How can I credit purchases made in-app to affiliates?

[TikiTorture]

Currently developing a vehicle rental App in flutter for iOS/Android.

Our business has an affiliate system whereby affiliates are assigned a unique QR Code for app download. When a new user scans QR Code, the system needs to not only direct/attribute that App Store download to the affiliate, but also any rentals the user makes should attribute a % of rental fees to the affiliate.

How exactly can this be done?

 

[Graybeard]

embed the affiliate Id in your unique QR Code and create a DB in sqlite3 in the app dl --then as long as that user exists ...

 

[TikiTorture]

embed the affiliate Id in your unique QR Code and create a DB in sqlite3 in the app dl --then as long as that user exists ...

Ok bear with me since I'm not a dev: Yes, the affiliate ID would be embedded in the QR Code. The QR Code first directs to our website (to log the app download for that affiliate), then redirects to the app store for actual download. This will correctly credit the affiliate with the app download. But, after that App is downloaded on the user's phone - and they make a rental - how is that attributed to the affiliate? The actual rental fees are more important than the app download.

 

[TikiTorture]

app user ->app sqlite3 -> your server's database ${do stuff} get the affiliate referral from the install ->database. table -> INSERT ==> credit the affiliate upsell

you need the sqlite3 wrapped in the app

The rental fee is an event between the app sqlite3 and your server's SQL (or other db)
each event is inserted into the correct affiliate's id or is a row with fields that identify the attributes of the event = the new rental

What attribute or identifying info from the app install is used to initially attribute that user's app to that affiliate? As far as I know, iOS doesn't allow attributes to be passed through the app store to the app. So once the App is installed, its like a blank slate.

Even if the App is connected to our server using sqlite3, what is the value that is used to lookup? Once the link is created between the app and the affiliate, the rental fee attribution/split should be easy. Its that initial link that I'm trying to solve.

 

[Graybeard]

app user ->app sqlite3 -> your server's database ${do stuff} get the affiliate referral from the install ->database.table -> INSERT ==> credit the affiliate upsell

you need the sqlite3 wrapped in the app

The rental fee is an event between the app sqlite3 and your server's SQL (or other db)
each event is inserted into the correct affiliate's id or is a row with fields that identify the attributes of the event = the new rental

 

[TikiTorture]

Does the install have some query? It must because you are aware of the affiliate attributed to the install.
Renting {something} has a cost billed to that app user.
The app developer should know how to embed a sqlite3 db to his app.
Passing information from an app to a controlling server is rather common.

I am not going to work out a Database schema here, LOL

event+affiliate => revenue <that is the net result I get that
the tables and the inserts and queries involved need to be worked out.

I’m aware of the affiliate attributed to ‘AN’ install but not ‘THAT’ install because the original QR Code is a simple affiliate link that logs the QR scan before a redirect to the App Store.

But after that, nothing is attributing that particular user’s install or activity to that affiliate. Know what I’m saying? The app is installed in a blank slate with no identifiable information.

Honestly grateful for the response. Sounds like you’re knowledgeable. Just trying to drill down on what the issue is to find a solution.

Like how can we attribute that user to an affiliate if we can’t pass identifying info through the App Store?

 

[TikiTorture]

unique =>app store
the app store needs to pass the 'unique' back (somehow)

That is if you cannot somehow pass an identifier in a query &aff=23497 and get that back from the app store with that app's ID

That's the thing - I think Apple blocks this functionality. Google Play Store can do it, but not iOS App Store.

Do you get statistics from the app store with referring URLs?

There is a 'Campaign' functionality within the Apple Dev site for your app where unique URLs can be attributed to App downloads (to gauge effectiveness of App Ads. But that is sort of a dead end & generic info - not user specific. Yes you could assign a new campaign to every affiliate, but still no way to attribute individual rental fees to that affiliate.

match ?{IP} if there is no identifier?

I think this is probably going to be the closest to scratching the surface of a solution. Logging the IP, or Timestamp, or Device Info etc before the app download, then after install opening browser in background and doing some sort of match to unassigned IPs, Device Info etc within a certain time span. This is a big time workaround, frustrating.

 

[Graybeard]

Does the install have some query? It must because you are aware of the affiliate attributed to the install.
Renting {something} has a cost billed to that app user.
The app developer should know how to embed a sqlite3 db to his app.
Passing information from an app to a controlling server is rather common.

I am not going to work out a Database schema here, LOL

event+affiliate => revenue <that is the net result I get that
the tables and the inserts and queries involved need to be worked out.

 

[TikiTorture]

I make a number specific to their IP address

you could append _123456 <affilate ID too

I found a better solution after digging endlessly on Stackoverflow. Theres a company called branch dot io who offers all kinds of attribution tracking and they're actually free up to 10k MAU. So gonna go that route. Trying to manually do something so complex just doesn't make sense. IP just wouldnt work in a lot of cases. Anyways check them out if you're curious. Thanks for engaging, peace.

 

[TikiTorture]

If you can pay to use a tool that will relate the attributable data you need --pay forever
It may be cheaper in the long run time and expense wise
<<<>>> this may work -- you need an advanced subscription

Good call. I'll ask about that.

 

[Graybeard]

Like how can we attribute that user to an affiliate if we can’t pass identifying info through the App Store?

Our business has an affiliate system whereby affiliates are assigned a unique QR Code for app download. When a new user scans QR Code, the system needs to not only direct/attribute that App Store download to the affiliate,

unique =>app store
the app store needs to pass the 'unique' back (somehow)

Do you get statistics from the app store with referring URLs?

If you can do this in QR code to YOUR server=> log the referral data =>then match it with the app store statistics
your server redirects to //app_store.com/app_name/ you log each redirect and match ?{IP} if there is no identifier?
HTTP is a stateless protocol --you have to pass data in a /?{QUERY_STRING}

Get the last known location | Android Developers
you can do this on your server too and match with the download attribute to the affiliate
--less than perfect and there could be some overlap
--BUT YOU NEED TO USE THE DEVICE'S GPS or GNSS and not the ISP server downstream location.

That is if you cannot somehow pass an identifier in a query &aff=23497 and get that back from the app store with that app's ID

 

[Graybeard]

Can you make money with 'no-cookie' traffic?

Too many affiliate programs are tracking traffic with cookies still. I get it: 15% to 30% of an affiliate's referrals will refuse to accept a persistent (+ days, months) cookie so the return referral commission is not going to ever happen, and if it does, you (the affiliate) have worked for...

www.affiliatefix.com

I make a number specific to their IP address

you could append _123456 <affilate ID too

 

[Graybeard]

If you can pay to use a tool that will relate the attributable data you need --pay forever
It may be cheaper in the long run time and expense wise
https://help.branch.io/developers-hub/docs/qr-code-api this may work -- you need an advanced subscription