# Affiliate request payment
The **Affiliate Request Payment** feature lets you invite affiliates to proactively request a payout from their available balance, instead of waiting for a scheduled pay run. It gives partners transparency into what they can withdraw and creates a clear approval workflow for you—reducing back-and-forth and speeding up the payment cycle.
**Why use it**
* **Transparency:** Affiliates see exactly what’s available to withdraw and when it’s paid.
* **Control:** You decide what gets paid and when (with reasons for declines).
* **Efficiency:** One queue to process requests; fewer support tickets and manual follow-ups.
* **Flexibility:** Works with your configured payout methods (e.g., PayPal, Wise, bank transfer, store credit).
* **Auditability:** Every request has a status history (Pending → Paid or Declined).
**Extra amount (optional)**
* Affiliates can include a one-off **extra amount** (e.g., bonus top-up).
* They must provide a note (and an invoice/receipt if you require it).
* The extra amount is reviewed and approved/declined as part of the request total.
### Before you start (important rules)
* **Auto-payment schedule must be OFF.** The Request Payment feature can’t be enabled while an auto-payment schedule is active. Turn off your schedule first.
* **New email template:** When you enable Request Payment, a new email template—**Denied payment request**—is automatically enabled for notifications.
### Setup Affiliate Request Payment
* Open **Settings → Payment → Affiliate request payment → Set up**.
* Toggle **Enable affiliate request payment** on.
* In this settings, you have different configurations:
* **Program to apply:** Choose **All programs** or select specific programs. Only affiliates enrolled in the chosen program(s) will see the **Request payment** option in their portal.
* **Minimum affiliate commission (optional):** Set a threshold for **approved/unpaid** commission. Affiliates can submit a request only when their available amount meets or exceeds this minimum.
* **Allow affiliates to request extra amount (optional):** If enabled, affiliates can add a one-off **extra amount** (e.g., shipping reimbursement or bonus) on top of their approved commission when submitting the request.
* **Affiliate invoice type:** Decide how invoices are handled for payout requests:
* **Generate the invoice automatically**\
UpPromote creates a standardized invoice with request details when the affiliate submits. Fastest for teams that don’t need a custom invoice format.
* **Allow affiliates to upload invoice files**\
Affiliates must attach an invoice before the request can be submitted. Useful if your finance team needs a specific template or supporting documents.
* Click **Save**.
### Affiliate Experience
**Where they see it:** On the affiliate **Dashboard**, eligible affiliates see a **Request payment** button alongside their **Approved commission**.
**Button states**
* **Enabled:** If approved & unpaid commission **≥ your set minimum**, the button is clickable.
* **Disabled:** If it’s **below the minimum**, the button is shown but disabled (with a note showing the required amount).
Or, affiliate has a **pending payment request**. You need to review that request so that affiliate can request another commission payout.
**Request flow**
When eligible, affiliates click **Request payment** button. The form shows as follows:
1. **Request extra amount** *(shown only if enabled by the merchant)*
* Affiliate can enter an additional amount (e.g., reimbursement/bonus).
* Counts toward the **request total**.
2. **Approved commission, Total referrals and total request amount**
* Auto-filled with the affiliate’s **approved & unpaid** commission (read-only).
* Total request amount = Approved commission request + Extra amount
3. **Invoice**
* If **Invoice type = Affiliate uploads invoice**, an invoice file **must be attached** before submitting.
* If auto-generated, no upload field is shown.
4. **Messages (required)**
* Affiliate must enter a short **reason** for the request (e.g., “September payout + shipping reimbursement”).
5. **Send request**
## Review affiliate payment requests
#### Before you start (important rules)
Approved referrals included in a request are **locked** while the request is **Pending**. You **cannot pay or undo them individually**. You must either **Approve & Pay** the whole request or **Deny** it.
#### Where to review requested payments
**Path:** **Payments → (Manual *****or***** In-app payment) → Requested payments**
* If the affiliate’s payout method is **PayPal Payouts / Wise (integrated)/ Store credit** → go to **In-app payment → Requested payments**.
* If the payout method is **Bank transfer / other manual** → go to **Manual payment → Requested payments**.
Then, click the **Review payment** button to review affiliate's payment request. In the review request details, you will see:
* **Approved commission** (auto-filled)
* **Extra amount** (if requested)
* **Total**
* **Payment method**
* **Affiliate invoice** (auto-generated or uploaded)
* **Affiliate message (reason)**
#### Actions
* **Deny:** Decline the request and enter a **denial reason**. The request is closed and locked referrals are released back to the balance.
**Denied payment request** will be shown in the Paid referrals/History
* **Mark as paid:** Approve and pay the request.
* **In-app payment**: processes via the integrated method.
* **Manual**: record payment after you transfer externally.
#### Partial approval (extra amount)
You can **approve the commission** but **deny the extra amount** (if invoice is auto-generated by the app)
* Enter an **extra-amount denial reason**.
* The commission is paid; the extra amount is marked denied and not included in the payout.
**Note:**
* If invoice is upload by affiliate, you cannot deny the extra amount.
* If you approve extra amount, system will create a referral and pay automatically.
## How affiliates see request results
#### Approved & paid payment request
* A **success banner** appears: “Your payment request was paid.”
* Clicking **View** opens **Payment details**, showing: approved commission, extra amount (if any), total paid, payment method, paid date, and the invoice.
#### Denied payment request
* A **denied banner** appears on the Dashboard.
* The affiliate also receives a **“Denied payment request”** email.
* **View** opens the request details with the **denial reason**.
In the payment request details, affiliate can see the denied amount and reason:
