PayPal Scores Surprise Court Victory in Controversial Honey Affiliate Dispute
Ever stopped to wonder why in affiliate marketing, the last person who clicks the link gets all the applause—and the credit? Turns out, that’s exactly what PayPal leaned on when the court sided with them, saying creators who dive into the affiliate game are essentially signing up for this ‘last-click attribution’ rollercoaster, willingly locking themselves into its rules. It’s like agreeing to play a game, then complaining about the scoreboard. Sure, it might feel a bit like a rigged system if you’re not the final touchpoint, but hey—participation means accepting the playbook, quirks and all. Intrigued by how this impacts creators and the broader marketing landscape? LEARN MORE.
PayPal successfully argued that any alleged harm stems from the attribution system, which the company doesn’t control. The court agreed that creators voluntarily joined the affiliate system and subjected themselves to its rules. Having elected to participate in affiliate marketing, creators cannot claim harm from the system’s fundamental mechanics, including last-click attribution that assigns full credit to the final touchpoint.
