How the Two-Tier Race Cross-Promotion Network Works
When an athlete registers for Race A, they see curated upsell recommendations for Race B in their cart. If they buy, the commission splits between the race director who surfaced the upsell and the affiliate who originally referred the athlete. Everyone grows together.
What It Is
The upsell affiliate network is a two-tier commission system that rewards everyone involved when a registrant discovers and purchases a second race through another race director's cart.
Tier 1: Direct Affiliate
Affiliates earn commission on Event A (the primary registration they referred). Standard affiliate behavior.
Tier 2: Upsell Commission
When that same registrant also purchases Event B from the upsell carousel, the affiliate earns 40% of the upsell commission.
Organizer A Earns 60%
The race director whose cart surfaced Event B earns 60% of the upsell commission — rewarded for the discovery they enabled.
Organizer B Sets the Rate
Organizer B opts in, sets their commission rate (5% minimum), and their races appear in the network. They keep the rest.
The Commission Split
A concrete example: Organizer B sets a 10% commission on a $100 registration. That registration sells through Organizer A's cart, referred originally by an affiliate.
Organizer B Keeps $90
Organizer B set a 10% commission on their $100 registration. They keep $90 — the full registration price minus the commission they chose to offer.
Organizer A Earns $6
Organizer A surfaced Event B in their cart upsell carousel. They earn 60% of the $10 commission = $6. This is passive income for enabling the discovery.
Affiliate Earns $4
The affiliate who originally referred the registrant to Event A earns 40% of the $10 upsell commission = $4. They earn on every registration in the cart, not just Event A.
How It Works
Organizer B Opts In
Any race director on Elevate or Amplify can toggle on the upsell network from their dashboard. They set a commission rate — 5% minimum — and their races immediately enter the network.
Scoring Determines Placement
When a registrant purchases registrations to Event A, the system scores all eligible network races by three factors — proximity (geographic distance), demand (sell-through rate and trending velocity), and commission rate (higher rate = higher visibility). All three carry equal weight.
Upsell Appears in Cart
Top-scoring races appear on the confirmation page, in the confirmation email, and in 3 reminder emails leading up to Event A. Five touchpoints, all automatic.
Athlete Purchases Event B
The registrant clicks through and buys registrations to Event B. The purchase is attributed to both Organizer A (who surfaced it) and the affiliate (who originally referred the registrant).
Commissions Pay After Event Date
Commissions are held until after Event B's date. This protects against refunds. Once the race has occurred, commissions are released to Stripe for payout to Organizer A and the affiliate.
Try It: Explore the Network
Walk through the upsell flow, commission split, and scoring algorithm.
What the registrant Sees
After purchasing registrations, registrants see curated upsell recommendations from other race directors.
Shown on confirmation page, in confirmation emails, and in 3 reminder emails.
How Scoring Works
Three signals determine which races appear in the upsell carousel. All three carry equal weight.
Proximity (33%)
Geographic distance between the registrant's location and the upsell race. Closer races score higher. A registrant in Denver sees Colorado races first, not ones in another state.
Demand (33%)
Sell-through rate and trending velocity of the race. High-demand races that are selling well score higher. This surfaces races registrants are most likely to want.
Commission Rate (33%)
Higher commission rate = higher visibility in the carousel. The 5% minimum ensures all race directors can participate, but setting a competitive rate directly improves your position.
Category Matching
Events must match by category to appear: marathon, half marathon, triathlon, trail running, cycling, obstacle race, ultra. A marathon runner sees other distance races, not yoga retreats.
Example
A registrant in Boulder, CO registers for a half marathon. They're shown a trail 10K in Denver (12 miles away) and a sprint triathlon in Estes Park (35 miles away) — not a yoga retreat in Miami. The scoring algorithm weighs proximity, demand, and commission rate equally.
Payout Timing & Refund Protection
Upsell commissions use a hold-and-release model to protect all parties.
Commissions Held Until Event Date
When Event B sells through the upsell network, the commission is calculated immediately but held in escrow. Neither Organizer A nor the affiliate receives payment until after Event B occurs.
Released After Event Date
Once Event B has occurred, commissions are released to Stripe. Organizer A and the affiliate receive their splits according to their Stripe payout schedule.
Refund Handling
If the registrant requests a refund on Event B before it occurs, the entire commission is reversed. No one pays for a registration that didn't happen. If a partial refund is processed, the commission adjusts proportionally.
5 Discovery Touchpoints
Your races are surfaced to other race directors' registrants at the moments they're most engaged.
Confirmation Page
Immediately after purchasing, registrants see curated upsell recommendations from other race directors.
Confirmation Email
The order confirmation email includes tasteful cross-race suggestions alongside registration details.
Reminder 1 (7 Days)
First reminder email includes upsell recommendations — registrants are engaged and planning ahead.
Reminder 2 (2 Days)
Second reminder builds excitement. Upsell races feel like helpful suggestions, not ads.
Reminder 3 (Day-Of)
Day-of reminder catches last-minute interest. High conversion window for impulse upsell purchases.
Dashboard Analytics
Track impressions, click-throughs, conversions, and commission earnings across all 5 touchpoints in real time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any race director on Elevate or Amplify can opt in from their dashboard. Toggle on "Upsell Network" and set a commission rate (5% minimum). Your races immediately enter the network and begin appearing in other race directors' carts. You can opt out at any time — existing pending commissions still pay out after the race date.
Related Articles
Upsell Affiliate Network — Feature Page
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Upsells & Add-ons
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Outbound Email Marketing
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