If you’ve paused your Partner Program in SparkLoop but still see charges on your account, it can be confusing. Let's break down why this is likely happening, and what you can do about it.
It All Comes Down to Pending Referrals
Even though you paused your Partner Program, you likely still have a handful of pending referrals. These are referrals which you've received from partners on the network, but which have not yet completed the engagement screening period to be confirmed or rejected.
Pausing your partner program immediately shuts your program down and halts any new referrals coming in. However, even though you paused, the already-acquired pending referrals will still need to complete their screening period and those who meet your criteria will still need to be paid for.
When Will I Pay My Last Charge?
It may seem like the charges are still coming in well after you paused. To better understand why, let me walk through SparkLoop's billing cadence.
SparkLoop processes payments for referrals every Monday, charging for the previous week's confirmed referrals. Take the following scenario:
Your partner program has a 14-day screening period
A subscriber gets referred to your newsletter on Wednesday in the first week of the month
They are "pending" for 14 days, and on the Wednesday of week 3 that month, they get "confirmed"
That following Monday (the Monday of week 4 of that month), the charge for that subscriber is reflected on your invoice
This all means that, depending on your engagement screening period, despite pausing, you may be paying for confirmed referrals for several weeks.
What Should I Do Next?
If you believe the charges are incorrect or want to ensure that everything is properly paused:
Review your billing details in the SparkLoop dashboard for any pending charges.
Check your partner program dashboard to ensure that no new pending referrals are coming in via SparkLoop.
Contact support if you notice unexpected charges or need further assistance managing your pause.
Pausing your program should help you manage costs effectively, but it’s good practice to double-check these aspects to avoid any surprises.
Understand more about your Partner Program:
Still need help? Reach out to our support team here.