ChatGPT answers, unedited

Yes. What you’re describing is subscription-aware partner/affiliate software—the important part is that commissions need to follow the customer lifecycle, not just pay once when someone signs up.

My shortlist

1. FirstPromoter — probably the closest match

For your specific requirement, I'd investigate FirstPromoter first.

It explicitly tracks billing events including renewals, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and reactivations, and can update commissions based on those events. It supports percentage or fixed commissions, lifetime recurring commissions, time-limited commissions, and commission rules by billing event. FirstPromoter FirstPromoter

So you could have something like:

Partner refers customer → customer pays $100 → partner gets 20%
Customer upgrades to $200 → partner gets 20% of the new recurring amount
Customer cancels → future commissions stop
Customer gets a refund → corresponding commission is reversed/clawed back

It natively integrates with Stripe, Paddle, Recurly, Chargebee and Braintree. FirstPromoter FirstPromoter

2. Rewardful — excellent if you're on Stripe

If your billing stack is Stripe, Rewardful is probably the simplest alternative.

It supports recurring and one-time commissions and says it automatically handles upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and refunds. Rewardful

The big advantage is simplicity: it's designed around Stripe subscriptions rather than being a giant enterprise partner-management system.

rewardful.com

3. PartnerStack — if "partners" means a broader channel program

I'd consider PartnerStack if you're building something bigger than an affiliate program—for example:

• Affiliates
• Referral partners
• Agencies
• Resellers
• Integration partners
• Tiered partner programs
• Different commission structures by partner type

PartnerStack supports recurring commissions tied to subscriptions and expansion revenue, event-based commissions, and connections to billing systems such as Stripe and Chargebee. PartnerStack

It also has drip commissions, which can be useful if you don't want to immediately pay the full commission because of cancellation/refund risk. PartnerStack

partnerstack.com

The important question: what do you mean by "pro-rated"?

There are actually two different problems that software vendors may call prorating:

A. Billing proration

Customer is paying $50/month and upgrades halfway through the month to $100/month. Your billing system generates something like a $25 prorated upgrade charge.

You want the partner commission to reflect the actual $25 incremental revenue.

B. Commission proration

You pay partners 20% of subscription revenue, and the customer cancels halfway through a billing period. You want the partner's commission adjusted based on the amount actually retained.

If B is what you need, I'd pay particular attention to how each platform handles refunds, credits, cancellations, and negative commission adjustments, rather than merely asking whether it supports "recurring commissions."

FirstPromoter looks particularly aligned with this requirement because its documentation explicitly describes commissions being adjusted with billing events and cancellation/refund correction. FirstPromoter FirstPromoter

What I'd choose

• Stripe + relatively straightforward affiliate program: Rewardful
• Stripe/Paddle/Chargebee/Recurly + complex subscription lifecycle: FirstPromoter
• Large B2B SaaS partner ecosystem: PartnerStack
• SaaS + ecommerce: Tapfiliate
• Early-stage/simple partner program: Tolt

For your use case, I'd start by comparing FirstPromoter vs. Rewardful. The deciding question is whether you need genuinely billing-event-level commission accounting or simply recurring commissions tied to Stripe subscriptions.

If you tell me what you're using for billing (Stripe, Chargebee, Recurly, Paddle, etc.) and roughly how you want the commission to work (e.g. “20% of every dollar for 12 months, including upgrades, but claw back on cancellation”), I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 and map out exactly how each would handle your scenario.

A. Billing proration

Customer is paying $50/month and upgrades halfway through the month to $100/month. Your billing system generates something like a $25 prorated upgrade charge.

You want the partner commission to reflect the actual $25 incremental revenue.

B. Commission proration

You pay partners 20% of subscription revenue, and the customer cancels halfway through a billing period. You want the partner's commission adjusted based on the amount actually retained.

If B is what you need, I'd pay particular attention to how each platform handles refunds, credits, cancellations, and negative commission adjustments, rather than merely asking whether it supports "recurring commissions."

FirstPromoter looks particularly aligned with this requirement because its documentation explicitly describes commissions being adjusted with billing events and cancellation/refund correction.

What I'd choose

Yes. If your model is subscription revenue share, especially where customers can upgrade, downgrade, cancel, refund, or renew, you want a SaaS affiliate platform that is tied to billing events—not a basic affiliate tracker.

Best fits

My recommendation

If you're on Stripe, I'd shortlist Rewardful and FirstPromoter.

Rewardful is particularly interesting for your exact requirement. Its Stripe integration is designed around subscription lifecycle changes: when a customer upgrades mid-cycle, it says it calculates commission from the final prorated Stripe invoice; refunds and partial refunds adjust commissions as well; and recurring commissions continue or stop according to the subscription's actual state. Rewardful Stripe App Marketplace

FirstPromoter is the stronger choice if you need more sophisticated commission rules. It supports lifetime recurring commissions, commissions for a fixed number of months/charges, different rates over time, and billing-event-based adjustments. It explicitly supports upgrades, downgrades, refunds and cancellations, with native integrations for Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly and Braintree. FirstPromoter FirstPromoter

For example, you could configure something like:

Partner receives 25% of net subscription revenue for every referred customer.
Customer upgrades → commission automatically increases based on the prorated/updated billing amount.
Customer downgrades → future commission decreases.
Customer cancels → recurring commission stops.
Refund → corresponding commission is reversed/clawed back.

That's substantially better than trying to calculate commissions yourself from Stripe webhooks.

One important distinction

I'd decide what you mean by "revenue share" before selecting the platform:

1. % of each actual invoice/payment — easiest and safest.
2. % of MRR/ARR — requires more careful handling of upgrades/downgrades.
3. % of gross revenue vs. net revenue — important when discounts, refunds, taxes, credits and Stripe fees are involved.
4. Commission for the customer's lifetime vs. first 12 months.
5. Clawback on cancellation/refund — e.g. don't pay a partner until the payment clears or reverse commission if refunded.

FirstPromoter, for example, supports lifetime, time-limited, and charge-count-based recurring commissions, as well as percentage or flat commissions. FirstPromoter

If you tell me what billing stack you're using (e.g. Stripe + Stripe Billing, Chargebee, Paddle) and your intended revenue-share rule, I can narrow this down to the 2–3 best options and compare their pricing, API/webhook capabilities, proration handling, and payout mechanics.

Rewardful is particularly interesting for your exact requirement. Its Stripe integration is designed around subscription lifecycle changes: when a customer upgrades mid-cycle, it says it calculates commission from the final prorated Stripe invoice; refunds and partial refunds adjust commissions as well; and recurring commissions continue or stop according to the subscription's actual state. rewardful.com marketplace.stripe.com

FirstPromoter is the stronger choice if you need more sophisticated commission rules. It supports lifetime recurring commissions, commissions for a fixed number of months/charges, different rates over time, and billing-event-based adjustments. It explicitly supports upgrades, downgrades, refunds and cancellations, with native integrations for Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly and Braintree. firstpromoter.com help.firstpromoter.com

For example, you could configure something like:

Partner receives 25% of net subscription revenue for every referred customer.
Customer upgrades → commission automatically increases based on the prorated/updated billing amount.
Customer downgrades → future commission decreases.
Customer cancels → recurring commission stops.
Refund → corresponding commission is reversed/clawed back.

That's substantially better than trying to calculate commissions yourself from Stripe webhooks.

One important distinction

I'd decide what you mean by "revenue share" before selecting the platform:

For a subscription business, you’ll want a partner/affiliate platform that understands subscription lifecycle events, not just first-sale tracking. The key capabilities to look for are:

• Recurring revenue share (pay partners every billing cycle)
• Upgrade/downgrade handling (commission recalculates when a customer changes plans)
• Cancellation/churn stopping future commissions
• Refund/chargeback reversals
• Stripe/Paddle/Braintree/subscription billing integrations
• Partner portal + automated payouts
• Tiered partner rates (e.g., affiliates vs strategic partners)

Some strong options:

For your specific use case (upgrades + cancellations)

I would prioritize tools that ingest billing events, not just referral clicks.

A good commission model would look like:

1. Partner refers customer.
2. Customer subscribes to Starter ($50/mo).
3. Partner earns 20% ($10/mo).
4. Customer upgrades to Pro ($100/mo).
5. Commission automatically becomes $20/mo.
6. Customer cancels.
7. Commission stops after the final paid period.
8. Refunds/failed payments reverse unpaid commissions.

Platforms built around Stripe subscription events tend to handle this better than traditional affiliate systems. Rekomi Icodrip

My shortlist by company stage

• Early SaaS (<$1M ARR): Rewardful, FirstPromoter, Tapfiliate
• Growing SaaS ($1M–$20M ARR): FirstPromoter, PartnerStack, Rekomi
• Enterprise partner ecosystem: PartnerStack, impact.com

If you tell me your billing stack (Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly, Zuora, etc.), partner type (affiliates vs agencies/resellers), and whether commissions are lifetime recurring or capped (e.g., 12 months), I can narrow this down.

Yes. What you’re describing is SaaS affiliate/partner software that understands the subscription billing lifecycle, rather than a basic affiliate tracker.

The key requirement is that commissions should follow the customer—not just the original signup:

• Customer subscribes → commission created
• Customer renews → recurring commission
• Customer upgrades mid-cycle → commission reflects the higher/prorated revenue
• Customer downgrades → commission decreases appropriately
• Customer cancels → future commissions stop
• Customer gets refunded → commission is reversed/clawed back
• Ideally, you can define whether partners earn on net revenue, gross revenue, the prorated upgrade amount, or only certain billing events

My shortlist

1. FirstPromoter — probably the strongest match

This is the one I'd investigate first if proration and billing accuracy are important.

FirstPromoter explicitly tracks subscription events including renewals, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, refunds and reactivations, and updates commissions based on those events. It also supports percentage, flat, one-time, lifetime recurring and tiered commissions. firstpromoter.com

That makes it particularly attractive if your desired rule is something like:

Partner receives 20% of subscription revenue for as long as the referred customer remains subscribed, with commissions automatically adjusting when the customer changes plans.

It also supports clawback rules for cancellations. firstpromoter.com

2. Rewardful — excellent if you're Stripe-first

If your billing is entirely through Stripe and you want something simpler, Rewardful is a very strong option.

It specifically says it automatically adjusts commissions for upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and trials, and calculates commissions from paid invoices. help.rewardful.com

The major attraction is simplicity: connect Stripe, define the commission structure, and let it follow the subscription.

3. PartnerStack — if "partners" means more than affiliates

I'd look at PartnerStack if you're building a broader partner channel involving:

• affiliates
• agencies
• resellers
• referral partners
• technology partners
• multiple commission plans

It supports event-based commission models and recurring commissions tied to renewals and expansion revenue. partnerstack.com

It's substantially more of a partner-management platform than something like Rewardful.

What I'd choose

If you're a SaaS company using Stripe:

FirstPromoter → Rewardful → PartnerStack

I'd put FirstPromoter ahead if the billing lifecycle/proration logic is the core requirement. Rewardful wins if you want the simplest possible implementation. PartnerStack wins if you're building a serious B2B partner ecosystem.

One important thing I'd verify in demos: don't just ask "does it support prorated upgrades?" Ask them to demonstrate this exact scenario:

Customer pays $100/month. Partner gets 20%. Customer upgrades halfway through the month to $200/month. Stripe generates a $50 prorated charge. Show us exactly what commission is generated, when it is generated, and what happens if the customer subsequently cancels/refunds that invoice.

That's where superficially similar affiliate platforms can behave very differently.

If you tell me what billing system you use (Stripe, Chargebee, Paddle, Recurly, etc.), your desired commission rule, and roughly how many partners you expect, I can narrow this to the 2–3 best options and compare their proration, clawbacks, payout fees, API/webhooks, and pricing.

Yes. What you’re describing is subscription-aware partner/affiliate commission software—the important part is that commissions are tied to billing events rather than just the initial referral.

Best options

My shortlist for your use case

1. FirstPromoter — probably the strongest match

FirstPromoter explicitly tracks the subscription lifecycle: renewals, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and reactivations, with commission logic configurable by billing event, period, or lifetime. It also supports recurring, percentage, flat, and tiered commissions. firstpromoter.com

That makes it particularly interesting if your model is something like:

Partner refers customer → customer pays $100/month → partner gets 20% → customer upgrades to $200 → partner gets 20% of the new recurring amount → customer cancels → future commissions stop / clawback according to your rules.

It also supports multiple billing systems, including Stripe, Paddle, Recurly, Chargebee and Braintree. firstpromoter.com

2. Rewardful — best if you're on Stripe and want simplicity

Rewardful is very tightly integrated with Stripe and says it automatically handles recurring commissions, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and refunds. www.rewardful.com

Importantly for your question, Rewardful says its commission calculations reflect what the customer actually paid, including billing upgrades/downgrades, rather than simply continuing to use the original subscription amount. www.rewardful.com

So if you're a relatively lean SaaS company running Stripe subscriptions, I'd put this near the top.

3. PartnerStack — if "partners" means more than affiliates

PartnerStack is more appropriate if you're building a serious B2B partner ecosystem involving affiliates, referral partners, agencies, resellers, co-selling, etc. It supports recurring/usage-based commissions, expansion revenue and installment ("drip") commissions. partnerstack.com

It's likely overkill if all you need is "give partners 20% of subscription revenue."

One thing I'd verify in demos

The phrase "pro-rated commissions" is important. I'd specifically ask each vendor:

"If a customer is $100/month, upgrades halfway through the month to $200/month, and Stripe creates a prorated $50 invoice adjustment, exactly what commission ledger entries are created for the partner?"

And also:

"If they cancel halfway through the billing period, do you commission the prorated revenue actually collected, the original invoice amount, or reverse previously accrued commission?"

That's where seemingly similar affiliate platforms can behave quite differently. Stripe itself handles the subscription proration; the question is whether the partner platform's commission ledger mirrors those billing events correctly. www.rewardful.com

If you tell me what you're using for billing (Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly, etc.) and roughly how you want the revenue share to work (e.g. 20% for 12 months, lifetime, until cancellation, clawbacks, etc.), I can narrow this to the 2–3 best choices and compare their pricing.

Yes. If you're selling subscriptions and want partners paid on the actual subscription lifecycle—including upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, refunds, and recurring renewals—you should use a SaaS-focused partner/affiliate platform rather than a generic affiliate tracker.

Best options

1. FirstPromoter — probably the closest fit

FirstPromoter is specifically designed around subscription billing. It says it tracks renewals, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and reactivations, with commission calculations tied to billing events. It supports Stripe, Paddle, Recurly, Chargebee and Braintree. firstpromoter.comhelp.firstpromoter.compartnerstack.com

It also supports:

• Lifetime recurring commissions
• Fixed-duration recurring commissions, e.g. 20% for 12 months
• Different commission rates over time
• Percentage or fixed commissions
• Cancellation clawbacks
• Partner-specific commission rules
• Automated payouts and tax documentation help.firstpromoter.com

This would be my first product to evaluate if your requirement is literally "pay partners a percentage of subscription revenue, including changes to the subscription."

2. Rewardful — best if you're on Stripe and want simplicity

Rewardful has particularly straightforward Stripe integration. It explicitly supports recurring commissions, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and refunds, and automatically adjusts commissions based on subscription changes. www.rewardful.com

I'd favor it if your setup is essentially:

Stripe → customer subscription → affiliate attribution → X% recurring revenue share

and you don't need a sophisticated PRM.

3. PartnerStack — better for a serious partner ecosystem

If by "partners" you mean agencies, resellers, strategic partners, affiliates and referral partners, rather than just affiliates, PartnerStack becomes more interesting.

It supports recurring commissions tied to subscriptions and expansion revenue, event-based commission triggers, and "drip" commissions that pay partners incrementally over time. It also supports Stripe and Chargebee connections. partnerstack.com

The tradeoff is that it's more of a full partner management platform than a lightweight affiliate tool.

One important distinction: "pro-rated" commissions

I'd specifically test this with each vendor rather than assuming that "supports upgrades" means it handles your exact accounting model.

For example, suppose:

• Partner gets 20% revenue share
• Customer starts at $100/month
• Customer upgrades halfway through the month to $200/month
• Stripe charges a $50 prorated difference
• Partner should receive 20% of that $50 = $10
• Customer subsequently cancels and receives a prorated refund
• Partner's commission should potentially be reduced/clawed back accordingly

That's more specific than simply "tracking upgrades."

FirstPromoter and Rewardful both claim to adjust commissions for subscription changes, but I'd validate your exact Stripe invoice/credit-note/proration scenario in a trial before committing. www.rewardful.com

My recommendation

If you tell me your billing stack (Stripe, Chargebee, Recurly, Paddle, etc.) and your desired rule—for example, "partners get 25% of all revenue for 12 months, including upgrades, minus refunds"—I can compare the top 3 specifically against that commission logic and tell you which one I'd choose.

Yes. For your use case, you want subscription-aware affiliate/partner software, not a generic affiliate tracker. The critical capability is that commissions follow the actual billing lifecycle—renewals, prorated upgrades/downgrades, refunds, and cancellations.

Best fits

1. Rewardful — probably the simplest if you're on Stripe

Rewardful

Rewardful is particularly well suited to this model. It supports recurring commissions and automatically adjusts commissions for upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, refunds, and other Stripe billing changes. Its newer Stripe integration specifically handles mid-cycle prorated upgrades based on the final prorated invoice amount. www.rewardful.com

For example:

• Partner refers customer → 20% commission
• Customer pays $100/month → $20 commission
• Customer upgrades halfway through the month → Stripe generates a prorated charge → commission adjusts to the actual revenue
• Customer renews → another 20% commission
• Customer cancels → future recurring commissions stop
• Customer gets refunded → commission is adjusted accordingly

One caveat: if you have already paid the affiliate and subsequently issue a refund, Rewardful says the overpayment needs to be handled manually; keeping commissions pending through your refund window can prevent this. www.rewardful.com

2. FirstPromoter — strongest alternative / more billing-provider flexibility

FirstPromoter

FirstPromoter is another very strong match. It explicitly tracks recurring and one-time charges, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, refunds and chargebacks, and adjusts referral commissions based on those events. firstpromoter.com

A particularly useful feature for partner programs is its flexible commission duration:

• Lifetime recurring commission
• Recurring for 12 months
• Recurring for a fixed number of charges
• Different commission rates at different stages

It supports Stripe plus several other billing systems, including Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly and Braintree. help.firstpromoter.comwww.rewardful.com

3. PartnerStack — consider this if "partners" means a broader B2B partner channel

PartnerStack

I'd look at PartnerStack if you're building more than an affiliate program—for example, referral partners + agencies + resellers + affiliates. It's more of a full partner-management platform, whereas Rewardful/FirstPromoter are more focused on the subscription-affiliate use case. firstpromoter.com

My recommendation

If your business is roughly:

SaaS subscription → Stripe → partners get X% of customer revenue

I'd shortlist them as:

The biggest distinction I'd make is Rewardful vs. FirstPromoter. Both now explicitly address the messy subscription lifecycle you're describing. Rewardful's Stripe integration is particularly compelling if Stripe is your source of truth and prorated upgrades are important. FirstPromoter is more attractive if you want more sophisticated commission rules or may use multiple billing providers. help.firstpromoter.comwww.rewardful.com

One thing I'd verify during a demo: exactly how they treat a cancellation occurring mid-cycle. There's an important difference between (a) stopping commissions immediately, (b) stopping them at the subscription period end, and (c) clawing back commission on an early termination/refund. That's a business-rule question rather than simply an "affiliate tracking" feature.

If you tell me what billing system you're using (Stripe/Paddle/Chargebee/etc.), your desired commission rule (e.g. 20% of net revenue for 12 months), and whether partners are affiliates or contracted B2B partners, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 options and map out exactly how the prorated upgrade/cancellation logic would work.

For a subscription business, you’ll want a SaaS-aware affiliate/partner commission platform, not a traditional affiliate tracker. The key capabilities to look for are:

• Recurring revenue share (e.g., 20% of every invoice)
• Upgrade/downgrade handling (commission adjusts when a customer moves plans)
• Cancellation/churn stopping (future commissions stop automatically)
• Proration support (mid-cycle upgrades, credits, partial invoices)
• Refund/chargeback clawbacks
• Stripe/Paddle integration or webhooks
• Partner portal + payout management

Some strong options:

Recommended commission model for subscription upgrades/cancellations

A common SaaS setup:

1. Customer signs up through partner link
2. Commission activates after the first successful paid invoice
3. Partner earns a percentage of net collected revenue
4. If customer upgrades:
   • commission increases automatically based on new plan amount
5. If customer downgrades:
   • commission decreases
6. If customer cancels:
   • future recurring commissions stop
7. Refunds/chargebacks:
   • reverse unpaid or future commissions

This "pay on collected revenue" approach avoids paying partners for customers who never become retained subscribers. www.tinyaffiliate.com

My shortlist by company stage

• Early SaaS (Stripe, <100 partners): Rewardful, FirstPromoter, Tolt
• Growing SaaS with agencies/resellers: PartnerStack, Track360
• Heavy subscription lifecycle logic (MRR, churn cohorts, complex plans): Rekomi, HeldSway

One important question: are these affiliate partners who simply refer customers, or resellers/strategic partners who may own accounts and renewals? The right software differs quite a bit between those two models.

Yes. If your model is subscription revenue share where the partner’s commission should follow the customer’s actual billing lifecycle—renewals, upgrades/downgrades, cancellations, refunds, and ideally Stripe proration—you should look at SaaS-specific affiliate/partner platforms rather than generic affiliate software.

Best fits

My first choice would be FirstPromoter if you're using Stripe. It explicitly tracks subscription lifecycle events and says commissions are recalculated for renewals, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and reactivations. You can also configure commissions as percentage/flat, recurring/lifetime, time-limited, or tied to particular billing events. firstpromoter.comhelp.rewardful.comsage.tolt.io

FirstPromoter

Rewardful is probably the closest alternative if you want something simpler and are Stripe-only. Its current Stripe integration says commissions automatically adjust for upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, refunds and other billing-event changes. help.rewardful.com

Rewardful

Tolt is another SaaS-focused option. It syncs with Stripe, Paddle and Chargebee and says subscription cancellations/refunds update the affiliate relationship automatically. sage.tolt.io

Tolt

One important distinction: "recurring" vs. "prorated"

I'd specifically test this scenario before choosing a vendor:

Customer pays $100/month → partner gets 20% ($20).
Customer upgrades halfway through the month to $200/month → Stripe creates a $50 prorated charge.
Partner should receive 20% of that $50 = $10 additional commission.
Customer subsequently cancels/refunds → commission should be clawed back appropriately.

A lot of affiliate software says it handles "upgrades" but doesn't necessarily mean commission is calculated from the exact prorated invoice line items. That's the requirement I'd put in your vendor evaluation.

FirstPromoter is particularly interesting here because it says its commissions are tied to actual Stripe billing events and specifically supports upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and refunds. firstpromoter.com

What I'd require in your evaluation

Ask each vendor whether it supports:

1. Recurring % of collected revenue, not just signup commissions.
2. Stripe prorations on mid-cycle upgrades/downgrades.
3. Commission calculated on the net amount actually collected.
4. Refund/chargeback clawbacks.
5. Commission changes when a customer changes plans.
6. Cancellation immediately vs. at end of billing period.
7. Multiple partner commission rules.
8. A complete commission ledger/audit trail tied to Stripe invoices.
9. Manual commission adjustments.
10. API/webhooks so you can reconcile their numbers against your own billing system.

If you're building a partner revenue-share program rather than a traditional affiliate program, I would lean toward FirstPromoter vs. Rewardful vs. Tolt, and I can do a deeper comparison of pricing, exact proration behavior, APIs, payout handling, and whether each can support your specific upgrade/cancellation commission formula.

Yes. For a SaaS subscription model where partner commissions need to follow recurring payments, upgrades/downgrades, cancellations, refunds, and prorated invoice changes, I’d shortlist these:

My first two choices

1. FirstPromoter — probably the closest match

FirstPromoter explicitly ties commissions to billing events and says commissions update when customers renew, upgrade, downgrade, cancel, or reactivate. It supports percentage/flat commissions, lifetime recurring commissions, time-limited recurring commissions, and different rates over the customer's lifecycle. It also natively integrates with Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly, and Braintree. help.firstpromoter.comwww.rewardful.compartnerstack.com

That makes it particularly interesting if your rule is something like:

Partner gets 20% of net subscription revenue for every month the referred customer remains active; if the customer upgrades mid-cycle, commission follows the actual billing amount; if they cancel/refund, the commission is adjusted/clawed back.

FirstPromoter specifically advertises cancellation/refund clawbacks and billing-event-based commission logic. firstpromoter.com

2. Rewardful — excellent if you're on Stripe

Rewardful is very Stripe-centric. It automatically adjusts commissions for upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, trials and refunds, and recurring commissions are generated from subsequent paid invoices. help.rewardful.com

Its 2026 documentation also says that for upgrades/downgrades, commission is adjusted based on what the customer actually paid, which is important if you're dealing with Stripe prorations. www.rewardful.com

3. PartnerStack — if "partners" means a broader B2B ecosystem

PartnerStack is more of a full PRM/partner ecosystem platform than a lightweight affiliate tool. It supports recurring commissions, renewals, expansion revenue, event-based commission triggers, and drip/installment commissions. It also handles partner payouts and supports referral, co-sell and reseller models. partnerstack.com

I'd lean toward it if you expect agencies, resellers, technology partners, affiliates, and referral partners rather than just affiliates.

One important distinction

I'd verify the exact proration behavior during demos. "Supports upgrades" isn't necessarily the same as "correctly handles a Stripe prorated upgrade and calculates the partner's share of the prorated credit/debit."

If you tell me your billing stack (e.g. Stripe), your exact commission rule (e.g. 20% of every dollar collected), and whether you want commissions to continue for the customer's lifetime or for X months, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 and compare the exact mechanics and pricing.

Yes. What you’re describing is subscription-aware affiliate/partner software—the key requirement is that commissions follow the billing lifecycle rather than treating the initial signup as a one-time sale.

Best fits

\*I'd verify the exact upgrade/cancellation behavior for your billing configuration during a demo rather than assuming every edge case is automatic.

My first choice: FirstPromoter

For the specific model you described, FirstPromoter looks particularly well aligned. It says it tracks recurring and one-time charges as well as upgrades, cancellations, refunds and chargebacks, and automatically adjusts commissions based on those billing events. firstpromoter.comfirstpromoter.com

For example, you could structure:

• Partner refers customer → 20% recurring commission
• Customer starts at $50/mo → partner earns $10/mo
• Customer upgrades to $100/mo → commission automatically becomes $20/mo
• Customer downgrades to $40/mo → commission becomes $8/mo
• Customer cancels → recurring commissions stop
• Customer gets refunded → previously calculated commission can be reversed/clawed back
• Failed payment → don't accrue/pay commission until the revenue actually clears

FirstPromoter specifically advertises commission rules based on billing events and supports percentage, flat, one-time, lifetime recurring and tiered commissions. firstpromoter.comfirstpromoter.com

It also supports several billing systems—including Stripe, Paddle, Recurly, Chargebee and Braintree—which is useful if you're not exclusively on Stripe. firstpromoter.com

When I'd choose the others

Rewardful — I'd investigate this first if you're Stripe-centric and want something relatively lightweight. It's specifically positioned around SaaS subscription affiliate programs and recurring billing. www.rewardful.com

PartnerStack — better if "partners" means more than affiliates: agencies, resellers, technology partners, referral partners, etc. It's more of a comprehensive partner ecosystem than a lightweight affiliate commission engine.

Tolt — worth considering if you want a simpler, SaaS-focused option and don't need the broader partner-management capabilities of PartnerStack.

One important distinction

I'd make sure the vendor can handle pro-rating at the billing-event level, not merely "recurring commissions."

For example, suppose:

Customer pays $50 on August 1 → upgrades to $100 on August 15 → gets a $25 prorated credit and is charged $75.

You want the affiliate system to understand the actual recognized/charged revenue, rather than blindly generating 20% of $100 for the month. That's the sort of edge case I'd explicitly test in a demo.

If you tell me what billing system you're using (Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly, etc.), your commission rule (e.g. 20% of revenue for 12 months/lifetime), and whether you mean "partners" as affiliates or resellers, I can narrow this to 2–3 options and compare their exact handling of prorations, upgrades, cancellations, refunds, and payouts.

Yes. If your partners earn a percentage of actual subscription revenue, including changes when customers upgrade, downgrade, or cancel, you want a SaaS affiliate/partner platform that syncs directly with your billing system rather than a generic affiliate tracker.

Best options

1. Rewardful — probably the closest match

Rewardful

Rewardful is specifically built around subscription businesses. With Stripe, it calculates commissions from the amount actually paid and automatically adjusts commissions for upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, refunds and trials. help.rewardful.com

For example:

• Customer starts at $50/mo
• Partner gets 20% = $10/mo
• Customer upgrades to $100/mo
• Partner's subsequent commission becomes $20/mo
• Customer cancels → recurring commission stops
• Customer receives a partial refund → commission is adjusted accordingly

That makes it particularly attractive if your definition of revenue share is essentially “partner gets X% of the subscription revenue we actually collect.”

2. FirstPromoter — strongest alternative

FirstPromoter

FirstPromoter supports recurring commissions that can run for the customer's lifetime, a specified number of months, or a fixed number of charges. It also supports variable commission rates over time. help.firstpromoter.com

It integrates natively with Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly and Braintree, and explicitly tracks upgrades, cancellations and refunds. help.firstpromoter.com

I'd favor this if you need more sophisticated commission rules than simply “20% of every invoice.”

3. PartnerStack — if these are strategic/B2B partners

PartnerStack

PartnerStack is more of a full partner ecosystem platform than an affiliate tracker. It supports recurring revenue share, renewals, upsells and “drip” commissions where partners get paid over time as revenue is realized. partnerstack.com

It's the one I'd investigate if your “partners” include resellers, agencies, referral partners and co-sell partners, rather than just affiliates.

My recommendation

If you're on Stripe, I'd shortlist:

Rewardful → FirstPromoter → PartnerStack

For your specific requirement, I'd start with Rewardful. Its billing-event model is very close to what you're describing, and it explicitly handles the messy cases—upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and refunds—rather than making you reconcile them yourself. help.rewardful.com

One important thing to clarify before choosing: what exactly do you mean by “pro-rated”? If a customer upgrades halfway through a billing period and Stripe generates a $37.42 prorated invoice/credit, you probably want the partner's commission calculated from the net revenue actually collected, rather than simply applying the percentage to the new plan price. I'd verify that behavior with whichever platform you choose.

If you tell me your billing stack (Stripe/Chargebee/Paddle/etc.), whether partners get paid for the lifetime of the customer or for a fixed period, and your desired commission formula, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and compare their pricing/API capabilities.

Yes. If your partners earn a percentage of subscription revenue, the important thing is not just affiliate tracking—it’s billing-event-aware commission accounting. You want commissions to follow the customer through renewals, upgrades, downgrades, refunds, and cancellations.

My shortlist

1. FirstPromoter — probably the strongest fit

This is the one I'd investigate first if your requirement is specifically:

"Partner gets X% of actual subscription revenue, and the commission automatically changes when the customer's subscription changes."

FirstPromoter says its commission engine tracks renewals, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and reactivations, with commission logic configurable by billing event, period, or lifetime. It also supports percentage, fixed, one-time, lifetime recurring, and tiered commissions. firstpromoter.com

That makes it particularly interesting if you eventually want rules such as:

• 20% of subscription revenue for 12 months
• 30% lifetime recurring
• 10% on upgrades
• No commission after cancellation
• Claw back commission on refunds
• Different rates for different plans
• Different rates for different partner tiers

It also supports Stripe, Paddle, Recurly, Chargebee and Braintree. firstpromoter.com

2. Rewardful — excellent if you're on Stripe

If you're using Stripe and want something relatively simple, Rewardful is very compelling.

It explicitly supports automatic commission adjustments for upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, refunds and trials, and recurring commissions are generated from paid subscription invoices. help.rewardful.com

So, for example:

Customer starts at $50/mo → partner gets 20% = $10

Then:

Customer upgrades to $100/mo → partner gets 20% = $20

Then:

Customer cancels → recurring commissions stop

That is exactly the type of lifecycle you're describing.

Rewardful

3. PartnerStack — if "partners" means a broader B2B channel

I'd look at PartnerStack if you're building something bigger than a traditional affiliate program—e.g. agencies, consultants, resellers, referral partners and co-selling partners.

It supports recurring commissions tied to subscriptions, renewals and expansion revenue, as well as event-based commission models and installment/drip commissions. partnerstack.com

It is more of a full partner ecosystem platform, though, so I'd consider it potentially overkill if all you need is:

referral → subscription → recurring revenue share → automatic adjustment on billing changes.

4. Tolt — worth considering for a lean implementation

Tolt is aimed specifically at SaaS startups and supports Stripe, Paddle and Chargebee. Its two-way billing sync detects subscription events such as subscriptions, cancellations and refunds and updates the affiliate accordingly. sage.tolt.io

I'd put it behind FirstPromoter/Rewardful if precise upgrade/downgrade commission logic is a core requirement, but it's worth evaluating for a simpler program.

What I'd choose

If I were designing your program:

Stripe + straightforward recurring revenue share → Rewardful

Stripe + complicated commission rules / multiple billing systems → FirstPromoter

B2B SaaS + agencies/resellers/referral/co-sell partners → PartnerStack

Early-stage SaaS + simple affiliate program → Tolt

The key question I'd ask vendors before buying is:

"If a customer is paying $100/month and upgrades mid-cycle to $200/month, exactly how is the partner's commission calculated, and what happens to the commission if they later downgrade, refund, or cancel?"

Don't settle for a platform that merely says "recurring commissions." You want the commission engine tied to actual billing events, because that's what prevents your finance team from having to reconcile partner payouts against Stripe every month.

If you tell me what billing system you use (Stripe, Chargebee, Paddle, etc.), your intended revenue-share rule (e.g. 20% for 12 months or lifetime), and roughly how many partners you expect, I can narrow this to the 2–3 best options and compare their pricing and implementation.

A few platforms can handle recurring affiliate commissions plus subscription upgrades/cancellations and prorated adjustments. The best fit depends on whether you want the affiliate platform to calculate commission from billing events or just receive events from Stripe/your billing system.

Good options to evaluate:

• Rewardful — strong choice if you're on Stripe; supports recurring commissions and subscription events with relatively little setup.
• FirstPromoter — built for SaaS subscriptions, recurring commissions, upgrades/downgrades, refunds, and cancellations.
• PartnerStack — better suited to a larger partner program with multiple partner types, tiers, and more sophisticated commission rules.
• Tolt — SaaS-focused affiliate management with Stripe integration and recurring commissions; generally simpler than enterprise partner platforms.
• Everflow — powerful if you need highly configurable attribution and commission rules across many acquisition channels, though it can be more infrastructure than you need.

For your specific requirement—“revenue share on subscription upgrades and cancellations, including prorating”—I'd shortlist FirstPromoter and Rewardful first, then PartnerStack if you're building a more complex partner program.

One important detail: “prorated commissions” can mean two different things. If a customer upgrades halfway through a billing period, you may want the partner to earn commission only on the incremental prorated revenue, while a cancellation/refund may require a negative commission or clawback. Not every affiliate platform handles those accounting rules natively.

If you tell me what billing system you use (e.g. Stripe, Chargebee, Recurly) and your desired commission rule, I can compare the platforms specifically against that workflow.

Yes. If your business is subscription SaaS, I’d focus on affiliate/partner platforms that understand subscription lifecycle events, rather than generic affiliate trackers.

Best fits

My first choice would be Rewardful if you're on Stripe. It connects directly to Stripe and says it automatically adjusts commissions for upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and refunds. help.rewardful.com

FirstPromoter is particularly interesting if you need sophisticated rules. It supports recurring commissions for the customer's lifetime, a fixed number of months/charges, or a fixed number of charges. It also supports different commission rates over time. help.firstpromoter.com

PartnerStack is the one I'd investigate if "partners" means more than conventional affiliates—e.g. agencies, resellers, referral partners and strategic partners. It supports recurring revenue, renewals, expansion revenue and installment/drip commissions. partnerstack.com

The important part: define your commission mechanics

For your use case, I'd make sure the platform can handle something like:

Partner gets 20% of subscription revenue from referred customer.
Customer upgrades → partner gets 20% of the incremental revenue.
Customer downgrades → future commission decreases accordingly.
Customer cancels → recurring commission stops.
Refund/proration → commission is reduced or reversed accordingly.

That's more demanding than simply "30% recurring commission." In particular, mid-cycle Stripe prorations and refunds are where I'd test each vendor before committing. Stripe subscription changes can create prorated invoice adjustments, so you want the affiliate system calculating from actual billing events rather than maintaining its own approximation. www.rewardful.com

What I'd choose

• Stripe + relatively simple SaaS affiliate program → Rewardful
• Stripe/Chargebee/Recurly + complicated commission rules → FirstPromoter
• B2B SaaS + agencies/resellers/strategic partners → PartnerStack
• Early-stage SaaS wanting something lightweight → Tolt

If you tell me what billing system you use (Stripe, Chargebee, Paddle, Recurly, etc.), your approximate monthly subscription revenue, and the exact revenue-share rule you want, I can narrow this down to 2–3 options and compare pricing + proration/upgrade/cancellation behavior + payout handling.

For a subscription business, you’ll want a partner/affiliate platform that understands the subscription lifecycle, not just the initial referral. The important capabilities are:

• recurring revenue share (monthly/annual)
• commission recalculation after upgrades/downgrades
• cancellation handling and clawbacks
• prorated billing adjustments
• Stripe/Paddle/Chargebee/Recurly integration
• partner dashboards and payout workflows

Good options to evaluate:

A few implementation decisions matter before choosing:

1. What is commissionable?
   • Gross subscription price?
   • Net revenue after discounts/refunds/taxes?
   • Only the initial subscription?
   • All future renewals?

2. How should upgrades work?

Example:

• Customer upgrades from $50/mo → $100/mo mid-cycle.
• Partner gets 20% of the prorated increase immediately?
• Or only on the next invoice?

3. What happens after cancellation?

Common approaches:

• stop commissions immediately on cancellation
• pay through the paid period
• claw back commissions for refunds within X days

For most SaaS companies already using Stripe, I’d shortlist:

• FirstPromoter for a focused SaaS affiliate program
• Rewardful for a simpler Stripe-native setup
• PartnerStack if this is becoming a full partner/channel motion
• Siren if you need multiple partner types and custom revenue-share rules

If you share your billing stack (Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly, etc.) and whether commissions are lifetime vs fixed-term, I can narrow this down.

If your goal is to pay partners based on actual subscription revenue (including upgrades, downgrades, prorated invoices, renewals, refunds, and cancellations), you want a platform that integrates directly with your billing system (typically Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly, etc.) and listens to subscription lifecycle events—not just the initial purchase.

Here's how I'd evaluate the leading options:

1. FirstPromoter (my top recommendation for most SaaS)

This is one of the strongest products specifically for subscription businesses.

It supports:

• recurring revenue share
• plan upgrades and downgrades
• prorated invoices
• renewals
• cancellations
• reactivations
• configurable clawback rules
• Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly, Braintree integrations

Commission rules can be based on:

• every payment
• first payment only
• first 12 months
• lifetime
• specific subscription plans

It recalculates commissions automatically as subscription events occur. firstpromoter.com

Best if: you want a true SaaS affiliate platform without enterprise pricing.

2. Rewardful

Rewardful is very popular among Stripe SaaS companies.

Pros:

• deep Stripe integration
• recurring commissions
• coupon attribution
• partner portal
• simple setup

It's somewhat less configurable than FirstPromoter but easier to launch.

Best if: you're entirely on Stripe and want something operational quickly. www.reddit.com

3. PartnerStack

If your "partners" are more like:

• agencies
• resellers
• implementation partners
• consultants
• integrations

PartnerStack is often the enterprise choice.

It supports:

• revenue sharing
• recurring commissions
• multiple partner types
• automated payouts
• tax forms
• marketplace discovery

Downside:

• higher cost
• usually overkill for startups

4. Track360

Track360 is designed around subscription lifecycle events.

Features include:

• recurring MRR commissions
• churn-aware payouts
• downgrade adjustments
• configurable clawback windows
• multiple partner program types in one platform

Useful when you need more complex commission structures than a typical affiliate program. track360.io

Features you should insist on

Since you specifically mentioned subscription upgrades and cancellations, I'd make sure the software supports:

• ✅ recurring commissions
• ✅ prorated invoice handling
• ✅ upgrade adjustments
• ✅ downgrade adjustments
• ✅ refund clawbacks
• ✅ cancellation stopping future commissions
• ✅ reactivation support
• ✅ manual commission overrides
• ✅ Stripe webhook synchronization
• ✅ payout exports or automated payouts
• ✅ partner dashboard

Example commission flow

Suppose:

• Partner refers Customer A.
• Customer starts at $100/month.
• Mid-month they upgrade to $300/month.
• Stripe creates a $100 prorated invoice.
• Next month renews at $300.
• Three months later customer downgrades to $150.
• Six months later customer cancels.

An ideal platform automatically pays:

• 20% of the initial $100 invoice
• 20% of the prorated upgrade invoice
• 20% of each $300 renewal
• then 20% of each $150 renewal
• and stops paying after cancellation

No spreadsheets or manual recalculation required. Platforms built around billing webhooks can keep commissions aligned with the actual subscription lifecycle. firstpromoter.com

My recommendation by company stage

• Startup (<$5M ARR): Rewardful or FirstPromoter.
• Growing SaaS ($5M–50M ARR): FirstPromoter is likely the best balance of flexibility and cost.
• Enterprise partner ecosystem: PartnerStack.
• Highly customized partner incentives (agencies, referrals, affiliates, rev share): Track360.

One question that affects the recommendation: What billing platform do you use (Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly, Shopify, or something else)? That determines which platforms will integrate most cleanly and support prorated commissions with minimal custom work.

If your product is subscription-based (especially with Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, or Recurly), you want software that is aware of the subscription lifecycle, not just the initial referral. That means it should automatically handle:

• ✅ Monthly/annual recurring commissions
• ✅ Mid-cycle prorated upgrades
• ✅ Downgrades
• ✅ Cancellations and churn
• ✅ Refunds
• ✅ Reactivations
• ✅ Delayed payouts until refund windows expire

Here are the platforms I'd shortlist:

For your use case

If your commission policy is something like:

• Partner earns 20% of subscription revenue
• Customer upgrades from $100 → $300 mid-month
• Stripe prorates the invoice
• Partner earns 20% of the prorated upgrade immediately
• Future renewals pay 20% of the $300 plan
• If the customer cancels, commissions stop automatically

Both FirstPromoter and Rewardful handle this automatically by syncing commission calculations to billing events rather than just the initial signup. www.rewardful.comfirstpromoter.com

If you want more flexibility

If you expect rules like:

• Different commission rates by partner tier
• Revenue share only for the first 12 months
• Higher rates after partners refer 10 customers
• Separate commissions for upgrades vs. renewals
• Clawbacks for early cancellations

Then FirstPromoter tends to offer more configurable commission logic. firstpromoter.com

If you're building a full B2B partner program with agencies, resellers, and affiliates, PartnerStack becomes more attractive because it combines sophisticated commission management with partner recruitment and enablement. partnerstack.com

If you can share:

• your billing platform (Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, etc.),
• whether your product is monthly, annual, or usage-based,
• and whether you need a self-service partner portal,

I can narrow it down to the best fit for your setup.

If your goal is to pay partners based on actual subscription revenue over time—including prorated upgrades, downgrades, renewals, and cancellations—you'll want an affiliate platform that either:

1. Integrates deeply with your billing platform (such as Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, or Recurly), or
2. Calculates commissions from subscription events rather than just one-time conversions.

Here are the strongest options:

If you use Stripe

The easiest options are usually:

Rewardful

• Reads Stripe subscription events directly
• Automatically adjusts commissions after:
  • upgrades
  • downgrades
  • refunds
  • cancellations
• Can pay lifetime recurring commissions
• Handles monthly and annual plans well

This is one of the most common choices for SaaS companies with straightforward referral programs.

Tolt

• Built specifically for SaaS subscriptions
• Tracks:
  • first purchase
  • recurring renewals
  • plan upgrades
  • cancellations
• Supports lifetime partner attribution
• Simple payout workflow

Many early-stage SaaS companies choose Tolt because setup is quick.

If you have complex partner contracts

PartnerStack is significantly more powerful.

Examples:

• 20% for first year
• 10% thereafter
• Different commission by plan
• Different commission by partner tier
• Channel partners vs affiliates
• Resellers
• Referral partners
• Agencies

It's considerably more expensive but designed for mature SaaS partner programs.

How prorated commissions usually work

Suppose:

• Customer starts at $100/month
• Affiliate earns 20%

Month 1:

• Invoice: $100
• Commission: $20

Halfway through the month, customer upgrades.

Stripe generates:

• Proration charge: $40
• New monthly price: $200

The affiliate platform typically pays:

• $8 commission on the $40 prorated invoice
• Then $40/month going forward (20% of $200)

Likewise, if the customer downgrades or receives a refund, the commission is adjusted based on the actual invoice amount rather than the list price.

The most robust architecture

Many SaaS companies avoid having affiliate software calculate commissions directly. Instead they use billing as the source of truth:

Stripe
    ↓
Webhook
    ↓
Your backend
    ↓
Commission calculation engine
    ↓
Partner dashboard
    ↓
Payouts (Stripe Connect, Wise, PayPal, etc.)

Advantages:

• Exact prorations
• Refund handling
• Credits
• Pauses
• Annual/monthly changes
• Custom contracts
• Auditable commission history

This approach takes more engineering effort but gives you full control over how commissions are calculated.

Recommendation by company stage

• Early-stage SaaS (Stripe): Rewardful or Tolt.
• Growing B2B SaaS with multiple partner types: PartnerStack.
• Enterprise or highly customized commission rules: Build your own commission engine using Stripe webhook events and use an affiliate platform only for attribution and partner management.

If you share:

• your billing platform (Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, etc.),
• whether commissions are based on gross revenue, net revenue, or MRR, and
• whether you're building this into your own product or looking for a turnkey solution,

I can narrow it down to the best fit.

If your business is subscription-based (especially with Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, or Recurly), you want software that treats the subscription as the source of truth rather than just tracking a one-time conversion. That way, affiliate commissions automatically adjust when customers:

• Upgrade plans (including prorated mid-cycle upgrades)
• Downgrade plans
• Renew subscriptions
• Cancel
• Receive refunds
• Pause/reactivate subscriptions

The strongest options are:

My recommendations by stage

For most SaaS companies: FirstPromoter

It was built specifically for subscription businesses and supports recurring commissions tied to billing events. It automatically handles upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, refunds, and multiple billing providers including Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly, and Braintree. firstpromoter.com

Good if you want:

• Revenue-share (% of subscription)
• Lifetime attribution
• Different commission rates by plan
• MRR reporting

If you're on Stripe and want simplicity: Rewardful

Rewardful has one of the deepest Stripe integrations. It calculates commissions from paid invoices, automatically adjusts for prorated upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, and refunds, and keeps affiliate balances accurate without manual reconciliation. help.rewardful.com

Great for:

• Stripe Billing
• Simple recurring rev-share
• Fast setup

If you have agencies, resellers, and affiliates: PartnerStack

PartnerStack is more than affiliate software—it's a full partner ecosystem.

Useful features:

• Recurring subscription commissions
• Expansion/upsell commissions
• Flexible event-based commission rules
• Global payouts
• Different partner types (affiliate, reseller, referral, agency)
• Partner marketplace for recruiting partners partnerstack.com

This is typically the choice once you're doing meaningful B2B SaaS revenue and want a mature partner program.

If you need flexible commission structures: Tapfiliate

Tapfiliate supports:

• Lifetime recurring commissions
• Tiered commissions
• Multi-level programs
• Automatic handling of upgrades, downgrades, and churn support.tapfiliate.com

It's a solid middle ground if you sell both subscriptions and one-time products.

Handling prorated upgrades

A common scenario:

• Customer starts at $100/mo
• Affiliate earns 20% recurring
• Customer upgrades mid-month to $300/mo
• Stripe creates a $120 prorated invoice

A subscription-aware platform will:

1. Pay the affiliate 20% of the prorated invoice immediately (e.g. $24).
2. Pay 20% of future full renewals at the new $300 rate (e.g. $60/month).
3. Stop future commissions if the subscription is canceled, based on your rules.

This is much cleaner than trying to calculate commissions from webhooks yourself. firstpromoter.comhelp.rewardful.compartnerstack.comwww.rewardful.com

If you're building your own partner portal

Many companies keep:

• Their own partner dashboard
• Their own referral links
• Their own CRM

…and let one of these platforms handle only:

• Attribution
• Billing events
• Commission calculations
• Payouts

This gives you full control over the partner experience while avoiding the complexity of subscription accounting.

If you're building a B2B SaaS with revenue-sharing partners, I'd narrow the choice to:

• FirstPromoter for the best balance of flexibility and cost.
• PartnerStack if you expect to grow into a full partner ecosystem with agencies, resellers, and affiliates.
• Rewardful if you're entirely on Stripe and want the fastest implementation.

If your goal is pay partners a percentage of actual subscription revenue, including pro-rated upgrades, downgrades, renewals, and cancellations, you'll want software that integrates directly with your billing system (Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, etc.) instead of just tracking referrals.

Here's how the leading options compare:

For your specific use case

Suppose a partner refers a customer:

• Month 1: $100 plan → partner earns 20% = $20
• Mid-month: customer upgrades to $300 plan
• Stripe creates a $100 prorated invoice
• Next month: customer renews at $300
• Three months later: customer cancels

The best subscription-native systems will:

• calculate commission on the actual invoice amount
• pay commission on the prorated upgrade invoice
• continue paying on recurring renewals
• stop future commissions after cancellation
• optionally reverse or hold commissions for refunds or chargebacks firstpromoter.comhelp.rewardful.comhelp.firstpromoter.com

My recommendations

If you use Stripe: Rewardful is probably the fastest to launch. It was built specifically for subscription businesses and automatically adjusts commissions for upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, trials, and refunds. help.rewardful.com

If you need more flexibility: FirstPromoter offers more configurable commission structures (lifetime, first X months, tiered percentages, different rates over time) and supports multiple subscription billing platforms. firstpromoter.comhelp.firstpromoter.com

If you're building a broader partner channel: PartnerStack is the strongest option when you're managing affiliates, agencies, resellers, and technology partners together, and it also gives access to an established partner marketplace. partnerstack.com

A few implementation choices matter regardless of platform:

• Base commissions on cash collected (paid invoices), not subscription signups.
• Include a 30–60 day hold period before payouts to account for refunds or failed payments.
• Decide whether partners earn on expansion revenue (upgrades) and whether downgrades reduce future commissions.
• Define whether revenue share is lifetime or limited (e.g., first 12 months).

If you tell me:

1. your billing platform (Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, etc.),
2. your CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.), and
3. your expected number of partners,

I can recommend the platform that will require the least custom work.