Glossary

CPA — Cost Per Action

CPA is an advertising pricing model in which the advertiser pays only for a target action: a purchase, a sign-up or a subscription.

Under CPA, impressions and clicks cost nothing by themselves. Money changes hands when a person does what the advertiser wants. The advertiser decides what counts as an action: a first purchase, an app install, a paid subscription.

For a publisher, CPA means income depends on audience quality. In ThanklyClub, partners pay for a new customer, and the store gets 60% of that payout. Before the payout is credited, the partner verifies the action, usually within 14–30 days.

Example

For example, a partner pays €15 for each new subscriber. In a month 10 new subscribers come from the gift block: the partner's payout is €150 and the store's share is €90.

How to calculate it / how it works

As a price: CPA = ad spend ÷ number of target actions. As a payment model: payout = confirmed actions × rate. In the second case the rate is known in advance and you calculate the total.

For example, the rate is €15. Step 1: shoppers click the gifts 120 times. Step 2: 10 people start a subscription. Step 3: the partner confirms all ten. Step 4: the partner's payout is 10 × €15 = €150, of which the store gets 60%, or €90, and the network gets €60.

Where it shows up in ThanklyClub and common mistakes

In ThanklyClub, CPA is the basis of all payments: a partner pays for a new customer confirmed on its side, while placement, impressions and clicks are free. So a store's income depends not on the number of clicks but on how many people reach the action.

  • Mixing up CPA as the price of an action with CPA as a payment model. In the first case it is a metric, in the second it is a payout condition.
  • Calling a sign-up the action but paying for a paid subscription. Write the target action into the offer in advance.
  • Expecting money right after the conversion. Crediting happens after the 14–30 day review.
  • Comparing the rates of different offers without looking at conversion: a high rate with a low conversion rate can earn less per click (see EPC).

FAQ

How is CPA different from CPL?

CPL is cost per lead, usually a request or a contact. CPA is broader: the action can be a purchase or a subscription. In ThanklyClub, partners pay for a new customer confirmed by the partner.

Who chooses the action in CPA?

The advertiser. They write the target action into the offer terms, for example a first purchase or a paid subscription.

When does a store get paid under CPA?

After the partner confirms the conversion, which takes 14–30 days. Store payouts start from €50 via SEPA.

Related terms

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