Here's an interesting scenario that's just come up for me. I've done some quite good work with an independent program over the past couple of months, and it's been a nice, unexpected success. That same independent program has just joined one of the major networks. I guess they would do this in order to reach out to new affiliates etc.

Now, it will be more convenient for me if I just switch my links over to the new networks links, and have the earnings paid to me along with other network earnings without the need to create invoices, which I currently do for the independent program.

The commission is the same on both programs, so I can't see any downside from me switching to the network program. The only downside, as far as I can tell, is for the merchant themselves who were able to pay me direct and would now have to pay me through a network, and therefore, have to pay the network too.

So it seems to me, it's in the merchant's interest for me to stay working direct and they should really incentivise me staying with them through giving me a better commission rate. But do I have the cheek to actually asking them for a bit more? Should I ? Would you ? If you would ask them for more money, how would you put it without looking excessively greedy?

I suppose one option is to just switch over and do what suits me best. If I am significant enough for it to be noticeable (quite possibly that won't even be the case), they may contact me to get me back on the independent program and make their own offer of an incentive. Another way that could play out is they could kick me off the network program and tell me it's direct or nothing, since we already had a relationship which I guess would be understandable too!

Labels: affiliate network, independent