Glossary

Approval rate

Approval rate is the percentage of submitted conversions the advertiser accepts as valid — and therefore pays for — after review. A 100-lead day at a 60% approval rate pays for 60. The review delay is called the hold period, and conversions awaiting it are pending or on hold.

Why conversions get rejected

Typical reasons: duplicate or invalid contact data, failed verification calls (common in lead-gen verticals), chargebacks and cancellations, traffic outside the offer's rules, and suspected fraud. Some rejection is normal; a sudden drop usually means either a traffic quality problem on your side or over-aggressive scrubbing on the advertiser's.

Why it matters

Approval rate converts raw CR into real money: an offer converting at 3% with 90% approval beats one at 4% with 50%. Experienced buyers price approval risk into offer selection, watch the metric per source, and treat unexplained approval drops as a negotiation trigger — the polite name for undisclosed rejection is shaving.

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