Introduction — Why localisation, payments and network choice matter
Global affiliate publishers can no longer rely on a single landing page, a US‑centric checkout or one network to capture cross‑border demand. APAC’s mobile‑wallet and super‑app ecosystems and Europe’s country‑level payment preferences and strict privacy rules create divergent user expectations — and divergent conversion outcomes — unless affiliates adapt creative, payment rails and network partnerships for each region.
Quick snapshot: mobile wallets and local instant rails are rising fast across APAC, reshaping checkout expectations, while Europe remains highly fragmented by country with cards, bank‑to‑bank pay and local wallets each dominant in pockets of the market. These structural differences affect conversion rates, average order value and the operational work needed for payouts and tax reporting.
APAC playbook: payments, platforms and a Lazada case study
What to prioritise in APAC:
- Support local wallets and rails: Alipay, WeChat Pay (China), UPI (India), PayNow, GrabPay, GCash and regional QR schemes often outperform cards for conversion. Offering local currency and local wallet options is a direct conversion lever.
- Respect mobile UX expectations: many APAC shoppers are mobile‑first and expect one‑tap checkout flows linked to their wallet or super‑app, not a multi‑step card form.
- Choose marketplace affiliate programs strategically: regional marketplaces (Shopee, Lazada, Tokopedia) and their affiliate/creator programs often have higher baseline conversion in Southeast Asia than global networks for local brands. Lazada’s recent investment in its affiliate ecosystem illustrates how marketplace-driven creator commerce can scale quickly in APAC — affiliates should evaluate platform incentives and co‑funded voucher programs when prioritising channels.
Lazada case highlight
In 2025 Lazada publicly announced a multi‑million dollar push to expand LazAffiliate features, incentives and dashboards for creators. For affiliates this is a reminder: marketplace affiliate programs can provide structural advantages (native checkout, voucher co‑funding, festival traffic) that global networks don’t. When evaluating APAC opportunities, measure baseline conversion on the marketplace vs. your direct link funnels and quantify the incremental revenue from vouchers and platform‑level promotions.
Operational notes for APAC: currency conversion, payout rails, AML/KYC requirements and local tax/GST rules vary by country. Use a payments partner (or network) that supports local settlement currencies and multiple PSPs to avoid failed transactions and high declines on local cards and wallets.
Europe playbook: country‑level payment UX, regulation and networks
What to prioritise in the EU:
- Local payment preferences are country specific: iDEAL dominates the Netherlands, Bancontact is essential in Belgium, Blik is important in Poland, and BNPL providers such as Klarna have strong adoption in several markets. Accepting the locally preferred option is often more important than adding yet another global card option.
- Prepare for stronger authentication and instant‑payment rules: PSD2 SCA is mature but implementation remains a conversion friction point — merchants and affiliates must optimise 3DS2 flows and understand exemptions. In addition, EU instant payment rules (SEPA Instant) and imminent PSD3/PSR changes will affect settlement, liability and routing decisions across EU operations. Plan for 2025–2027 regulatory changes in your payment roadmap.
- Privacy, consent and tracking: GDPR and ePrivacy interpretations vary; some networks rely on legitimate interest while cookie consent requirements differ by country (and Germany’s TTDSG has specific constraints). When selecting a European network verify their legal position on tracking, required consent mechanics and whether they provide server‑to‑server postbacks or cookieless attribution options to preserve conversion measurement without excessive cookie reliance.
Network selection guidance
Top global networks and specialist European providers offer different tradeoffs: Awin and TradeDoubler and CJ each have strong publisher pools in Europe; choose a mix — global networks for cross‑market offers and local/regional networks for country‑specific publishers and payment integrations. Also evaluate networks by how they pay publishers (bank transfer, Payoneer, local PSPs), payout frequency and their fraud/chargeback SLAs.
Checklist & recommended roll‑out: a pragmatic sequence
Use this sequence to expand into APAC and EU with measurable risk control.
- Market prioritisation: pick 1–2 pilot countries per region (e.g., SG or MY for SEA; NL or DE for EU) and localise landing pages and payment options for those pilots.
- Payments & PSPs: integrate 1 local PSP per pilot market (wallet or local bank‑to‑bank), plus a fallback global card processor. Test currency display, exchange transparency and settlement timings.
- Network mix: run parallel campaigns on a local marketplace affiliate program (where relevant) and one global network to compare conversion, attribution and payout reliability. Evaluate networks on cookieless/postback support, payout rails and fraud controls.
- Privacy & compliance: implement a consent framework that meets local ePrivacy/GDPR requirements, document legal bases for tracking, and capture proof of opt‑in where required. For Germany and similar jurisdictions include explicit consent patterns to avoid TTDSG violations.
- Measurement & optimisation: deploy server‑side postbacks, validate with sample purchases, and measure checkout conversion by payment rail. Prioritise the highest converting payment rails and allocate more campaign budget there.
Quick reference table
| Region | High‑priority payments | Recommended network types |
|---|---|---|
| APAC | Alipay, WeChat Pay, UPI, local wallets (GrabPay/GCash) | Marketplace affiliate programs + regional networks (Lazada, Shopee, Involve) |
| EU | Cards, iDEAL, Bancontact, Klarna, SEPA instant | Pan‑EU networks (Awin, TradeDoubler) + country specialists |
Final note: prioritise measurable pilots, choose networks that support reliable payout rails (Payoneer or local bank settlement), and build a local payments matrix into your tracking/attribution model so that conversions are not only captured but also settled reliably. Networks, PSPs and regulations change — treat your first 90 days in market as an experiment to learn the payment and UX levers that move conversion metrics.