PIN API VS. mVAS (S2S): Which model fits your traffic?

Let's settle this debate properly.

Because if you've been in CPA for more than five minutes, you've heard this question before.

​​When affiliates compare PIN API and mVAS (S2S), they usually ask the wrong questions:​

​​''Which one converts better''.​

​​It sounds logical. It's just incomplete.

​​​That's like asking whether a manual car is faster than an automatic.

It depends who's driving.
​It depends what road you're on.
And whether you actually know how to use the gears.​​​

The real question is:

Do you want speed.. or control?

Because both models can scale.
​And both models can burn your budget if you treat them the same.

The mistake isn't choosing the wrong model. It's using the wrong approach.​​

​The core difference (in one sentence)

mVAS (S2S):

You send traffic to a fixed subscription flow and track conversions server-to-server.

PIN API:

You run the same PIN mechanics, but you integrate via API and build the landing/subscription page yourself.

Same mechanics. Different ownership.​​

​1) Setup & launch speed: plug & play vs build & optimize.

mVAS (S2S)

With most mVAS offers, affiliates typically:

• Send traffic to a fixed LP/subscription page
• Optionally use a prelander
• Track conversions via S2S
• Optimize mainly through: creatives, targeting, placements, traffic source strategy

Big advantage?

You can launch fast.

This makes mVAS perfect for:

• Quick testing
• Aggressive scaling
• Affiliates who want minimal technical overhead

PIN API = Build & Optimize

PIN API offers still follow the classic PIN flow:

MSISDN -> PIN request -> PIN submit -> confirmation

Nothing exotic.

The difference?

You host and design the page where the subscription happens.

That means:

• You need some technical skill (or a dev)
• But you gain the ability to test and optimize the subscription experience itself.

PIN API is for affiliates who think:

''What if i could improve the funnel itself?''

​2) Landing page control: fixed vs custom

This is where things get interesting.

With mVAS (S2S):

• The final subscription page is fixed
• The UX and layout are predefined
• Your optimization happens ''outside the LP''

This is not a downside, it's a trade-off.

You get:

• Stability
• Simplicity
• Speed

Which is why many affiliates scale very well with it.

With PIN API:

You can build a custom LP that matches your traffic.

You control:

• Layout
• Messaging
• Localization
• UI choices
• How steps are presented
• Friction management

Same PIN mechanics.
​Different experience.

And in CPA, experience is leverage.

Because small improvements don't feel small once you're running volume.​​

Think of it like this:
​Traffic is fuel.
​The funnel is the engine.

mVAS lets you step on the gas.
​PIN API lets you tune the engine.

And when your engine becomes more efficient,
​You need less fuel for the same output.

Which means better margins without necessarily buying more traffic.​​​​

Oh and bonus:

You're not sending traffic to the same standardized page as everyone else.

That doesn't eliminate competition.
​But it does reduce ''cookie-cutter'' saturation.

And in competitive GEOs, that difference matters.​​

​3) Funnel visiblity: surface data vs deep data.

This is the biggest practical difference for serious affiliates.

Especially once you start scaling beyond ''test budgets''. ​​

mVAS (S2S):

With mVAS, you usually see:

• Clicks
• Conversions
• Postback results

But you don't always see what happens inside the subscription flow.

So when performance drops, you're often left with questions like:

• Did users even reach the subscription step?
• Did they drop off on the page?
• Was there a technical issue?
• Did the carrier reject it?
• Were they already subscribed?

In other words:

You see the outcome
​But not the full story behind it.

That's why optimization in mVAS is often:

• Traffic-driven
• Creative-driven
• Experience-driven

Which can work very well, but it's not always surgical.

PIN API:

With API integration, you can get much deeper funnel visiblity.

Not just ''did it convert''.. but where did it break?

For example:

• Did the click become an LP visit?
• How many users reached the MSISDN step?
• How many submitted a phone number?
• How many requested a PIN?
• How many entered the PIN successfully?
• Where did users fail, and why? (e.g. insufficient balance, already subscribed, wrong MSISDN, wrong PIN)

Now you're not optimizing based on assumptions.

You're optimizing based on diagnostics.

​4) Which model fits your traffic?

Here's a simple decision model.

Choose mVAS (S2S) if you want:

• Quick set up
• Fast testing cycles
• Plug and play scaling
• Minimal technical work
• A clean focus on traffic + creatives

Choose PIN API if you want:

• Custom LP control
• Funnel-level optimization
• In-depth performance insights
• A unique page experience
• Long-term campaign improvement

​Final thought

PIN API and mVAS aren't competitors.
​They're just two different playbooks.

mVAS is for moving fast.
​PIN API is for people who like to tweak, test and improve.

Not sure what fits your traffic?
​Don't guess. Ask. We'll point you in the right direction!