Affiliate Payouts FAQ: PayPal Auto-Pay in Sparkforge

The auto-payout feature in the Affiliate Manager pays affiliates through PayPal. This FAQ covers the setup requirements, permissions, and a few common edge cases.

What do I need to enable auto-payouts?

Two requirements:

1. A PayPal Business account integrated with your Sparkforge sub-account.
2. A PayPal email added to each affiliate's profile under Payout Methods.

If an affiliate has not added a PayPal account, you will see an error icon next to their name and an Add Account link.

How do I hide the PayPal button on order forms but keep PayPal for payouts?

Add CSS to the funnel or website's tracking codes:

1. Open the funnel or website where the order form lives.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Paste this snippet into Head Tracking Codes:

<style>
.paypal-content { display: none; }
.order-form-v2 > div > .divider { display: none; }
</style>

1. Click Save.

This hides the PayPal checkout option on order forms while leaving the PayPal integration in place for affiliate payouts.

Who can pay affiliates with PayPal auto-payouts?

Only Agency Admins and Account Admins have permission to trigger PayPal auto-payouts. Other roles can view payout data but cannot release funds.

How are payouts handled for recurring products?

Payouts for recurring affiliate sales generate automatically inside Sparkforge, but you still have to click Pay Now to release the funds through PayPal. Sparkforge does not push payouts on its own — that gate exists for security and authentication.

Why can I not pay some affiliates?

Auto-payouts only run for affiliates who have a PayPal account on file. If the field is empty, the row shows an error icon and an Add Account button. Either the affiliate adds it from their portal, or an admin enters it on the affiliate's profile.