Affiliate reconciliation: close the gap before invoicing

Agree the scope and freeze the evidence

Pick one partner, product, market and period before investigating totals. Capture the report generation time, event cutoff, timezone, currency and agreement version. Save the original exports in a controlled location. A live dashboard changes, so a screenshot taken tomorrow may no longer represent the amount that caused today's discrepancy.

bet365's help states that its statistics are not real time, illustrating why update cadence matters. Do not generalize that cadence to another platform. Ask each system owner when its data is complete. Our editorial recommendation is an evidence manifest listing the files used and their cutoffs, so both parties can reproduce the same comparison instead of arguing about moving totals.

References: bet365 Partners — Help

Reconcile activity before commission arithmetic

For CPA, compare unique eligible acquisition references and status histories before multiplying by the rate. For revenue share, reconcile the applicable revenue base and deductions first. If the populations differ, a rate check alone cannot explain the amount. Start with missing, duplicate and differently classified records, then move to price and adjustment differences.

Use pseudonymous identifiers wherever possible and share only the fields necessary for investigation through approved channels. A finance dispute does not justify circulating identity documents or a complete customer profile. When detailed data cannot be shared, agree an authorized reviewer or aggregate evidence method that can establish the disputed calculation without expanding access to sensitive information.

Explain a synthetic CPA variance

Synthetic example: a partner expects payment for sixty approved acquisitions at €100, or €6,000. The statement lists fifty-seven and €5,700. Investigation finds two cases still pending at the statement cutoff and one event outside the agreed reporting period. The immediate €300 difference is explained by timing and status, not a different rate.

This explanation does not settle whether the three cases will ever become payable. Put the two pending cases on the next-review register and assign the out-of-period case to the correct period if eligible. Avoid adding a miscellaneous €300 adjustment simply to make this month's totals match. That shortcut breaks the activity trail and may create a duplicate payment later.

Classify the remaining differences

Use a variance register with a category, amount, evidence reference, owner and expected resolution date. Suggested categories include population, timing, qualification, rate, deduction, carryover, currency and payment. These are editorial controls, not a prescribed accounting standard. A category should lead to the team capable of resolving it, rather than become a permanent parking place.

For currency differences, compare original amounts, conversion dates and the agreed rate source. For a manual adjustment, request its original event or contractual basis. For a rate difference, check the effective date and whether a tier applies marginally or retrospectively. Keep rounding separate and quantify it; rounding should not become a blanket explanation for an unexplained material gap.

Resolve through the actual dispute process

GO AFFILIATES' published terms include a reporting dispute deadline. This demonstrates why the contract calendar belongs in the close process; it is not a deadline to apply to every program. Record the relevant notice route and due date for your agreement, and make the responsible owner aware before a discussion drifts beyond it.

Frame the dispute around specific evidence: the expected calculation, the statement calculation, the difference and the requested correction or explanation. Keep undisputed amounts visible and follow the agreement's invoicing procedure. Do not assume a message in an informal chat satisfies formal notice requirements. The appropriate commercial or legal owner should handle the contractual position when a disagreement cannot be resolved operationally.

References: GO AFFILIATES — Terms and Conditions

Reconcile settlement and prevent recurrence

After a statement is agreed, match the invoice, remittance reference and bank receipt. Separate withheld amounts, bank charges and currency effects from commission calculation differences. A correct statement with no matching receipt is a settlement issue, while an incorrect base is a commission issue. They need different owners and should not share a vague “payment problem” status.

At close, record what caused each resolved exception and whether the same defect can recur. Fix an export cutoff, missing identifier or configuration mismatch at its source. Use the worksheet as a repeatable close checklist, while retaining an exception log for unusual cases. The outcome should be an invoice traceable to agreed activity and a clear list of remaining obligations, not merely a spreadsheet with equal totals.

Working template

Download the CSV worksheet

Frequently asked questions

Sources and scope

Sources checked September 22, 2026. Numerical examples are illustrative unless explicitly identified otherwise.

• bet365 Partners — Help — Public reporting and negative-balance explanations; account terms remain controlling. Checked September 22, 2026.
• GO AFFILIATES — Terms and Conditions — Social-casino program-specific commission models, carryover and dispute procedure. Checked September 22, 2026.

Related reading

• Broader campaign reporting template
• Audit revenue-share calculations
• CPA vs revenue share vs hybrid: compare the same cohort
• What counts as a qualified FTD in an affiliate contract?
• NGR deductions: build an auditable commission waterfall