If you are just starting out in blogging and want to earn money quickly, then this is the perfect resource for you.
This is a curated list of affiliate programs that will earn you a bucket-load of money while you are asleep.
This article lists the affiliate programs in categories, shows the commissions you will earn, and show you the pros and cons of each of them.
You will then be able to make an informed decision on which networks work well for you and start earning money quickly from your new blogging enterprise.
Affiliate Marketing Industry is set to grow to approximately $13 Billion in 2022 and $15.7 Billion by 2024 and many people made a great living from getting a piece of this lucrative pie. (Affiliate Marketing Benchmark Report 2022)
Don’t you want to start earning money from affiliate marketing too?
Learn how you can do this by joining the affiliate marketing programs on this list.
Each of these programs is vetted and we believe they are the best options when it comes to earning high commissions from affiliate marketing, so stay with us and get liberated when it comes to earning money on your blog.
But first, let us understand what an affiliate program is.
What is an Affiliate Program?
Simply put, an affiliate program is one where the company running the program agrees to pay you a commission for sending them targeted customers who end up making a purchase or signing up to an email list or other subscription.
You get paid part of the purchase price.
Bloggers use affiliate programs to make passive income by promoting products and services to their readers, and then earn a commission whenever their readers purchase from the parent company.
This sounds great, right?
However, the main challenge comes when you try to decide which affiliate program to join.
There are so many across the Internet that finding a suite that will be best for you can take a long time.
This is why we have done the heavy lifting for you and come up with this curated list of top, high-paying affiliate programs that you can join and earn money quickly.
Table of Contents
Section 1 – Common High-Paying Affiliate Programs to Join
- Top 6 web hosting affiliate programs
- 7 best website builders affiliate programs
- 5 exceptional email marketing affiliate programs
- The best 5 SEO tools affiliate programs
- 7 high-paying WordPress affiliate programs
Section 2 – Uncommon Profitable Affiliate Programs to Join
- 4 amazing finance affiliate programs
- The best 4 trading and investment affiliate programs
- 5 exhilarating gaming affiliate programs
- 5 melodious music affiliate programs
Section 3 – Top Affiliate Networks to Join
- Top 5 affiliate networks to join today
Section 4 – What You Should Look For in High-Paying Affiliate Programs
Section 1 – Common Affiliate Programs to Join
Top 6 web hosting affiliate programs
Every website needs a host, and if you are blogging about the creation of blogs then this is a great option for you.
The best web hosting affiliate programs are not necessarily those that give you a high commission, but those that offer your potential customers the best user experience.
You see, the reputation of a web hosting company can also work well for you when you chose the right ones to promote.
If you promote one that has a great reputation, then your readers will need little convincing to sign up using your affiliate link.
On the other hand, if you promote a web hosting affiliate with a bad reputation, then people will not click on your referral link and you will make very little money.
Here are 6 of the best web hosting affiliate programs that you can join today.
#1. Bluehost
This is one of the leading web hosting companies in the world, with over 2 million domains hosted across its sister companies, FastDomain, Page, and HostGator.
Bluehost offers hosting plans from $2.95 per month and their one-time payouts start from $65. In 2019, the company paid out more than $5 million in commissions to its affiliates.
Now wouldn’t you want to earn part of their next commission payout?
Commission Rate: $65 for starters and the rate increases to $130based on the volume of your referrals.
Cookie Life: 60 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Free to join
· 2-minute signup process · Payouts starting at $65 which is high · Uncapped earning potential · Several promotional resources · Has an affiliate support team to work with you |
· Your application to join must FIRST be approved
· Payment is made 45 to 60 days after a sale is made
|
#2. HostGator
This is a popular shared web hosting provider and has over 8million websites on its servers. It offers affiliates flexible commissions, co-branded landing pages, and a host of other special offers.
Commission rate: For the first 5 sales, you earn $65, and the payout increases to $100 as you make more sales.
They have a performance-based payment structure and a hybrid commission structure that offers small recurring payments to affiliates.
Cookie Life: 60 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Free to join
· High conversion rates · High commission rates · Marketing tool provided · Create custom coupons for customers · Dedicated affiliate account manager |
· Requires initial traffic count and approval
· Payouts take a long time to be processed
|
#3. Hostinger
This is a popular web hosting affiliate program that offers up to $150 for each sale based on a tiered pricing structure.
You can make $60 on your initial sales and build your commission up to $150. They offer up to a 90% discount, a starting price of $0.99 per month, which leads to a high conversion rate.
You get free tools such as banners and other promotional services to get you started.
You can send an unlimited number of referrals and there are no payment caps.
Commission rate: Minimum $60
Cookie Life: NA
| PROS | CONS |
| · Instant signup
· Affiliate control panel · Free banners and promotional tools · Minimum $60 commission · High conversion rate |
· Little signup information is available
|
#4. Cloudways
This is a hosting company that focuses on offering high-performance services to small businesses and teams.
They have two excellent commissions structures allowing you to customize your payouts.
Commission rate: You can choose to go with a fixed one-time payment starting from $50 to$150 depending on your sales volumes and a hybrid structure that adds a $30 commission for the sale and a 7% lifetime commission.
Cookie Life: 90 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Affiliate support team
· 2-payment options · High commissions · Long cookie life · Tracking dashboard |
· Minimum earnings of $250 to receive payments
|
#5. WP Engine
Started in 2010, this is a long-standing web hosting provider that offers extremely fast hosting plans to high-end blogs, companies, and businesses requiring dedicated hosting.
They have one of the best web hosting affiliate programs for bloggers who cover web hosting on their blogs.
Commission rate: minimum $200 commission on sales of WP Engine hosting and 35% of sales of themes on StudioPress.
Cookie life: 180 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Dedicated tracking dashboard
· Affiliate managers ready to answer your questions · Creation of custom landing pages with the help of the WP Engine design team |
· Your application has to be vetted and approved before you can join the network
|
#6. Kinsta
Kinsta offers cloud-based hosting for WordPress. They are considered to be the best since they use Google Cloud and LXD orchestrated Linux containers at their data centers spanning the globe.
This is the best-managed hosting provider for bloggers with extremely fast hosting, SSL through “Let’s Encrypt”, hassle-free migration, and optimized backups among a host of other great features.
Commission rate: You can earn up to $500 per referral and a 10% monthly lifetime commission.
Cookie life: 60 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Real-time tracking dashboard in multiple languages
· 60 days conversions window · A bevy of promotional tools and materials · Creates a unique one-click referral link which you can point to any point on the Kinsta website |
· You can only use advertising materials approved by Kinsta in your promotional activities
· You cannot take part in incentivized programs or business sites · You cannot post Kinsta links on coupon sites
|
7 best website builders affiliate programs
The next most popular affiliate program category after web hosting is website builders.
These are website builders such as Wix and e-commerce sites such as Shopify and BigCommerce.
For bloggers, creating a website is the first thing you have to do; for business owners who want a digital platform to sell products, website builders are the best option.
These platforms have a high lifetime value (LTV) because customers can stay on the platform for up to 3 years, which means they can give you up to or more than 100% commission on the initial sale.
Here is our pick of the best website builders that you can promote on your blog:
#1. Shopify
This is the largest and most popular eCommerce site builder, with a database of 400,000 merchants and offers up to 200% commission on paid stores.
The fact that they have a great reputation offers you a high conversion rate when you promote their builder.
Commission rate: 100% commission on the first and second payment for each referral you make. This means that the basic plan will earn you 2 X $29 which is $58.
The Shopify Plus plan pays a flat rate of $2,000 per paid sale. In some countries, the Shopify commission can be as high as 300%.
Cookie life: 30 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Very high commission rates
· Payment is paid on each sale · Create links for tracking purposes · User-friendly affiliate portal |
· Disorganized deep-linking available
· Short cookie life
|
#2. BigCommerce
This is an eCommerce platform boasting more than 60,000 stores. They are best suited for growing brands due to their wide range of built-in features and advanced functions.
Commission rate: Up to 200% of the payment on each sale irrespective of which bundle your referrals choose to pay for.
Cookie life: 90 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Excellent commission rates
· Text and banner links · Excellent account manager · Weekly newsletter with SEO advice and content templates for affiliate bloggers to use |
· The tier-based commission can be challenging to comprehend
· The tier system is not properly organized
|
#3. Wix
This is a popular website builder with more than 100 million users. They offer a $100 commission on each sale and a bevy of landing pages for you to bring in paying customers.
The site is excellent for restaurants, small businesses, and artists.
Commission rate: $100 per sale
Cookie lifetime: 30 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · $100 for each premium referral
· A huge library of creative resources · Premium membership can be customized to fit a wide range of customers |
· Must make $300 per month for payments to be made
· No recurring affiliate revenues.
|
#4. Weebly
This is a very simple website builder with more than 40 million users. It has a drag and drop feature that makes it suitable for those without coding knowledge.
They have a 30% recurring commission as long as the customer you referred stays active.
Commission rate: 30% recurring commission for the lifetime that the customer stays on the platform.
Cookie life: 120 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Simple, intuitive dashboard
· Add-on and app integration available · You earn a $25 equivalent for each referral – great for EURO and GBP |
· One referral link per customer
· You earn a $25 equivalent for each referral – this is lower for CAD and AUD · The layout is cluttered
|
#5. Webflow
This is a great option for influencers, bloggers, educators, and others who get paid every time they refer a designer or developer to Webflow.
You join the affiliate program through the PartnerStack on your dashboard, and this is a great resource for everything you need to succeed as an affiliate.
The dashboard shows you all your traffic, conversions, and payments.
Commission rate: 50% of all payments made by your referral for the first 12 months.
Cookie life: 90 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · In-house navigation dashboard
· Display advertising promotion opportunity · Excellent affiliate marketing product guidelines · Flexbox and eCommerce support |
· Need PayPal or Stripe to get payments
· No phone support or live chat for affiliates
|
#6. Shift4Shop
This is an upcoming eCommerce platform that offers a 300% commission on paid sales. They have a high conversion rate and have excellent affiliate managers to help you out.
Commission rate: up to 300% of each sale you make
Cookie life: 120 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Excellent 300% commission
· Marketing content provided · Long cookie window · Incentives and bonuses offered |
· The basic option requires a lot of addons and is not robust
· You need outside analytics to track your performance
|
#7. Site123
This is a platform popular for the creation of mobile-friendly websites. It offers a lot of templates and has a simple user interface.
You can earn up to $182 per sale and you only withdraw once you get $300 in commissions
Commission rate: builds up to $182
Cookie life: 30 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Huge commissions on every sale you make
· A fast and simple withdrawal process · No hidden fees |
· $300 withdrawal threshold is high
· Only pay you through PayPal · The platform is cluttered with ads.
|
5 exceptional email marketing affiliate programs
Email marketing is a crucial tool for increasing engagement with your audience on your blog.
These tools also offer affiliate programs so you can make money from referring people into paying for their premium email marketing services,
Here are the best 5 email marketing affiliate programs that you can join:
#1. Constant Contact
This is one of the leading email marketing programs available today.
Constant Contact offers you the ability to create beautiful templates, share content with your list and track your performance in real-time.
You also earn a high commission with each referral.
Commission rate: You get $5 for every customer who starts off with the 60-day free trial period. They also offer a $105 commission from direct paying referrals.
Should the referrals who join with the trial period upgrade, then you will receive a further $105.
Cookie life: 90 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Track referrals and see the commission earned in real-time
· You get market-tested assets for banners and ads · Dedicated support from a specialized affiliate management team |
· Authentic reviews and strict disclosure rules
· You get payments through wire transfer and Wise · The return policy means that you have to wait for 90 days to get paid
|
#2. Get Response
This platform boasts of being the simplest all-in-one online marketing tool.
They give sales funnels, eCommerce, landing pages marketing automation, webinar tools, CRM, ad banner builders, opt-in forms, and a lot more.
The platform has 2 affiliate programs that you can easily join. One is a self-hosted program with proprietary affiliate tracking tools and the other is offered on the Commission Junction affiliate network.
Commission rate: You can get great one-time commissions or recurring ones.
You get 33% recurring commissions on the self-hosted option as long as the customer stays on the platform. Your commission increases when the customer upgrades their plan.
On the CJ platform, they pay out a one-time $135 commission per sale.
Cookie life: 120 days on both options.
| PROS | CONS |
| · Excellent converting landing pages
· One-time commission or recurring commission · Deep linking capability |
· You have to wait 60to 75 days from the referral time for payment to be processed
· No free trial periods offered · Each program has different locking commission periods. |
#3. Active Campaign
This is a CRM and marketing automation tool and has been active since 2003.
It has a great reputation for having excellent marketing automation features.
They deal with all companies in the online environment, namely B2C and B2B companies as well as eCommerce stores.
They offer targeted messages and newsletters sent out with each campaign and have become a leader in email marketing solutions.
Commission rate: begins at 20% and increases to 30% in recurring commissions from each referral.
Cookie life: NA
| PROS | CONS |
| · Instant provision of an affiliate link upon signing up
· Great affiliate webinars to help you in setting up your funnels · Great dashboard for tracking progress and conversions |
· You must wait 60 days for your commission to be paid out
· You only earn commissions from paid accounts |
#4. Aweber
This is an email marketing platform offering design features and email templates that are great for businesses and marketing teams.
The software is great for scaling businesses using email marketing tools which are available for a wide range of entrepreneurs and eCommerce sites.
They have a great reputation and this improves the conversion rates of their affiliates.
Commission rate: You get 30% for each monthly payment that your referrals pay for their entire lifetime on the platform.
If you get 5 referrals in the one-year $19.99 per month plan, you can earn up to $360 per year.
Cookie lifetime: 365 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Payment made every month
· 30% lifetime recurring commissions on paid accounts · Affiliate approval is instant · Custom tracking link |
· Only use PayPal payments |
#4. Convertkit
This is today’s trending “hot cake” when it comes to providing marketing automation for bloggers and creatives.
This tool is ideally tailored for bloggers, small businesses, and podcasters who want a simple but effective email marketing process.
With Convertkit, capturing leads and selling products is made much easier.
Commission rate: Recurring 30% commission every month that the customer stays on the platform.
Cookie life: 60 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · No minimum payment threshold
· 30% lifetime recurring commission, which is very huge · An excellent dashboard that also shows you how much you have earned |
· You must wait for 30 days to get your commission |
The best 5 SEO tools affiliate programs
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a crucial process that every blogger or website owner must undertake to rank higher in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) and increase traffic to their sites.
These are the best SEO tools affiliate programs that we have picked out for you:
#1. SemRush
This is a set of tools that are popularly used to optimize the content on blogs and websites.
They are highly recommended for improving rankings through the research and use of effective and low-competition keywords.
They have an affiliate program that is great for bloggers to earn a recurring stream of income through the BeRush exclusive affiliate program.
Commission rate: You get 40% of your paid-up referrals
Cookie life: 10 years
| PROS | CONS |
| · A huge database of multilingual promotional materials
· Commissions paid twice a month · Exclusive promotional rights in this leading SEO tool |
· You don’t get commissions eared from returning or existing SemRush users
· $50 minimum payment threshold |
#2. Serpstat
This is a great tool for Serpstat subscribers. If you are an affiliate and want to pay for a premium plan using your commissions, you can multiply your earnings by up to 150%.
Commission rate: up to 30% on all first-time and recurring sales.
The more people you refer, the higher your commission will be as shown below:
- 1-2 referrals – 5% commission
- 3-9 referrals – 10% commission
- 10-19 referrals – 20% commission
- 20 referrals and above – 30% commission
Cookie life: NA
| PROS | CONS |
| · Recurring commissions
· Increasing commission structure |
· Payments through Webmoney or PayPal only
· You must wait for 30 days to receive payments · You must sign up to browse the affiliate page |
#3. SE Ranking
This is a tool similar to SEMRush and Serpstat but is cloud-based.
It allows users to run site audits, analyze traffic, track keyword rankings, monitor backlinks amongst many other features.
Their affiliate program allows you to earn unlimited recurring revenue simply by referring customers.
They have a 14-day free trial period which increases the conversion rate; this is great news for all affiliates.
Commission rate: 30% lifetime commissions on all paid referrals
Cookie life: 120 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Track all sales and transaction statistics
· Three payment methods: SE Ranking balance, Webmoney, and PayPal · Payments made twice a month |
· You cannot use paid advertising for promotion
· You must have a minumu$50 for payment to be made |
#4. Mangools
SEO professionals use this tool to carry out SEO on their websites and blog due to its versatility.
It has a 5-in-1 tool that makes it easy for entrepreneurs and marketers to perform SEO, all placed conveniently on their dashboard.
You can use the tool to see SERPs in any location, find keywords, track your ranking, check competitor website performance, find backlinks, and a lot more.
It is also cheaper compared to SEMRush and Ahrefs.
There is no approval process for their affiliate program. With a paid or free account, you get access to the affiliate section and a host of highly effective promotional materials.
Commission rate: 30% lifetime commission on all paid up referrals
Cookie life: 30 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Single-tier affiliate program
· A huge database of promotional assets such as widgets, links, and banners. · Commissions earned on a recurring monthly basis |
· A high payment threshold of $150.
· Low referral amounts of between $10 to $24 · You can only receive payments via PayPal |
#5. Grammarly
One cannot categorize Grammarly as a true SEO tool, but it is the best when it comes to creating clean error-free content for blogs and websites.
Many people use the tool and this is why we have listed it in this section.
The fact that it helps people create flawless content means that it has a profound effect on your ranking.
The affiliate program is quite lucrative and one you should not miss out on.
This affiliate program has the best cost per action and pay per lead commission structure and converts very well.
Commission rate: 14% or a flat one-time payment of $20 per sale.
Cookie life: 90 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · You get $0.2 for every free signup
· You get $20 for every free signup that upgrades to a premium plan · Payments are done through bank wire or check · You can make more than $200 if you generate $2,000 in signups |
· You must have 3 subscriptions or $50 for payment to be made
· The commission per payment is somewhat low compared to that of other SEO tools. |
7 high-paying WordPress affiliate programs
WordPress is the leading blogging platform in the world and there are very many high-paying affiliate programs offered by developers of tools that are used on the platform.
You can earn a great living blogging about these tools and urging your readers to use them on their sites and blogs.
Here are 7 of the top WordPress affiliate programs that you can join:
#1. Elementor
This is a popular WordPress page-building tool. It comes with exceptional drag and drop features that make it very easy to create a blog on the platform.
You can also use Elementor to preview your blog posts before you click on the “Publish” button.
Although they have a free version, you get advanced features when you use the premium version. These include a theme builder, popup builder, WooCommerce builder, and many others.
Commission rate: You get 50% of every sale you make
Cookie life: 30 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Free to use
· A host of banners and logos to use for promotional purposes · Unlimited design options for you. |
· You must make $200 in commissions to be paid
· A short cookie window compared to other programs in this category · You must wait for 30 days before you get paid |
#2. Elegant Themes
This WordPress tool offers 87 fantastic and unique themes that customers can choose from.
Each theme has been carefully designed to provide an engaging and user-friendly website that is responsive.
The simple back-end interface allows you to drag and drop features to build your own custom theme.
Elegant Themes also has a host of incredible plugins, which complement their theme designs.
One of these plugins is the Divi Builder, which allows you to drag and drop assets on your page and create a unique website.
They also offer email opt-in plugins and exceptional social sharing plugins which help people find you quite easily on social media platforms.
Commission rate: You get a recurring 50% commission on the lifetime payments of your referrals
Cookie life: 6 months
| PROS | CONS |
| · A high commission rate of 50% on the lifetime payments of your referrals
· The cookie window is very generous · A versatile support system that includes a 24-hour live-chat option · User-friendly customer interface · Great affiliate portal for you to use |
· Some customers may prefer to use a site that offers all features and plugins in one package, rather than pick a theme and add several plugins. |
#3: WP Rocket
This is a premium plugin that can cache a WordPress site enabling faster loading times. It is especially useful for sites that have heavy assets such as videos and high-definition images.
Although several free plugins can be used for caching a website and speeding up loading times, WP Rocket has the best features available.
The Lazy Load feature is one of the best in the market.
It also optimizes your database so all pages, whether new or old will load very fast.
Commission rate: There is a one-time20% commission per sale.
Cookie life: 30 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Provides in-house affiliate support teams who offer best practice advice and personalized tips
· You get an affiliate marketing kit with screenshots, text links, banners, and logos to add to your blog · You get regular promotions before publishing campaigns |
· You can’t use coupon and deals websites for promotion
· Alters your creatives when you market WP Rocket |
#4. Short Pixels
This is an image optimization and compression API and WordPress plugin designed to make WordPress sites load faster.
It is lightweight, easy to use, and can compress images and PDF documents in a single click.
When someone has activated the plugin, all new images are automatically scaled and optimized without any further input from the publisher.
Commission rate: You get 30% of all new sales and a recurring revenue stream generated using your Short Pixels links.
Cookie life: 30 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Available for anyone to use, whether you are a newbie blogger or not
· Upon registration, you will be able to track your total earnings, conversions, leads, and referral links · 30% commission is earned on the sales and recurring subscriptions too. |
· You must make$100 in commissions to get paid
· You must wait for 30 days to receive your commissions. · You can only use PayPal for amounts below $500. Above that, there are other payment options available. |
#5. OptinMonster
This is a WordPress plugin that enables bloggers to generate subscribers, leads and make sales right from your website traffic.
There are more than 1.2 million websites that use OptinMonster for these purposes, and some of them are big names like Patreon, Pinterest, and McAfee.
They give subscribers ready-made templates that are geared towards automation and split-testing so they can maximize their conversions.
Commission rate: You get a 20% commission on every sale from your referral link up to a maximum of $18 per sale.
Cookie life: NA
| PROS | CONS |
| · You earn between $21.60 to $118 per sale.
· They have a wide range of payment options including checks, ACH, and wire transfer |
· You must have at least 37 days of activity on your profile to earn commissions
· There is a minimum threshold of $100 per month. |
#6. Monster Insights
This is a powerful and versatile Google Analytics plugin developed for WordPress sites.
It is actually the most powerful Google Analytics plugin available today. It has over 3 million installations.
This plugin allows subscribers to view the performance of their blogs or websites. It offers real-time statistics, page-level analytics, universal tracking, and enhanced eCommerce tracking.
Commission rate: You earn 20% for every sale
Cookie life: NA
| PROS | CONS |
| · Clear communication displayed on all your pages
· Uses a lot of payment options including wire transfer, ACH, and checks |
· Monthly payment structure
· You must have a minimum of 37 days of activity on your profile. |
#7. WordPress.com
One cannot talk about WordPress affiliate programs without mentioning the premium WordPress.com.
It is a very competitive affiliate program and one most suited to people who have been blogging for a few months at least.
The program includes payments made for WordPress.com, WooCommerce, and JetPack.
WooCommerce is where the money comes from since it runs the highest number of WordPress stores in the world and each must have one extension or more.
This means that you can make a minimum of $40 for one single extension.
Commission rate: 20% of all sales of WooCommerce, WordPress.com, and JetPack sales.
Cookie life: NA
| PROS | CONS |
| · Your earnings are easily accessed from your dashboard
· You can see all your earnings based on whether they came from WooCommerce, Jetpack, or WordPress.com sales |
· You can get kicked out if you cannot make $100 in rewards
· The competition is high · The acceptance is very tight and difficult to get into · Payment is done via PayPal only. |
Section 2 – Uncommon Profitable Affiliate Programs to Join
There are profitable affiliate programs that are not common in the affiliate marketing world. These include programs that have risen incredibly within the last few years.
Here is a list of the high-paying affiliate programs that many people seem to ignore:
4 Amazing finance affiliate programs
#1. QuickBooks
Quickbooks is a popular accounting software made by Intuit. It is fully featured and primarily designed for big businesses to handle their accounting applications that pay bills, business expenses and manage payrolls.
It is not suitable for individual personal use.
Commission rate: You can earn up to 10% recurrent commissions or 25% of the paid subscription.
Cookie life: 30 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Marketing assets that you can use on your site
· Available for self-employed people, product businesses, and services too |
· You need a website to join the affiliate program
· The affiliate program is only available for U.S. residents · There is a minimum $50 threshold to meet before you are paid.
|
#2. FreshBooks
This is a web-based SaaS platform designed by 2ndSite Inc. It is a great cloud-based accounting software for small businesses, service providers, and freelancers.
It has over 5 million subscribers globally and the simple and intuitive interface helps in managing invoices; it makes accounting efficient and easier.
Commission rate: You get a 10% commission for every free trial signup and a $200 one-time payment when the trial referral upgrades.
Cookie life: 120 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · A long cookie window is available
· Protection provided against coupons, trademark bidding affiliates, and adware · Dedicated affiliate accounts team to answer your questions |
· Only available in countries that accept Shareashare
· Minimum 5 signups or $50 in commissions for payment to be made
|
#3. TurboTax
This is a tool that makes it easy to file accurate state and federal income tax returns. You can prepare the tax returns across a wide range of devices, without having to save them on your computer.
It considers various aspects of your life and makes accurate computations for you behind the scenes.
Commission rate: You get up to 15% commission once the referred customers have paid their taxes.
Cookie life: 7 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Free setup
· Gives your audience educational tools that will benefit them for the rest of their lives |
· Usually, best during January to April when volumes of tax returns filed are high
· Prospects may already have an existing tax returns service
|
#4. Bonsai
Bonsai is a popular payment app that gives you discounts when you shop online. It is ecologically friendly since, for every 10 payments made on the app, Bonsai will plant a tree somewhere in the world.
The app was born out of the belief that every small habit can make a big impact on Planet Earth, and they do this by planting trees.
Commission rate: You get a $30 cash bonus when you post a blog about Bonsai and a 25% commission for every paid subscription
Cookie life: 30 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · Over 150,000 freelancers subscribe to Bonsai and there is plenty of room left for you to sign up more
· They offer extra bonuses above the paid commissions for top performers · An easy and clear signup form · A great affiliate support team |
· Some freelancers are given other payment options on freelancing sites
· Only available in English
|
The best 4 trading and investment affiliate programs
#1. Binance
Cryptocurrency has become one of the most traded currencies in the world today.
Binance is the leading cryptocurrency trading platform today and has the highest volume of cryptocurrencies traded globally.
You can purchase and trade cryptocurrencies, futures, securities, lendings, savings, and digital wallets.
You can trade and purchase cryptocurrencies using onsite P2P services and through the Binance Spot market.
Commission rate: You get 20% of a referrals trade fee, and 40% if you have more than 500 BNB. All commissions and fees are paid directly to your Binance account in real-time.
Cookie life: 90 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · The best cryptocurrency exchange site in the world
· Real-time payments of commissions and fees into your Binance account |
· You need a community of over 500 members or a social following of over 5,000 in order to join
· Commission rate reduced from 60% to 40% over the last few years
|
#2. eToro Partners
This is a lucrative and vibrant affiliate program of one of the most popular social trading platforms, eToro.
With over 5 million registered users from more than 140 countries globally, this social trading platform is growing in leaps and bounds.
With eToro, users can connect more intimately than before. They can post and communicate with each other through their social trading platform.
They can also see trading statistics from other users, discuss trading strategies and secrets, and even copy how other traders operate using the patented eToro CopyTrader technology.
This is one of the reasons why eToro has become the largest social trading platform in the world, and it keeps getting new users every day; a great opportunity for affiliate marketers.
The platform has over 50 million paid-up affiliates and this network gives you unlimited opportunities to make money from becoming one of their affiliates.
Commission rate: You get a 25%revenue share and up to $200 CPA.
Cookie life: 45 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · The leading social trading platform offering a lot of opportunities for you
· Has high conversions · Fantastic tracking and reporting tools · High attractive commission plans |
· Takes a long time to build the minimum following for joining
|
#3. Plus500
This is a global online trading system founded in 2008, with headquarters in Israel. Initially, the trading platform used to work on Windows only, but has developed versions for others operating systems including Android.
Commission rate: you earn up to $800 CPA for referring a single trader
Cookie life: 30 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · The platform won the “Best Financial Affiliate Program” in the years 2015, 2016, and 2018.
· You have a dedicated affiliate manager · It has a bevy of high conversion tools |
· Can only be promoted on finance-related websites and blogs
· The keywords associated with promoting the platform have high competition.
|
#4. Coinbase
This is a cryptocurrency trading platform based in the US, which allows you to trade in the major cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, and Dogecoin.
This is a tool that you can run across multiple devices which makes it easy to use even when you are on the move, and with the highest security standards.
You can earn commissions simply by asking friends to join, which makes it very easy to promote.
Commission rate: You earn 10% commissions when your referral buys cryptocurrencies
Cookie life: 30 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · You get a dedicated affiliate manager to help you
· There are creative banners and promotion assets included · You have permission to conduct deep linking. |
· Very stringent acceptance rules, with only 20% of applicants getting accepted
· Recurring payments are capped at 3 months · It does not accept social activism and this is affecting its popularity
|
5 exhilarating gaming affiliate programs
If you are a Youtuber, Gamer, or Twitch Streamer, then there are a lot of video game affiliate programs that you can join today.
Important announcement for game vloggers
Twitch affiliate program is a fantastic way for gamers to earn money by creating videos for their preferred games.
Twitch is also coming close to allowing gamers to monetize their audience subscriptions just like YouTube does.
With Twitch, you need at least 50 Twitch followers, 500 broadcast minutes over the last 30 days, 7 broadcast days, and 3 or more concurrent viewers, in order to join.
You may also join by recommending video game subscription services like Gamefly, and then generate revenue from game purchases and new trails using your affiliate links.
Your best option is to find a videogame manufacturer who develops the games that you love to play and create videos (vlogs) about.
That said, here is our list of the top 5 most exciting gaming affiliate programs for you to join:
#1. Astro Gaming
Astro Gaming is a branch of Logitech and has a deep and thriving history within the gaming industry.
They are known for developing games for both professionals and enthusiasts for more than 11 years.
The ASTRO Gaming line of video game equipment is one of the best and reputable firms in the gaming industry.
Commission rate: You get 5% of referral purchases
Cookie life: 180 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · You will get mileage from being associated with Logitech, one of the leading and most respected video game producers today
· You get detailed reports on your traffic sales and products that you promote. · There are various other brands from Logitech that you can promote and increase your commissions |
· You have to wait for 30 days before your commissions are paid after a sale.
·
|
#2. Fanatical
This is a UK-based online video retailer and they are authorized sellers of games directly from the publisher to over a million customers.
The site boasts of having made more than 80 million game sales on their sites and others redeemed on multiple platforms such as Steam and Epic Games.
They have a portfolio of more than 6,000 games that you can promote.
There are two affiliate programs available, one for social platforms and another for blogs.
Commission rate: 5% of the sale price
Cookie life: 90 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · An affiliate program that has a great reputation in the gaming industry
· You can withdraw funds using checks, direct deposit, and Payoneer. |
· 5% for each sale is low
· Products go for a maximum price of $60 which may not be too lucrative given the low commission rate
|
#3. G2Deal
This is a site authorized by various game manufacturers to offer discounted disk keys and major deals on a wide range of games.
Gamers can get deals for PlayStation Gift Card Keys, Antivirus software keys, Xbox One Membership Deal keys, and a lot more.
Commission rate: You get from 8% to 15% for deals bought by your referrals.
Cookie life: 30 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · There is an infinite appeal for discounted gaming leys which makes this a lucrative affiliate program
· Anyone can join the program |
· There are many faulty keys, which is not good
· There are many typos on affiliate pages · The interface of the site is disorganized · You can only withdraw through PayPal
|
#4. Gamefly
This is the top service where gamers can rent movies and video games. They have a full portfolio of game titles that gamers can rent for any handheld gaming device or console.
They have titles for Xbox One, PS4/5, and Nintendo Switch amongst others.
Commission rate: $15 for every trial sign-up, 10% for used games, and 5% for new games.
Cookie life: 30 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · You can withdraw using checks, direct deposit, and Payoneer
· There are various ways to earn commissions including the base pay sign-up. |
· You need $50 for direct deposits and $100 for the checks and Payoneer
|
#5. Twitch
As mentioned earlier, Twitch will soon be allowing gamers to monetize their subscriptions of=n Twitch Stream. However, you can earn commissions as an affiliate right away.
They have a wide audience of gamers, running esports competitions and you have the option of becoming an influencer on their platform.
The site allows for searching through various game categories as well as integrated chatting with anyone on the platform; this is a ready-made community for you to join.
Commission rate: You get 50% of all subscriptions and 5% on all games that you sell.
| PROS | CONS |
| · You have the chance to become an exclusive Twitch Partner
· There are more than 15million daily users on the platform, which opens up a huge audience pool for you to market to |
· You cannot advertise the games on other streaming platforms including YouTube
· You need to have 50 followers added within the last 30 days, which can be a tough threshold to maintain · There is a minimum payout threshold of $100 · There is a 45-day waiting period before you can get paid. |
5 Melodious Music Affiliate Programs
The music industry offers another emerging profitable affiliate program environment. There are music teachers, composers, artists, music equipment manufacturers, vocal coaches, sound engineers, and a lot more who are looking for affiliates to help them sell their products and services.
For example, if you are a sound engineer, you can write insightful reviews of audio equipment, microphones, guitars, and then earn commissions when your readers buy the products that you recommend.
If you are a music teacher, you can recommend the best online music courses that students can subscribe to, and earn commissions from that.
There are so many ways in which you can make money promoting the music industry as a blogger.
However, there is one caveat – you must have a great understanding of the products that you promote so that you get your audience the best deals.
Here are 5 of the sweetest music affiliate programs that you can join:
#1. Guitar Center
Guitar Center is a leading supplier of guitars all over the world. Whether someone is a beginner or an expert player, there is an instrument that he or she can buy on the site.
The site also offers a lot of courses that can help someone become an expert guitar player. There are instructions on the type of guitar to buy, techniques to use, workshop series that one can attend every week, and a lot more.
They not only offer the best instructional content, but also the best low prices on the market for the leading instruments from around the world.
Commission rate: You get 6% from all your sales
Cookie life: 14 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · This is a program that is handled via Commission Junction, making it safe and lucrative
· There is a low $25 threshold before you can withdraw funds |
· The cookie life is too short
· There are limitations to the promotional tools they offer – you have to come up with your own |
#2. Musician’s Friend
This is one of the largest musical instrument retailers in the world with over 1.7 million instruments in its portfolio.
You can find instruments ranging from amps, DJ turntables, electric guitars, and a whole lot more.
Musician’s Friend also offers free shipping, access to instrument advisors, a 45-day returns window, and 8% Back in rewards for those who join the Rewards Program.
Commission rate: You get 4% of all the sales that you make.
Cookie life: 14 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · There are lots of consumers who trust Musician’s Friend giving you a great opportunity for selling
· You get commissions whether the sales are done on the site or from Google Checkout |
· Compared to other music affiliate programs, the commission offered is low
· You cannot access the affiliate programs from the store’s landing page |
#3. Sam Ash
This is a music business that has been in the Sam Ash family since 1924.
The owner grew the business during the Great Depression.
Music lovers can buy instruments such as drums, guitars, microphones, orchestra and recording bands, speakers among many others.
LinkShare is their affiliate partner and one of the trusted affiliate networks in this niche, making it a getaway of earning commissions from the site.
Commission rate: You earn between 7% and 10% of your sales.
Cookie life: 60 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · A great commission rate compared to other music affiliate programs
· You can get live support |
· Tax laws exempt residents from Connecticut, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and Arkansas |
#4. Singorama
This is a platform dedicated to teaching people how to sing.
Yes, for those looking to make music, this site offers courses on how to improve vocal ranges and hit the high octaves.
They offer lessons for beginners and progressively work with them till they become experts.
You do not have to know much about singing to join the program and refer people to the site.
This is an unexplored way of making money since the niche is not saturated.
Commission rate: You get 40% for all shipped courses and 70% on downloaded courses
Cookie life: 60 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · The commission is very high and the niche is unsaturated, which makes it very lucrative
· You get dedicated support services · You also get commissions on Singorama products bought by referrals after they finish the courses |
· You must be part of their email list to be eligible |
#5. zZounds
This is another leading musical instrument retailer offering great deals for affiliate marketers.
They have very low prices for their instruments and great customer service.
People can buy recording equipment, electric guitars, keyboards, accessories, and a lot more.
They have a 45-day return window, low shipping prices, an extremely friendly and fast retail service and they do personalize the buying experience.
Commission rate: You get 6% commissions plus bonuses
Cookie life: 45 days
| PROS | CONS |
| · You will earn extra bonuses on top of the 6% commissions once your sales volumes hit $10,000
· This is a respected CJ Affiliate program partner |
· There are no physical pick-up stores, and shipping is done directly to homes
· They do not have promotional material, which means you must create your own on your blog |
Section 3 – Top Affiliate Networks to Join
There is no way one can talk about the finest affiliate programs without mentioning the best affiliate networks to join too.
For those of you who are not familiar with the terms, there are several differences between affiliate programs and affiliate networks, but they all boil down to one major difference
An affiliate program has only 3 parties involved – The merchant, the customer, and the affiliate.
An affiliate network has 4 parties involved – The merchant, the customer, the affiliate, and the network.
Affiliate networks do all the heavy lifting for both the affiliate and the merchant, whereas affiliate programs leave all the details to be determined by the merchant and the affiliate, to some extent.
An affiliate network has a network of affiliates who can promote a merchant’s products or services at commission rates set by the network.
An affiliate program offers affiliates a chance to promote products and services for a commission set by the merchant.
So here are some affiliate networks that you can join and look for products and services that you can promote for a commission:
Top 5 affiliate networks to join today
#1. Shareasale
Shareasale is a huge affiliate network comprising over 1 million affiliates working with more than 3,900 merchants.
The company is more than 19 years of age and is an industry leader.
Some of the top-selling verticals on Shareasale are B2B, food and beverages, fashion, and home and garden; there are many more to choose from if these do not fit your niche.
They also offer a wide range of supportive features such as webinars, marketing classes, merchant recommendations, and marketing tools to grow your affiliate marketing endeavor.
Shareasale has easy access to affiliate links and reporting tools, and they also boast of operating a fast, efficient, accurate, and transparent network.
If you want to do affiliate marketing of consumer products, then Shareasale is the best network to do so.
If you are a merchant looking for an efficient network to promote your products or services, then you can sign up as a merchant.
#2. CJ by Conversant
This affiliate network was formerly known as Commission Junction.
It has been in operation for more than 20 years. They generate over $15 billion in annual sales and payout over $1.8 billion per year to their affiliates.
Most of the world’s biggest brands use CJ to sell their products online through affiliates. Some of them include Office Depot, GoPro, Lowes, Overstock, and Priceline.
On the publishers’ side, CJ works with some of the leading brands such as Time, Digg, Buzzfeed, and CNN.
You can see that there is stiff competition from the publisher side, and this is one of the many challenges that new affiliates face when looking to join CJ and work with some of the larger merchants.
A creative email outreach strategy can work well to get you accepted into CJ and this article shows you how to go about it.
CJ offers a free setup package that is easy to use, offers real-time reporting, and excellent monthly payments.
If you have a lot of experience as an affiliate marketer, then you should join CJ by Conversant and start working with some of the largest brands in the world today.
#3. PartnerStack
This is an affiliate network primarily targeted at those who want to work in the B2B field.
Once you have been approved to join the network, you can promote software products across a wide range of groupings such as marketing, accounting, sales, productivity, social media, development, and a lot more.
The affiliate network has a low payment threshold of only $25, which allows you to withdraw your earnings to your bank through PayPal or Stripe.
Their user interface is unique and enjoyable making it easy for you to market the software products that they have in their network.
One low point to consider is the fact that they have a limited number of software providers in their network, but it will grow with time.
#4. Impact
This is a fairly young affiliate network, founded in 2008 by former Commission Junction, Leadpoint, and Savings.com employees.
The network has over 1,000 merchants in its portfolio, and similar to CJ, they also have a wide range of verticals that you can choose from.
The application process is more stringent than that of CJ but once you are accepted, the merchants pick you up fairly easily.
They have one of the most flexible reporting and post-back options among affiliate networks.
#5. Skimlinks
Skimlinks is a great affiliate network when you simply want to monetize your content with very little effort.
They can automatically add affiliate links within your blog content, using a WordPress plugin or an additional script which can be found o Google Tag Manager.
Skimlinks also gives you the option of adding links manually, if you want to have more control over the process.
Skimlinks has a portfolio of over 24,000 merchants within a wide range of niches.
Section 4 – What You Should Look For in High-Paying Affiliate Programs
You have gone through our comprehensive list of affiliate programs that you should join, but are not sure what to look for before you join one.
You might be wondering why commissions and cookie life have been added to the list.
Well, they are among other important indicators that you should consider when looking for an affiliate program to join.
Let us dig a little deeper to understand these factors well.
#1 Commission Rate
This is the first statistic that you must look at when you want to join an affiliate program.
The commission can be paid as a recurring commission as long as your referral keeps paying for a product or service or a one-time flat fee when the sale is made.
Make sure that you know how the affiliate program calculates the commission rate before you join. As a rule of thumb, the higher the commission, the better your earning potential is.
Also, check and see if they offer incentives for newbie affiliate marketers. Some affiliate programs offer bonuses for newbies who attain a certain milestone.
Software as a Service is one of the highest-paying niches when it comes to affiliate programs. This is because these programs have a subscription-based model.
This means that as long as your referral is paying for the service, you will continue making passive income.
Whole discussing commission rates, you must be aware that these are set by the merchant and can be changed at any time.
Basically, digital products have a stable commission rate as opposed to physical products, so consider this when choosing products to promote within an affiliate program.
#2: Commission Type
As mentioned above, there are two different types of commissions paid out by affiliate programs:
- One-time payouts
- Recurring commissions
As the words say, the one-time payout means that you get paid an agreed rate after you have made a sale and nothing else thereafter.
This means that you must have a steady stream of new referrals to make more money.
Recurring commissions are the best model since you can earn a passive income from your referrals. As long as they continue paying monthly subscriptions, you will continue earning money from them.
| One-time Payouts | |
| PROS | CONS |
| · Pays a sizable chunk of cash when the sale is made
· The best option for those starting out in affiliate programs |
· Requires a high number of referrals, so you spend more time marketing and driving referral traffic
· |
| Recurring Commissions | |
| PROS | CONS |
| · You have a long-term recurring revenue stream even after making the first sale
· This offers a higher income model for affiliates |
· The frequency of payments is at the merchant’s discretion, which can be weekly, monthly, or annually
· Your commission stops when the customer cancels the subscription |
#3. Average Order Value (AOV)
After looking at the commissions paid out on affiliate programs, you should consider the Average Order Value or AOV.
This is a measure of the average price orders made from a merchant over a specified time period. The higher the AOV the better the affiliate program will be.
The AOV can be calculated by dividing the total amount of purchases over the specified period, by the number of sales.
So, if a merchant makes 250 sales for a total amount of $10,000, then the AOV should be $40.
This is a statistic to follow because a higher AOV indicates there are opportunities for cross-selling upselling and the ability to bundle products together.
Some features such as free shipping and discounted prices also increase the AOV.
This is great for you as an affiliate because it opens up a wide range of channels that you can use to maximize sales, thereby increasing your commissions.
B2B products have a higher AOV than B2C, so you might consider this when making your decision on which affiliate program to join.
#4. Earnings Per Click (EPC)
Some affiliate programs pay you on a “per click” basis even if your referrals don’t make a purchase.
This means that you only need to convince your readers to click on the link even if they do not buy anything.
This is where you are paid for the amount of traffic that you push through to the merchant, whether a sale is made or not.
This is one of the best ways to make money if you are a newbie affiliate marketer.
One place where you can get the best EPC affiliate commissions is JVZoo; they have many programs to select from.
#5 Cookie Duration
In this article, we called it “Cookie Life’ but it can also be called the “referral period”.
This is the time that an advertiser or merchant will take to pay an affiliate for a referred customer.
What does this mean for you?
If the cookie life of your affiliate link is 30 days, and your link generates a sale after 45days, then you will not get the commission from the sale.
This is especially critical to newbie affiliates who need time to master how to make sales from their blogs.
Make sure that you select an affiliate program with a long cookie life/duration so you can make money long after you post a blog using the affiliate link.
#6. Cookie Attribution
Cookie attribution is a measure of how referred customers interact with a merchant’s site. This information allows them to decide how much to pay out as commissions.
There are two types of cookie attributions:
First-click vs. Last click attribution
Two-tier system
Let’s dig deeper into the two types of attributions…
First-click vs. Last-click Attribution
Consider a scenario where a customer clicks on your affiliate link first and then clicks on another person’s link (your sub-affiliate) for the same product or service, who will get the commission among you?
Their affiliate policies will determine who will be paid for the sale. This is why you need to check on the first-click vs, last-click cookie attribution before joining an affiliate program.
The Two-Tier System
The two-tier system seems to overcome the hurdles of the first click vs. last click model in that they offer one commission for the first click and a lower commission for the second click.
This means that if your affiliate link generates the sale, you get a higher omission. However, should the customer click on your sub-affiliate’s link, you get a lower commission.
#7. Product Conversion Rate
It does not matter how much commission an affiliate program is offering, if the product does not convert into a sale, then you should leave the program out of your choices.
This is why you should consider the product conversion rate before joining a network.
This is the percentage number of prospective customers who actually make a purchase.
You should concentrate your efforts on joining affiliate programs that have a high product conversion rate.
But how will you determine a good product conversion rate?
Take a look at the type of affiliate landing pages that they provide. Will they be effective in turning prospects into customers?
Look for affiliate programs that offer a great sales funnel and landing pages so you can easily convert your audience into paying customers so you can get the commission.
#8. Customer Satisfaction and Merchant Reputation
This is important to affiliates who want to join subscription-based affiliate programs.
This statistic shows how many people abandon the product or service down the line; ideally, you want one with a low abandonment rate, also known as churn rates, since you earn better commissions in the long run.
Although this is not published by most affiliate programs, you can do your due diligence and check on the customer satisfaction levels.
If the product or service is popular, then the churn rate will be lower.
So, take time to check on customer reviews using Google and see what ratings are given for the product or services offered in the affiliate program.
#9. Affiliate Support
If you are a newbie, affiliate support is a crucial lifetime to your affiliate marketing efforts. This is because you are bound to have many questions which you need to be answered promptly.
Check whether an affiliate program offers dedicated affiliate account managers or at least a contact who you can reach by live chat or phone.
Start off by trying out the affiliate support system from the beginning. If they take too long to reply or give you vague answers, then the affiliate program is not right for you.
Also, check on the marketing assets that the affiliate program provides you with.
See if they have highly converting landing pages, affiliate graphics, and banners that can easily attract a reader’s eye.
Takeaway
There are a huge number of affiliate programs to join, some of which are not covered in this article. Be careful to join one that interests you and your audience.
Consider emerging affiliate networks since they have very little competition and this gives you the opportunity to start earning commissions within the short-term.
Start by choosing a program and remover to check on the commission rates and cookie durations.
Then check if the commissions are recurring or paid on a one-time basis.
Finally, select a niche that matches your interests and those of your audience.
The affiliate program is growing more each day, so keep an eye out for lucrative opportunities.
