If you ve hired a consulting firm, they will help you decide which 3 rd party vendor you should use. Maybe you should concentrate your efforts on one system, or maybe you should spread your resources across several systems. Expect a consultant to charge an initial set-up fee as well as a fee for processing applications and maintaining the system. Fixed and variable fees are used, with set-up and maintenance as a fixed fee and per application fees on a variable basis. Sometimes consultants charge an override on the commissions which you are paying.
Individual circumstances differ so much that there are no general guidelines.
You need to do what you think is fair for both parties. One factor to consider when using an outside consultant is whether or not to have the consultant set the program up for you and then turn it over to you once it is up and running. Usually there is a fee for this, however, you may find that while you don t have the ability to set up a program, you do have the ability to maintain one. Establish at the very beginning of negotiations whether or not you want this option and get some idea of how much it will cost. You must also consider the issue of privacy and the extent to which the consultant will have access to information about your affiliates as well as your customers.