Partner Network

The Apex Partner Network turns word-of-mouth into a measurable, payable channel. Merchants create a program with multi-event commission rules; partners share a link or coupon code; Apex tracks the conversion, computes the commission (including recurring subscription renewals), holds it through a trust window, and fires the Stripe transfer at the scheduled cycle. All of it shares one identity layer — partners use the same @handle across every merchant on the network.

What you get out of the box

Handle layer: one partner identity (@sarah) works for every merchant. Sarah never creates ten accounts to promote ten products.
Programs + commission rules: each merchant runs one or more programs. A program carries an array of commission rules — CPA, RevShare, or both — scoped to different events (install, purchase, subscription_renewal). Promotional bonuses can be time-bounded with effectiveFrom / effectiveTo.
Recurring subscription commissions: partners earn on every renewal, not just the first sale. Set a maxCredits cap or let commissions run for the lifetime of the subscription.
Coupon code tracking: partners promote with discount codes on YouTube, podcasts, and Instagram. Apex credits them automatically via Stripe Promotion Code sync, webhook ingestion, or manual assignment — with or without a click.
Program expiry: programs can carry an endsAt date. When the date passes, the program stops accepting new memberships and no new conversions are attributed.
UTM auto-tagging: every partner link is auto-tagged with utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, and utm_content. Clean Google Analytics data, zero configuration.
Trust tiers: NEW / TRUSTED / VERIFIED. Tier drives payout caps, holdback percentage, and auto-payout eligibility. Partners graduate via time + verified identity + interview.
Facilitated payouts: Apex moves money via Stripe Connect — merchant's Stripe balance → partner's Stripe Express account + a small Apex facilitation fee. Apex never advances funds from its own pocket.
Rolling reserve: every approved conversion has a portion held (25% for NEW, 15% TRUSTED, 5% VERIFIED) for 30-90 days. Chargebacks debit the reserve first.
1099 tax compliance: Stripe auto-files 1099-NEC for every US partner earning $600+. W-9/W-8BEN collection happens during onboarding.
Cross-merchant fraud intelligence: Fraud signals on Partner A surface as advisory banners on Partner B, without auto-banning across merchants.
Marketplace: public programs show up at partners.apex.inc/programs for partner-initiated discovery.

Who's involved

Role	Where they work	What the product looks like
Merchant	`app.apex.inc/dashboard/partners/`	Create programs, invite partners, approve payouts, set fees
Partner	`partners.apex.inc`	Sign in, join programs, see earnings + holdbacks, configure Stripe Express
Fraud Ops (internal Apex team)	`app.apex.inc/admin/fraud-ops/`	Triage fraud cases, review appeals, schedule interviews, manage ban list

Where to start

Programs — the core unit of a merchant's offer
Commission rules — multi-event rules, promotional bonuses, recurring commissions
Coupon tracking — promo code attribution across sync modes
Tax compliance — 1099 flow, W-9/W-8BEN, Stripe tax reporting
Trust tiers — how payout caps + holdbacks work
Facilitated payouts — the Stripe Connect money rail
Stripe Connect setup — wire your Stripe account
Inviting partners — magic-link invites
Approving payouts — the weekly merchant workflow
Fee policy — what Apex charges + custom pricing

SDK + MCP

Every merchant surface is wrapped in @apex-inc/sdk (createManagementClient) and @apex-inc/mcp-server (tools prefixed with list_partner_, create_partner_, approve_payouts, etc.). See the apex-partner-network skill for agent usage.

Partner-facing flows (self-signup, portal dashboard, Stripe Connect OAuth consent) run in the hosted portal at partners.apex.inc and are not part of the merchant SDK.