How to prevent an affiliate from using their own link

Is there a way to prevent an affiliate from getting credit for a sale when they use their own affiliate link to place an order?

You could have a vqmod or order unset the affiliate_id in the order if it matches the affiliate account.

Please consider adding this feature to this add-on.  I can't think of any situation where an affiliate should get credit for their own orders.  The whole idea of an affiliate system is to get [b]new[/b] customers.  If someone is doing that, they're either trying to cheat or it was done by accident.  Either way, they shouldn't get credit for their own orders.  There are other ways for return customers to be rewarded.  Thanks.

I can't think of an affiliate system where I am signed up today where I can't use my own affiliate link.
Your post hasn't made me entirely convinced. Whether it's their friends or themselves - more sales is always more sales.
I am not saying you are wrong. I'm just saying you might not be right 😁

Can you use your own affiliate code on Amazon? Yes you can.

Perhaps Amazon just hasn't realized they're being taken advantage of yet.  ; )

I don't know how to defend against the argument that "everybody else is doing it" except for what my mother used to say - "If everyone else was jumping off a bridge, does that mean you should do it, too?"  : )

Sounds like an option could be given as to which way we set up our stores.  Maybe that could be added when you include a frontend to the affiliates add-on? (hint, hint)

As long as the sales are rolling the affiliate can keep buying himself. I wouldn't care who is behind it :)

I agree that when "sales are rolling in" it's a good thing, but that's not the point.  An affiliate who uses their affiliate link to buy product is no longer acting as an affiliate, but simply as a customer.  According to thebalancesmb.com:

[quote]In online retailing, affiliation is common in marketing and selling wherein one company may affiliate with another to [b]sell[/b] products or services.  The [b]seller[/b] ... pays a [b]commission[/b] to affiliates. This relationship is sometimes called "affiliate marketing."[/quote]

Take note of the line that says "to sell products or services".  It doesn't say "to buy".  If you want to give recurring discounts to repeat customers, that's great, but that's not an affiliate system - that's simply a refund or discount.  Also, take note of the phrase "The seller ... pays a commission to affiliates".  Again the words used are "seller" and "commission", not "buyer" and "refund".

The bottom line is that an affiliate is someone who brings in new customers.  This is not just semantics - words mean things.  If they don't, then communication becomes impossible.  (If this sounds rude, it's not intended to be.  I'm simply trying to prove a point.)

That being said, if everyone wants to leave it this way, that's fine.  There are ways around this.  I'm actually more interested in getting a front end to this thing so people can sign up on their own and see their sales.

It seems that it's common to state this in the terms of use when affiliates are set up rather than having block technology. The customer could just find a workaround and put their cat's email or name in for the order.