These aren't the only issues, however. There's also the problem of companies applying last-in rules across multiple marketing channels, which includes deduping affiliates without full disclosure.
For example, let's say a customer first learns about a company's product via an affiliate who has a popular blog, visits the retailer but doesn't buy, and then goes back again later through branded pay per click or an email campaign. Some companies don't pay affiliates for this sale despite the important role the affiliate played in creating a new customer. The affiliate creating the demand is paid nothing, yet another channel is credited for the revenue and conversion while doing far less work. The activity that should be valued the most — bringing new customers to the brand — is being discouraged under this model. This is how we know that the last in logic no longer makes sense.