The problem is defining what are your sales?
We use CCBILL and you can't tamper with their site and tracking.
The problem are the sales that just turn up. Type ins, rejoins (members who cancel and come back 3 months later) surfers who wipe cookies (few seem to join the first day they see a site so how many wipe cookies?), affiliates who just screw up the links (yes found at least two who did that both are now converting) and simply people who turn up and join. Have not got a clue where they come from.
Are we unique or the norm is the questions. I would say with rejoins we do better than the average site. They simply do not add enough. Type ins are Golden, a guy bothers to type in against a guy who clicked a link. No brainer which one is more interested.
So the simple thing is to just up the payout to the level we planned to payout in the budget.
But then people think you're shaving and you lose business. People who have never sent you a single click and do not have a clue that is, the affiliates you already have just bank more.
As I said are we different or the norm. I'm not claiming we are better than all sites, just better than a lot.