The skybookings affiliates mode is now live. In this post, I will first share an example of how it works, followed by important considerations.
Part 1: How Affiliates Work
Suppose you are curating a music festival. Festival ticket sales normally open months ahead of time. This means, you can incentivise your early patrons, friends and associates to spread the word by offering a commission on the sales they influence. skybookings will deal with collections, commission splits and payouts as seamlessly as we do our weekly payouts.
Setting up affiliate mode is a four stage process.
- First, the curator must enable affiliates in their events and share the link with potential affiliates.
- Upon clicking on the link, the potential affiliate identifies themselves by registring on skybookings or by logging into an existing account.
- Then the potential affiliate requests affiliation.
- Finally, the curator approves the request,
- After that, the affiliate will be able to login to their account to retrieve their unique link.
Step 1: (for curator) Enabling Affiliates
To enable Affiliate Mode, navigate to your event editor and scroll to the bottom—option 8. Then click on “Allow Affiliates” followed by entering the amount of commission you are prepared to share on referral. The Affiliate link i.e. the link to invite affiliates will be visible as well.
Step 2: (for affiliate) Signing in or signing up to become an affiliate
The process for becoming an affiliate begins with opening the affiliate invitation link, which shows the screen below. Then the potential affiliate has two options: If they are registered on skybookings, they can agree to the terms and conditions and proceed to logging in (using the button below the blue button). Alternatively, they can create a new account.
Please note that affiliation is on a Per Event basis i.e. if someone is a patron in event A they will not be an affiliate in event B unless they undergo the same process of applying.
Depending on the option chosen, the potential patron will either go through a sign up process, which is the same process that normal users undergo, i.e. they will be required to submit their FICA documents and create a username and password. Alternatively, they can login to their existing account, after which they will see this screen.
Step 3: (for affiliate) Request Affiliation
After signing in, the affiliate will see an option enter a motivating message and a button to request affiliation. This will send an email to the curator.
Step 4: (for curator) Approve Affiliation Request
After the potential affiliate sends a request, the curator will receive an email and sms notification with a link to approve or reject the affiliation. Upon approval, the affiliate will be notified that their request is approved.
Step 5: (for Affiliates) Retrieving the unique affiliate link
Once approved, the affiliate will see the event in their account, clearly marked as “Affiliate”. They can open the event and copy their affiliate link, as shown below, and share that on their social media or with friends. Skybookings will use the unique link to track which sales are influenced by an affiliate, and then apportion the commission accordingly.
Part 2: Important Considerations
Please read the affiliate terms and conditions carefully. Some of the salient points include:
Access
The affiliate program is open to anyone approved by the curator. Once accepted, you get a unique tracking link that records referrals through a 30-day cookie system. Affiliates operate independently — they are not agents of skybookings but rather a partner to the curator earning commission.
Commissions and Payments
Commissions are set by the curator and calculated on net ticket sales. If a ticket is refunded or cancelled within seven days, the commission is reversed. Payments to affiliates are held for 21 days to account for this window and are released via EFT on Wednesdays. Bank charges are for the affiliate’s account.
Data and Privacy
Affiliates don’t gain access to patron data. All customer information belongs to event organisers, and affiliates must comply with privacy laws like POPIA. Confidentiality is expected across all dealings.
Conduct and Brand Use
Skybookings enforces strict marketing standards. Misleading promotions, spam, or misuse of the Skybookings name and trademarks are prohibited. Affiliates may use approved logos and materials, but all intellectual property remains the property of Skybookings.
Liability and Termination
Skybookings limits its liability to commissions paid in the previous three months and does not guarantee uptime or sales. Either party may end the agreement at any time, and affiliates must immediately stop using links and brand materials when terminated.
Final Word
The program is designed to be fair but firm: commissions are protected by refund rules, patron privacy is safeguarded, and compliance with the terms is key to staying in.
