refund after payout is processed as a separate compensating record (clawback) that is withheld from subsequent accruals. This is a fair and transparent mechanism — all movements are visible in the history.
How to reduce reversals
Quality traffic is the best protection. Incentivized or bot traffic leads to refunds and chargebacks more often, which hits your balance and reputation. More on anti-fraud — KYC and limits.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the commission visible but I cannot withdraw it?
Most likely it is still in hold (pending). Wait for the offer's hold period to end — after that it moves into the withdrawable balance. The hold duration is stated in the offer terms.
How long does the hold last?
It is set by the business for each offer (hold_days), typically 14 days. See the exact value in the offer card.
Can a confirmed commission disappear?
Only on a refund or chargeback for that conversion — then it is reversed. Without a refund, a confirmed commission stays yours.
What if a fraud flag is set on a conversion?
Auto-confirmation by timer will not fire until a manual check. If the conversion is legitimate, it is confirmed after the check; if not — it is declined.