Affiliate commissions

Question

I need to set up an affiliate program, but I can not see to get it to work, and have some questions -
I set up an affiliate program.
I set up an affiliate and added a percentage.
I used the link supplied to go to the website, and enter a different customer and email address
I set up product and order (under product I also added under "more options" a commission payment percentage - trying to make it work, when the first did not.
1) After entering an order, I go below to Commissions, but it tells me that commissions are disabled, and for the life of me I can't see how to enable them.
Anyone know how to enable commissions?
2) In the BC guides -
Commissions apply to orders made by customers on your online shop after clicking an affiliate referral link.
   Note: Affiliate commissions for purchases can only be tracked correctly when using a seamless payment gateway or PayPal standard.
Now the intention was for the client to send out Affiliate links, and they were going to enter the orders manually to create the trail of commission payments. No intention of using the shop or any payment gateway - they just want to use the affiliate program.
Does that mean that it just won't work as it needs a payment gateway?
3) I go to the clients details, but can't find the referrer details.
Am I missing something, or they are not shown?
If I go to the referrer, their activity just shows someone used their link, and does not even show the client. Should it now show the client details.
Clutching at straws, until I have to tell the client, Affiliate programs as advertised won't work, unless you have a gateway! and without that gateway is there is no possible way to identify the affiliate or their client.

Answer 1

Well here is the answer, after many days with support.
I could not understand -
1) why it would not work
2) I could not see any reference to the Customer in the Affiliate activity sheet - just a comment that the affiliate link was used.
3) I could not find any reference to the Affiliate within the Customer data.
Reason: It only works if the customer buys something in the shop after getting there using the affiliate link.
In other words if they go there by the link, but close down their browser, and then return later and go directly to the website, and buys something, the sale will not be registered within the affiliates commission.
Worse than that, by not storing the the affiliate's right to that customer's sales, it stops the use of the affiliate system for the thousands of businesses that could use the system but don't use the shop, but may enter orders manually.