MAGENTO 2 · PARTNERS · COMMISSIONS · LINKS AND COUPONS

Kowal Affiliate

Connect partner registration, order attribution, and settlements with an affiliate panel. Manage links, discount codes, and commission history, and optionally use AI to support partners and promotional materials.

Partner link and code · Commissions and balance · Payout workflow

HOW IT WORKS IN PRACTICE

The module extends Magento 2 with a complete affiliate system that works directly inside the store. This means the store owner manages partners, commissions, settlements, and promotional materials from their own admin panel, while partners use their own dashboard in the customer account.

In practice, the module lets you implement several cooperation models at the same time:

• a classic affiliate program based on tracking links,
• a referral program based on individual partner codes,
• a hybrid model: affiliate link plus discount code,
• a partner program for store customers, agencies, implementation partners, and creators.

The greatest value of the module is combining sales, attribution, settlements, and partner management in one place. The store does not need to maintain an external affiliate system, manually export orders, or settle partners in spreadsheets.

The module gives the store owner:

• a new sales channel,
• control over cooperation rules,
• clear commission and payout handling,
• readable reports on affiliate performance,
• the ability to prepare a program for a medium- and large-scale store after implementation validation.

The partner receives:

• their own referral code,
• their own affiliate link,
• a ready-made panel for monitoring activities,
• visibility into commissions and payouts,
• the ability to use promotional materials and banners.

The module is suitable for stores that want to build a network of sales partners without using external affiliate platforms, or that want to keep full control over data and the settlement process.

It works especially well in projects where the affiliate program will be run by:

• customers referring the store to friends,
• online creators,
• bloggers and publishers,
• specialists and consultants,
• implementation partners,
• software houses and agencies,
• B2B resellers and sales representatives,
• brand ambassadors and communities.

The module provides an application form for the affiliate program. The customer can independently apply to join the program by providing basic contact details, a website or channel address, and a short note about the planned promotion.

After the form is submitted:

• an affiliate account is created,
• a unique referral_code is generated,
• the application status is set to Pending,
• the administrator can receive a notification about the new application,
• the customer can receive confirmation that the application has been received.

The administrator can approve an affiliate from the Magento panel. After approval:

• the partner status changes to Active,
• the partner can fully use the program,
• it is possible to activate the affiliate coupon,
• the customer can receive a message confirming approval to participate.

Each affiliate receives their own affiliate link based on referral_code. The link works through a tracking controller and stores visit attribution. After a click, the system can:

• save the affiliation in a cookie,
• create a visit entry,
• create an attribution entry,
• connect a later order with a specific affiliate.

The module also supports a model where referral_code can work as a discount code in the cart.

The administrator can set the following field on the affiliate account:

• Affiliate Coupon Discount (%)

If the value is greater than zero, the system:

• synchronizes the native Magento Cart Price Rule,
• sets the coupon code equal to referral_code,
• applies a percentage discount in the cart,
• treats the use of this code as the source of order affiliation.

As a result, the affiliate can promote:

• a standard affiliate link,
• the discount code itself,
• a combination of both mechanisms at the same time.

This is one of the most practical sales features of the module because many store owners expect a partner not only to drive traffic but also to give the customer a specific price benefit.

The module can assign an order to an affiliate based on:

• a click on an affiliate link,
• active attribution saved in the session or cookie,
• use of an affiliate code in the cart,
• a logged-in customer associated with active attribution.

The following data is stored at the order level:

• affiliate_id,
• affiliate_attribution_id,
• affiliate_referral_code,
• is_affiliate_order,
• affiliate_commission_amount,
• affiliate_commission_status.

This makes it possible to report the sales source directly on quote and sales_order.

A commission is created automatically for an affiliate order. In the current model:

• the commission is calculated as a percentage of the order subtotal,
• the default rate comes from the module configuration,
• the system avoids duplicating commissions for the same order and affiliate,
• the result is saved in the commission table and on the order.

Supported commission statuses include, among others:

• pending,
• approved,
• ready_for_payout,
• paid,
• rejected,
• cancelled,
• charged_back.

The module supports a commission hold period. This means the commission does not have to be ready for payout immediately. It can remain in pending status for a defined time and only after the set period expires be automatically approved by cron.

This solution is especially important for:

• return risk,
• manual order verification,
• sales models with delayed finalization,
• the need to protect the program against abuse.

A partner can submit a payout request if the minimum threshold has been met and they have a sufficient approved balance.

The payout workflow includes:

• submitting a payout request,
• assigning commissions to the payout,
• changing the commission status to ready_for_payout,
• marking the payout as paid,
• changing commission statuses to paid.

This lets the store owner handle payouts in an organized and auditable way.

The module includes a basic anti-fraud layer that helps eliminate the most obvious abuse.

This includes, among other things:

• blocking self-referral,
• marking commissions as rejected when abuse is detected,
• handling fraud cases,
• recording rejection reasons,
• a separate fraud case view on the administrator side.

In addition, the module supports:

• order cancellations,
• chargebacks,
• refunds through creditmemo,
• changes to commission statuses after returns.

The module has its own notification queueing and processing system. It can save operational events and send email messages.

Supported cases include, among others:

• new affiliate application,
• application receipt confirmation,
• affiliate approval,
• commission events,
• payouts,
• fraud alerts.

The partner uses an extensive dashboard in the Magento customer account. The dashboard is not just a list of commissions but a full operational panel.

The affiliate panel provides:

• program participation status,
• referral code,
• full affiliate link,
• default target path,
• commission summary,
• commission history,
• access to payouts,
• cooperation rules content,
• ready-made promotional snippets,
• banner preview,
• AI banner generator.

The module includes an AI-supported feature that allows the affiliate to prepare a ready-made promotional banner based on a brief.

The user can provide:

• a text brief,
• visual direction,
• colors,
• style,
• an optional image URL,
• an optional target link.

The system passes to the AI layer:

• the user brief,
• referral link,
• target path,
• technical requirements for the response format.

The generated banner HTML can be saved on the affiliate account and used by the partner as ready-made promotional material.

The module supports reports and CSV exports for key program areas:

• commissions,
• payouts,
• fraud cases,
• AI insights.

This makes both day-to-day program management and partner performance analysis easier.

The module extends the Magento admin panel with configuration and management of the affiliate program.

The administrator has access to:

• global program settings,
• commission settings,
• payout settings,
• affiliate portal settings,
• notification settings,
• fraud settings,
• AI settings,
• reporting settings.

Additionally, operational sections are available in the panel:

• Affiliate Commissions,
• Affiliate Payouts,
• Affiliate Fraud Cases,
• Affiliate Reports.

Affiliate data is visible on the customer list and in customer editing, such as:

• program participation,
• affiliate status,
• affiliate balance,
• referral code,
• affiliate coupon discount percentage.

1. The partner receives their link.
2. The customer clicks the link and enters the store.
3. The system saves the visit and attribution.
4. The customer places an order.
5. The order is assigned to the affiliate.
6. A commission is created.
7. After the hold period expires, the commission can be approved.
8. After meeting the requirements, the partner can submit a payout request.

1. The partner publishes their affiliate code.
2. The customer enters the code in the cart.
3. Magento applies a discount from the cart rule.
4. The module recognizes the code as an affiliate code.
5. The order is assigned to the affiliate.
6. A commission is created according to the program rules.

The customer can first enter the store through an affiliate link and then use the affiliate discount code. This model makes it possible to combine classic tracking with benefits for the end customer.

The module was prepared with production implementation in mind, so it includes:

• audit records,
• handling of returns and cancellations,
• self-referral blocking,
• notification queue,
• mechanisms limiting commission duplication,
• secure storage of AI configuration,
• limiting data sent to the AI layer,
• the ability to diagnose integration errors.

The AI layer in the module is optional and does not block the basic affiliate program from operating. It can be used for:

• an affiliate assistant,
• generating insights,
• generating banners,
• product knowledge retrieval through vector_store_id.

The module does not need to maintain its own product database for AI if the store already uses an external module that manages product knowledge and Vector Store.

The module can be sold as a solution for several types of projects:

• B2C stores with a referral program,
• premium stores that want to build a network of brand ambassadors,
• B2B businesses with a program for sales partners,
• digital and software stores,
• agency implementations where the client needs a complete partner program without external SaaS.

Especially strong sales arguments are:

• full control over data,
• no subscription for an external affiliate platform,
• integration with Magento 2 without intermediaries,
• support for affiliate links and coupons,
• a ready partner panel,
• the ability to further extend with AI.

The key advantages of this solution are:

• it works directly in Magento 2,
• it supports both affiliate links and affiliate codes,
• it handles discount coupons associated with the affiliate,
• it allows partner management from the Magento customer level,
• it has a real commission and payout workflow,
• it includes basic security and audit features,
• it has a modern affiliate dashboard,
• it is ready for development with additional enterprise features.

The module is intended for:

• Magento Open Source / Adobe Commerce 2.4.7+
• PHP 8.2 / 8.3

It requires compatible Magento modules related to:

• Customer,
• Quote,
• Sales,
• SalesRule,
• Cms,
• Email,
• Backend,
• Store.

The module can be implemented in stages:

• start with affiliate links and commissions,
• extend with payouts,
• extend with affiliate coupons,
• extend with AI and content for affiliates,
• further development with more advanced commission rules and fraud scoring.

This means it is suitable both for MVP implementations and for long-term partner program development.

Kowal_Affiliate is an extensive affiliate module for Magento 2 that lets you sell and launch a complete partner program within your own store. It combines classic affiliate links, referral codes, discount coupons, commissions, payouts, basic fraud prevention, reporting, and a modern partner panel.

From a sales perspective, this is not just an add-on for referral links, but a complete partner layer for Magento 2 that can be offered as:

• a standalone module,
• an element of a store implementation,
• part of a growth / performance package,
• a foundation for a more advanced partner and brand ambassador program.

In practice, it is a solution that addresses the real needs of stores asking for:

• an affiliate program in Magento 2,
• discount codes for partners,
• commission settlement,
• a partner panel,
• readiness for sales and production work.

The commission is based on the order subtotal. The affiliate account rate takes precedence over the program default rate. The partner coupon discount value and the commission percentage are separate settings.

The default configuration provides a cookie for 30 days, 10% commission, a 14-day hold period, and a payout threshold of 100. Before launch, define your own rules, currency, and return handling process.

The ledger records changes to the partner balance. In addition to the payout workflow, the module provides an option to use the balance as a fixed-amount discount in the cart, with amount limits, partial-use rules, and rules for combining it with coupons.

The default mode is payout_only. A payout request reserves the relevant commissions; marking it as paid confirms the workflow stage, but does not itself execute a transfer through a bank or payment operator.

Stores → Configuration → Affiliate Program includes settings for the program, commissions, payouts, settlement, portal, notifications, fraud, AI, and reports. Installation can add the CMS page affiliate-program without overwriting an existing page with that identifier.

AI is disabled by default. The assistant, HTML banners, and weekly insights require appropriate configuration; product knowledge uses an existing Vector Store, and the module does not synchronize it on its own.

Package kowal/module-affiliate, module Kowal_Affiliate. After configuring access to the Kowal repository, install the package, enable the module, update Magento, and clear the cache. In production, include compilation and static content deployment according to the store process.

1. You accept a partner
The application goes for approval and receives a referral code.

2. You attribute the sale
A link or coupon connects the order with the affiliate.

3. You settle the result
Commissions go through the hold period and payout handling.

The partner shares a link and their coupon. The customer receives the configured discount, and the order is assigned to the partner.

After review and the hold period, the approved balance may qualify for a payout request. You organize the actual transfer of funds within your company settlement process.