Glossary · Payout models
CPM— what it means in affiliate marketing
Cost per mille: the price of a thousand ad impressions, regardless of what anyone does with them.
The only model where the advertiser carries all the performance risk, which is why it survives mainly in display, programmatic and brand buying. Affiliates meet it on the buying side and convert it into effective cost per conversion as fast as they can.
Related terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| CPA | Cost per action: a fixed fee for one defined user action — a registration, a deposit, a completed sale. |
| CTR | Click-through rate: clicks divided by impressions. |
Entry updated 21 July 2026. All 276 terms in one page.
