CommissionSoup

What CommissionSoup does

CommissionSoup is a Cost Per Action (CPA) affiliate marketing network and a division of Bulldog Media Group, Inc., a privately held performance marketing company headquartered in Madison, South Dakota. Founded in 2000 as CreditSoup, Inc. (renamed Bulldog Media Group in 2009), the company specializes exclusively in financial services digital marketing, connecting enterprise merchants, primarily credit card issuers and banks, with affiliate marketers who drive online customer acquisition. The company's merchant roster includes Capital One, American Express, First PREMIER Bank, Credit One Bank, Total Visa, Milestone, Indigo, and First Access Card, and the network reportedly delivers over one million new customers annually to its clients.

The platform's core technology is the proprietary QResults tracking system, which enables affiliates to monitor multiple campaigns and programs under a single login and access detailed performance reports across timeframes and sites. CommissionSoup monetizes through performance-based transaction fees: merchants pay commissions only when a predefined action (lead, application, or sale) is completed, with affiliates receiving a single monthly commission check once a $100 minimum threshold is met. Account representatives coordinate directly with affiliates to build specialized marketing plans for each platform, reflecting a high-touch service model layered on top of the self-serve affiliate enrollment flow.

CommissionSoup operates as one of three Bulldog Media Group divisions, alongside Infusion Strategies (lead generation and data management) and The RewardsRunner Network (cash-back shopping), giving the parent a diversified footprint within performance marketing. The company is self-funded, has not raised institutional capital, and operates with a small headcount (historically around 25-26 employees as of 2010, with a current range of 11-50). Its go-to-market relies on direct affiliate enrollment, direct enterprise merchant sales, industry event participation (Affiliate Summit, LeadsCon, CardCon, AdTech), and an educational content library.

Name

CommissionSoup

Legal name

Bulldog Media Group, Inc.

Website

https://commissionsoup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CommissionSoup is a CPA affiliate marketing network connecting financial services merchants, primarily credit card issuers and banks, with affiliate marketers for performance-based online customer acquisition, operating as a division of Bulldog Media Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. CPA Affiliate Network Commissions: CommissionSoup operates a Cost Per Action (CPA) affiliate network where merchants pay commissions for completed actions (leads, sales, applications). The company earns a share of these transaction fees by facilitating relationships between merchants and affiliates.
2. Performance-Based Marketing Fees: Revenue generated through pay-for-performance marketing arrangements where merchants only pay when desired actions are completed, providing risk-free marketing solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CommissionSoup operates a Cost Per Action (CPA) affiliate network that connects financial services merchants (banks, credit card issuers) with affiliate marketers for performance-based customer acquisition. Merchants pay commissions only when a desired action (sale, lead, application) is completed, with the network providing tracking, reporting, account management, and exclusive offers to facilitate these pay-for-performance marketing relationships.

Product overview

CommissionSoup is a performance-based affiliate marketing network that operates as a division of Bulldog Media Group. The company offers its CPA Affiliate Network as the core platform, which connects merchants in the financial services industry with affiliate marketers. The QResults System serves as the proprietary tracking and reporting technology, enabling affiliates to monitor campaign performance, track multiple programs with single login access, and generate detailed analytics reports. The platform facilitates pay-for-performance marketing relationships where merchants pay commissions only for completed actions (sales, leads, etc.), providing risk-free marketing opportunities for both parties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Infusion Strategies: Lead Generation and Data Management division of Bulldog Media Group providing tools to market and cross-market products or services, handling all phases of lead generation including development, management and monetization.
• The Rewards Runner Network
• QResults

Products and services

• CommissionSoup CPA Affiliate Network A Cost Per Action (CPA) affiliate network that connects financial services merchants (banks, credit card issuers) with affiliate marketers for performance-based customer acquisition. Merchants pay commissions only for completed actions (leads, sales, applications), providing risk-free marketing opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over one million new customers delivered for clients each year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered parent company and core.

• Bulldog Media Groupparent companyOthersCommissionSoup is a division of Bulldog Media Group, a privately held performance marketing company founded in 2000 as CreditSoup, Inc. Bulldog Media Group provides online marketing solutions through multiple divisions including CommissionSoup (CPA affiliate network), Infusion Strategies (Lead Generation and Data Management), and RewardsRunner Network (cash back shopping site).
• Infusion StrategiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead Generation and Data Management division of Bulldog Media Group that provides tools to market and cross-market products or services, handling all phases of lead generation including development, management and monetization.
• RewardsRunner NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCash back shopping site connecting customers to merchant products and services. Merchants use the program to push more traffic to their online sites and build brand awareness.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction): CJ is one of the largest global CPA affiliate networks, serving many of the same financial services and e-commerce advertisers as CommissionSoup. Both operate a two-sided marketplace connecting merchants with affiliate publishers and compete directly for affiliate-driven customer acquisition budgets.
• Impact: Impact is a leading partnership management and affiliate platform used by financial services and DTC brands for CPA-based customer acquisition. It directly overlaps with CommissionSoup's value proposition of performance-based, tracked affiliate partnerships at enterprise scale.
• Rakuten Advertising: Rakuten Advertising operates a major global affiliate network with significant financial services and retail advertiser presence. It is comparable as a scaled CPA affiliate marketplace competing for both merchant budgets and affiliate publishers.
• Awin: Awin is a global affiliate network with deep financial services and retail verticals. It competes head-to-head with CommissionSoup for CPA budgets and offers a similar two-sided affiliate marketplace model.
• PartnerStack: PartnerStack is a partnership platform focused on B2B SaaS and financial services affiliate and referral programs. It overlaps with CommissionSoup as a modern, software-led CPA network serving financial and fintech advertisers.
• ShareASale: ShareASale (owned by Awin) is a long-standing CPA affiliate network with thousands of merchants across financial services, retail, and subscription verticals. It competes directly with CommissionSoup for both merchant-side budgets and affiliate supply.
• Pepperjam (Ascend): Pepperjam is an affiliate and partnership marketing network with strong financial services and credit card advertiser representation, making it a direct competitive analog to CommissionSoup's niche focus on financial services digital marketing.
• FlexOffers: FlexOffers is a large CPA affiliate network with deep financial services and retail coverage. It competes with CommissionSoup for affiliate traffic and merchant budgets across the same card and lending verticals.
• LinkConnector: LinkConnector is an affiliate network that competes for merchants and affiliates across financial services, retail, and subscription verticals. It is comparable to CommissionSoup as a niche CPA affiliate marketplace with multi-program tracking and reporting tooling.

Broad incumbents

• Bankrate (Red Ventures): Bankrate, owned by Red Ventures, is a scaled financial services lead generation and comparison platform. While not a pure affiliate network, it overlaps with CommissionSoup's core role of connecting financial advertisers with high-intent consumers and competing for the same card-issuer acquisition budgets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/commissionsoup
• Facebookfacebook.com/commissionsoup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commissionsoup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CommissionSoup