Attribution

Overview

Attribution is the process by which the affiliate system decides whether a downstream user action belongs to a specific partner under the currently active referral rules. It is the bridge between referral discovery and commission eligibility.

This page exists because attribution is where most ambiguity and dispute begin. Clicks, code inputs, sessions, accounts, wallets, and downstream economic events can point in different directions. A canonical attribution model is therefore required so ownership is assigned consistently and auditable records remain stable over time.

Scope

This page defines how attribution is formed and how conflicts are resolved inside the affiliate system.

• Attribution sources such as referral links, code input, and recorded discovery context.
• Priority and override logic between competing attribution candidates.
• Validation boundaries between superficial attribution and qualified attribution.
• Invalid, abusive, or ineligible conditions that can block final ownership.

Core Model

Attribution in PVERSE is structured as a staged evaluation model rather than a single click-to-payout shortcut. Discovery creates candidates, validation checks those candidates against downstream facts, and only then can commission eligibility exist in pending form.

• Source-based: attribution may originate from a referral click, code use, or another recognized referral surface.
• Priority-based: when multiple candidates exist, the system applies a deterministic priority order under current policy.
• Validation-based: candidate ownership must survive downstream event checks before it becomes commission-relevant.
• Settlement-dependent: even valid attribution does not become final payout without settlement of the underlying economic event.

Operational Behavior

In normal operation, a user arrives through a referral surface such as a referral link or a valid referral-code input. That interaction creates an attribution candidate linked to a partner identity. At this stage, ownership is only provisional. It represents a claim context, not a guaranteed reward outcome.

When a downstream qualifying action occurs, the system re-evaluates attribution against current evidence and policy. This may include referral source history, code ownership, session continuity, user identity signals, downstream transaction linkage, and anti-abuse review posture. If a higher-priority valid attribution exists, the candidate may be replaced or rejected. If the action later expires, reverses, or fails settlement, attribution may remain historically recorded but still never result in final commission.

Constraints

• A click alone does not guarantee attribution ownership of all future downstream activity.
• A code input alone does not override all other signals automatically unless current policy explicitly says so.
• Attribution may be preserved historically even when commission is denied, reversed, or never becomes withdrawable.
• This page does not define the exact commission rates, payout thresholds, or complete anti-abuse scoring logic.

Integrity Considerations

Attribution is only trustworthy when it remains deterministic, reviewable, and resistant to superficial manipulation. A weak attribution model rewards whoever touched the surface first or last without regard to validity. A strong attribution model distinguishes candidate ownership from validated economic ownership.

• Priority clarity: multiple candidate sources must be resolved by explicit, forward-stable rules.
• Validation clarity: attributed actions must survive qualification, settlement, and abuse checks before commission becomes real.
• Historical clarity: attribution records may remain auditable even when downstream payout validity changes.

Future Expansion

As the affiliate program matures, attribution may evolve into richer multi-touch analysis, campaign-weighted paths, deeper identity linkage, and more granular override logic. Any expansion should preserve the same core discipline: deterministic priority, explicit validation, settlement-dependent rewards, and abuse-resistant ownership boundaries.

Summary

• Attribution determines which partner may receive ownership credit for a downstream action.
• Referral discovery creates candidates, not final payout rights.
• Priority, validation, settlement, and anti-abuse checks all shape final reward eligibility.
• Historically recorded attribution and final commission outcome are related, but not identical, states.