Coupon code attribution vs link tracking for creators

[themagicapothecaryshop]

I’m setting up an affiliate program for a DTC wellness brand. For creator affiliates, do you find coupon code attribution more reliable than link tracking, especially across devices and apps? What’s your preferred setup as an affiliate, and what mistakes do new merchants make that cause tracking disputes?

Thanks

 

[ProfitSpyTools]

Link tracking is generally more reliable in the sense that it doesn't rely on the customer remembering/typing anything correctly, but it has its own weak spot — cross-device journeys break it constantly since cookies don't follow someone from their phone to their laptop. Coupon codes solve the cross-device problem since the code travels with the person, but you lose granularity (you know the code was used, not the click-to-conversion path). Most reliable setup in practice is running both simultaneously and using first-touch attribution as your source of truth when they conflict — treat coupon codes as a backup signal, not the primary one.