Well, there’s two ways to look at it I guess.
And yes, while the ones that constantly say they will have it paid by a certain date, but reguarly don’t make that date are certainly a cause for frustration – especially if that drags onto the following month – and most definitely the worst of the offenders, but I don’t agree with your argument that if we get paid about the same time every month then it doesn’t matter when that payment is.
The reason I don’t agree, is because the payments we receive are calculated on the previous months stats and locked in place at the beginning of each month. Now there is no doubt that we are probably a bit spoilt in this industry with regards to the quickness of the previous months payments (with many programs now paying within the first 1-5 days after the period has ended), but that is largely due to competition between the programs and is recognised as an attractive incentive for affiliates to promote that program (after all, this is our money we’re talking about and the faster we get it in our pockets, the better it can work for us).
As far as I am concerned, an affiliate program that consistently pays on the 20th of each month is a far slower payer than one that says it will pay by the 5th but doesn’t manage to make it until the 15th or something like that. While paying by the 20th was pretty common a couple of years ago, I just don’t think it cuts it anymore… there is no reason for it as the 90% of Casino/Poker affiliate programs are now showing that quick payments are certainly possible and in fact is a great attraction for affiliates as shown by the popularity of the ‘Affiliate Payments Recieved’ and ‘Fastest Paying Programs’ thread… and rightly so too – it is our money afterall, better off in our bank accounts than theirs 