What is the Difference Between CPA and Affiliate Marketing

The main difference between CPA and affiliate marketing is their result and payment. In CPA marketing, the affiliate partner gets paid for a specific action, while in affiliate marketing, the affiliate partner typically gets paid for a sale.

Both CPA marketing and affiliate marketing are online marketing models where you can earn by promoting a company’s products or services. In fact, CPA is a type of affiliate marketing.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Affiliate Marketing
– Definition, Features, Process
2. What is CPA Marketing
– Definition, Features
3. Difference Between CPA and Affiliate Marketing
– Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Affiliate Marketing, CPA Marketing

What is Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a type of online marketing where you earn a commission by promoting another person’s/company’s product or service. In this type of marketing, one person shares the link of someone else’s products or advertises that product on his or her website, blog, or social media. When the visitors to that website visit the product page and buy that product, the affiliate partner also gets a commission. Generally, the expected result of an affiliate link is a sale. In fact, we can describe affiliate marketing as a cost-per-sale model.

There are many affiliate programs that affiliate partners can join. Affiliate programs are basically online platforms where affiliates can connect with online merchant websites (marketplaces like Amazon). In fact, most of these programs are free to join.

How Affiliate Marketing Works

First, the affiliate displays an ad or a link for a product or service of another person/company on his/her website, blog, or social network.
A visitor clicks that unique link or ad and goes to the site that sells the product.
Then that visitor makes a purchase.
The affiliate network records the transaction.
The product owner confirms the purchase.
The affiliate gets paid a commission.

The commission rates in affiliate marketing vary depending on the merchant’s website and the offer. Some affiliating marketing programs also offer a flat rate per sale, not a percentage.

What is CPA Marketing

CPA stands for Cost Per Action. CPA marketing is an online advertising model where publishers (the site or blog in promotion) get paid for an action taken as a direct result of their marketing. In cost per action, the action does not have to be a sale– it can be a click, filling a form, or registration. Since CPA allows payment without even a single sale, a lot of people are showing interesting in this advertising model. Due to its high popularity, CPA networks tend to have strict guidelines in allowing newcomers into their network.

Although CPA is a type of affiliate marketing, there is a distinct difference between the two. In affiliate marketing, the publisher (affiliate) payment typically happens for a sale, but in CPA marketing, publishers earn when a visitor completes a specific action.

Difference Between CPA and Affiliate Marketing

Definition

CPA marketing is an online advertising model where publishers get paid for an action taken as a direct result of their marketing. Affiliate marketing is a type of online marketing where affiliate partners earn a commission by promoting another person’s/company’s product or service.

Result

In CPA marketing, the affiliate partner gets paid for a specific action like registration, click, or website visit, while in affiliate marketing, the affiliate partner typically gets paid for a sale.

Sales

While affiliate marketing relies on sales, CPA does not rely on sales.

Payment

In comparison to affiliate marketing, CPA marketing pays less.

Conclusion

The main difference between CPA and affiliate marketing is that CPA marketing stands for cost per action and involves payment for specific actions like clicks, app installs, and lead generation, whereas affiliate marketing is a cost per sale model.