Advertisers are responsible for approving or declining transactions. Timelines vary by advertisers since they typically wait for returns windows to close, cancellations to be confirmed, or fulfilment checks to complete before validating transactions.
You can check each advertiser's average validation time and whether they use automatic validation in the Awin platform.
How long does approval usually take?
Each advertiser sets their own validation timeline. The Validation Period in the Awin platform shows the advertiser's average approval timeframe, calculated from historical transaction data. This is an average, not a guaranteed timeframe, as individual transactions may take longer to review.
Some advertisers use auto-validation, in which if an advertiser has not manually approved or declined a transaction within 60 days, Awin automatically approves it. Auto-validation removes the need for manual review on the advertiser's side and can reduce overall waiting times for publishers.
How to check an advertiser’s validation time
You can view both the advertiser's average validation period and their auto-validation settings directly in the Awin platform.
To view the average validation period:
- Log in to your Awin account.
- Go to Advertisers > My Programs.
- Select the advertiser.
- In the Overview tab, select Performance.
- Review the Validation Period field.
This displays the average number of days the advertiser typically takes to validate transactions.
To learn more about average payment times, see What is the Average Payment Time.
To check auto-validation settings:
- Log in to your Awin account.
- Go to Advertisers > My Programs.
- Select the advertiser.
- Under Summary on the left, locate the Auto Validation Period field.
If the Auto Validation Period displays None, the advertiser does not use automatic validation.
Why is my transaction still pending?
Transactions remain in a Pending status until the advertiser approves or declines them. If a transaction has been pending longer than the advertiser's average validation period, this does not necessarily indicate a problem.
Transactions may remain pending beyond the expected timeframe for a number of reasons, including:
- The advertiser is still reviewing the order.
- The return or cancellation period has not yet ended.
- The advertiser is running additional verification checks.
- The advertiser is experiencing operational or administrative delays.
To learn more about payment delays, see Why haven't I been paid out yet? (Advertiser Payment Delays).
Note: The validation period displayed in Awin is an average based on historical data, not a guaranteed approval timeframe. Individual transactions may take longer to be reviewed.
What should I do if my transaction has been pending longer than expected?
Before contacting the advertiser, check the following in the Awin platform:
- The advertiser's average Validation Period
- Whether the advertiser uses auto-validation, and if so, the number of days set
- How long the transaction has been pending, compared against the advertiser's usual validation timeframe
If the transaction has remained pending significantly longer than expected, contact the advertiser directly for an update.
To learn how, see How can I contact an advertiser?
