What Is Caps in Affiliate Marketing?

What Is a Cap in Affiliate Marketing (cap / traffic cap)? - 3S.INFO

Publication date: 27 November 2025

Cap in Affiliate Marketing is a limit on the number of paid conversions or the volume of traffic that an advertiser accepts from an affiliate under a specific offer. In betting and gambling, caps usually restrict registrations, FTDs, or deposits.

What Is an FTD (First Time Deposit) in Affiliate Marketing? Read more in the 3S.INFO Knowledge Base.

How a Traffic Cap Works in Arbitrage

The advertiser (bookmaker, online casino) sets a limit — for example, 50 FTDs per day for a specific GEO or traffic source.
The CPA network or tracker distributes the cap among affiliates and traffic sources.
When the limit is reached, conversions go to hold, stop being paid, or are queued for the next period.
The advertiser may manually increase the cap after checking lead quality or based on an agreement with the affiliate.

Types and Classification of Caps

A cap is categorized by period, metric, source, GEO, and vertical (betting, gambling, casino).

By period: daily, weekly, monthly.
By metric: FTD cap, deposit cap, registration cap, traffic cap.
By source: separate limits for Facebook*, TikTok, Google, push traffic, teaser networks, etc.
By GEO: different volumes for countries and regions (e.g. CIS, LatAm, Europe).
By vertical: betting — deposits + the rate; gambling/online casino — emphasis on FTDs and deposits.

Practical Use of Caps in Betting and Gambling

A cap is an operational tool for controlling budget and traffic quality. It influences channel selection, scaling strategy, and overall unit economics of a campaign.

Examples

Offer: daily cap of 30 FTDs for CIS — after the cap is hit, the offer closes until the next day.
Offer for LATAM: 100 FTDs/day — split by sources (ASO separate, push/teasers separate).
Test offer: 10 FTDs/day, cap increases based on the proven lead quality.

Strategies for Managing Caps in Affiliate Marketing

Affiliates apply several practical tactics when working with caps:

Racing the cap: allocating the best sources and creatives early to secure part of the daily quota before competitors close it.
Automated traffic stop: setting up a tracker or scripts to automatically pause campaigns once the limit is reached and resume them in the next period.
Direct communication with the manager: negotiating individual caps, priority status, or higher limits when lead quality is strong.

These tactics minimize overcap risks, save advertising budget, and increase the chance of getting paid conversions in highly competitive betting and gambling niches.

Pros and Cons of Caps for Key Industry Participants

Below is a summary table of advantages and disadvantages of caps for three main groups: affiliates, advertisers (bookmakers, casinos, online casinos), and CPA networks.

Participant	Pros	Cons
Affiliate	Clear testing boundaries for an offer Possibility to negotiate a custom cap Lower competition inside the offer	Limited scaling potential if the cap is small Risk of losing traffic after the cap is hit Lack of transparency in cap distribution
Advertiser (bookmakers, casinos, online casinos)	Budget and cost control More stable lead quality Ability to select trusted partners	May discourage large affiliates if limits are too tight Risk of underloading the offer and losing growth potential Requires manual monitoring and support
CPA Network	Convenient budget allocation across affiliates Protects the advertiser and the network’s reputation Flexible cap management	Conflicts due to accidental overcap Increased management workload Need for precise tracker–billing integration

What to Consider When Working with Traffic Caps on Betting and Casino Offers

Risks:

Overcaps: traffic may exceed the limit and conversions may not be paid;
hold periods and payout delays after the cap is hit;
Loss of affiliate motivation with strict limits.

Opportunities:

Negotiate an individual or exclusive cap when quality is proven;
Automate traffic pauses and campaign scheduling;
Use caps as a tool for testing and controlled scaling.

Why Caps Matter for Traffic Arbitrage and Stable Scaling

Scaling means increasing traffic or conversions without losing quality. For affiliates, proper cap management enables safe scaling, avoiding overspending and cap breakage.

A cap is a key mechanism balancing the interests of affiliates, CPA networks, and advertisers. In betting and gambling, it ensures controlled spending, high-quality leads, and predictable scaling. Understanding caps and knowing how to work with them is essential for professional cooperation with bookmakers, casinos, and online casinos.

Tools and Trackers for Working with Traffic Cap

To control caps and optimize traffic buying, affiliates typically use trackers and analytics tools such as Voluum, Binom, Keitaro, and AdsBridge. These solutions help monitor lead quality, manage flows, enable auto-pauses by cap, and react faster to changes.

Additional Expertise and Nuances

Forecasting: teams build predictive models of daily/weekly cap dynamics to plan media buying more accurately.
Fraud control: caps depend on source history, risk scoring, and the offer’s anti-fraud systems.
Legal restrictions: in some verticals (iGaming, Finance), caps are regulated by license conditions, affecting maximum allowed volumes.

FAQ

What is a traffic cap in affiliate marketing?

A traffic cap is a limit on conversions (registrations, FTDs, deposits) that an advertiser accepts from affiliates within a specific period. Caps help control budgets, keep lead quality stable, and ensure predictable scaling — especially in GEOs like CIS, LATAM, and Europe.

Why do betting and gambling offers have strict daily FTD caps?

Betting and iGaming advertisers set daily FTD caps to manage risks, avoid traffic overload, and filter affiliates by quality. GEOs with high competition — such as Brazil, India, Mexico, Poland, or Kazakhstan — often have tighter caps due to volume and compliance restrictions.

How can affiliates increase their cap on a CPA or RevShare offer?

Affiliates can get a higher cap by demonstrating consistent lead quality, avoiding overcaps, and maintaining stable metrics (CR, KYC pass, ROI). Communicating directly with the account manager and providing clean traffic sources also increases the chance of receiving an exclusive or individual cap.

What happens if an affiliate hits the cap or exceeds it?

Once the cap is reached, conversions usually enter hold, stop being paid, or move to the next period. If the affiliate exceeds the cap (overcap), the advertiser may reject unpaid conversions. Automated cap-stop rules in trackers help prevent these issues.

How do GEO caps differ for CIS, LATAM, and European markets?

Caps vary by GEO depending on regulations, competition, and traffic value. CIS GEOs often have moderate caps with focus on registrations; LATAM markets like Brazil or Peru usually offer high FTD caps; EU regions (Germany, Spain, France) tend to impose strict deposit and KYC-related limits due to licensing rules.