Awin's sign-up asks for an invitation code and a refundable deposit. Neither is explained well. Here's what they actually are.
Rui Correia Posted
Two things stop people getting through Awin’s sign-up, and neither is difficult once you know what you’re looking at.
One is a box asking for an invitation code you probably don’t have. The other is a request for card details on what you were told was a free network. Here’s what both are.
The invitation code, and why you don’t need one
An invitation code waives Awin’s joining deposit. That’s all it does. It doesn’t fast-track your application, it doesn’t guarantee approval, and it isn’t required.
Advertisers hold them. Awin issues codes to brands so they can bring trusted partners onto the platform without the fee. So if you’re signing up specifically to join one retailer’s programme, it’s worth emailing their affiliate team and asking — plenty of brands publish exactly that offer on their own affiliate pages.
If you haven’t got one, leave the box empty and carry on. You’ll pay the deposit, and you’ll get it back.
The deposit
Awin asks new publishers for a small one-off deposit at sign-up. It’s refundable — credited to your publisher account and reimbursed once you reach your first payment threshold. The card payment doubles as identity verification, which is the real reason it exists.
Awin publishes the current amount on the sign-up form itself, and it has varied by region and over time, so check it there rather than trusting a figure you read somewhere.
One thing worth knowing: if your application is rejected, the deposit is not refunded automatically. You have to ask for it back.
What Awin actually assesses
Applications are reviewed against identity checks and third-party tools, not just skimmed. Awin’s own list of rejection reasons is unusually specific, and it’s mostly about being legible rather than being big:
- missing or inconsistent information on the form
- a name, address or website they can’t verify
- a description of your promotional space that doesn’t make it clear what you actually do
- no verifiable proof you own the domain
- accounts that look fake or impersonated
Fill in every field properly, including every URL and social account you’ll promote through, and describe how your promotions work in plain English. Most rejections are avoidable.
How long it takes
Most applications process automatically within a few minutes. If compliance needs to look at yours manually, that’s completed within two business days.
If you’re rejected, your application data is held for sixty days and you can reapply on the same email after that. Appeals go to Awin’s approvals team rather than partner support — and a previous rejection can influence a future review, so it’s worth getting it right first time.
After you’re in
Your publisher ID sits in brackets next to your account name in the top right of the dashboard. It’s also under Account, then Profile, then Overview. You’ll need it for almost every tool you connect to Awin, so it’s worth noting down.
UK payment thresholds are £20 by BACS or £100 by international wire. Awin runs payments on the 1st and 15th of each month, and they take three to five days to clear.
That’s one network. What happens at twelve?
Awin is rarely where it stops. A brand moves to Impact and you follow it. A retailer you want is only on CJ Affiliate, so that’s another login. Two years on you’re reconciling half a dozen dashboards with six different reporting windows and no two numbers agree.
That’s the problem Squirrel solves. We connect to seventeen of them, including every network on this list — your own accounts always take priority, and we fill the gaps where you don’t have a relationship.
Or before you add another account, check what your own links are doing — the free audit takes about a minute and needs no login.
Common questions
Do I need an Awin invitation code?
No. It only waives the joining deposit. Without one you pay the deposit, which is refunded when you reach your first payment threshold.
Where do I get an Awin invitation code?
From an advertiser. Awin issues codes to brands so they can recruit partners without the fee - ask the affiliate team of the retailer whose programme you want to join.
Is the Awin sign-up fee refundable?
Yes, once you reach your first payment threshold. If your application is rejected you have to request the refund; it isn’t automatic.
How long does Awin approval take?
Usually a few minutes. Manual compliance reviews are completed within two business days.
Where do I find my Awin publisher ID?
In brackets next to your account name at the top right of the dashboard, or under Account then Profile then Overview.