Definition
An FTD is a player's first real-money deposit at a casino. It turns a registration into a customer, and it is what nearly every CPA deal settles on.
It is first per casino, not per person and not per network. The same person depositing at two casinos produces two FTDs, and both are legitimate: each operator is paying for a customer it did not have before. At the same casino, only the first deposit counts.
What counts, and what does not
| Event | FTD? |
|---|---|
| A registered player makes their first real-money deposit | Yes |
| The same player's second, third and later deposits | No, those are redeposits |
| A registration with no deposit | No |
| A bonus credited without a deposit | No |
| A deposit below the deal's qualifying minimum | Recorded, but usually unpaid |
| A deposit later reversed as a chargeback | Reversed |
Where the FTD sits in the funnel
clicks → registrations → first-time deposits → redepositsClick to registration tells you whether your audience matches the offer. Registration to FTD tells you whether the casino's own onboarding converts them. A good first rate next to a poor second one is usually the operator's problem rather than yours, and a reason to test another brand. The earnings calculator shows which of the two is costing you.
Why an FTD does not pay immediately
An FTD is recorded as soon as it is reported, but it only earns once it is confirmed against the casino's records. Chargebacks, duplicate accounts and bonus abuse surface in the days after a deposit, and checking first is better for everyone than paying and clawing back. At TopStep Partners that check is done by hand once the month closes. How affiliate payouts work covers what happens after.
