recurring commission affiliate programs

So you’re looking for the best recurring affiliate programs around. Well, I’ve got the list for you! I did my research and found the best affiliate programs if you intend to make recurring revenue streams. 

Please take note that while there are a ton of excellent options out there, not all affiliate programs are designed equally. That’s why I thought it best to dig deep into each one’s terms and features. 

Let’s begin.

What is a Recurring Affiliate Program? 

Before we get to my top picks, let’s first be clear on what a recurring affiliate program is. This kind of affiliate program is one that will pay you commissions whenever your customers purchase your products. 

The exciting thing about recurring affiliate programs is you’ll get paid for higher-priced products once you get someone into the funnel with a low-priced product. 

There are programs out there that will limit this advantage, but others will grant you this opportunity for life. That’s why the best programs out there are lifetime recurring affiliate programs, and I’ll include some on the list below. 

Related Reading: Best Affiliate Programs for Beginners

Why Choose Affiliate Programs with Recurring Commissions? 

Recurring commission affiliate programs provide a number of advantages. For one, you’ll keep being rewarded as time goes on and your customers buy more from you. 

Another advantage is that you won’t have to spend as much money, time, or effort in the beginning, to get them into the funnel. 

Instead of going to extensive lengths to persuade someone to buy an expensive item, you can simply entice them with a low-cost offer. 

Let’s imagine you want to use Facebook Ads and promote Russell Brunson’s ClickFunnels funnel. 

He has a lot of free shipping books to use as hook offers, such as Expert Secrets and DotCom Secrets. A unique tracking cookie will link these products to your affiliate account after customers opt-in. 

You’ll only make a $1 commission on the books, but you’ll earn 40% on whatever else the customer buys for the rest of their life. This isn’t to mention Russell’s high-ticket courses and tools for upsells. 

Do you see where I’m going with this?

Recurring commissions are popular among affiliates since they make it simpler to get people in the door and because the payout over time is indefinite. 

Companies appreciate recurring commissions because they equate to more sales that they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. It’s essentially a mutually beneficial relationship and one of the most effective strategies for everyone involved to increase their online earnings. 

What are the Possible Disadvantages of Recurring Commissions? 

Yes, recurring commissions are generally beneficial, but there are a few drawbacks to consider. 

For one thing, selling higher-priced items as part of a regular affiliate program might also be advantageous. This way, you’ll be able to cash out immediately with a single substantial one-time commission. 

Recurring affiliate programs work best with companies that have a high customer retention rate.

Otherwise, your audience will unsubscribe before you have an opportunity to build trust and make a sale. 

Overall, I believe you’ll discover that recurring affiliate programs are the best option. They allow you to build a passive income on a near-automated basis. As long as you target qualified leads and choose the right companies to support, your audience should stay subscribed, and the commission should keep coming in. 

The Best Recurring Affiliate Programs

I took the liberty of organizing my favorite recurring affiliate programs into categories so you can find what you’re looking for much faster. Note, that I will use my own affiliate links. If you’re new to how they work, look at the bottom left when you hover over my links. You’ll be able to see if it goes directly to the website or if I have created a link using pretty links. If I used pretty links, you’ll see a link that looks like BrooksConkle.com/linkname. Just a heads up, I’ll make money if you make purchases through my affiliate links below.

Best Affiliate Programs For WordPress Themes

Elegant Themes

Elegant Themes lets you create premium WordPress themes that can take in high levels of customer satisfaction. They have some of the world’s most popular themes, such as Divi. 

Every sale earns all affiliates a 50% one-time commission, and that includes yearly renewals!

Thrive Themes 

WordPress themes, a page creator (Thrive Architect), and a lead-generating tool are all part of Thrive Theme’s software suite for designing and optimizing websites. 

Customers may purchase individual items or subscribe to the complete suite for $19-$69 per month, depending on the bundle.

Affiliates get a 35 percent commission on the first transaction and a 25 percent recurring commission on subsequent purchases.

Best Affiliate Programs For Automated Marketing 

ActiveCampaign 

Because of its high-quality products and excellent customer support, it’s no wonder why ActiveCampaign is one of the top affiliate programs out there. 

One disadvantage is that it might be difficult for newbies to become acclimated to the platform. This means you’ll have to focus on finding the proper leads who are a good fit. 

The affiliate program at ActiveCampaign is tiered, meaning that the more you sell, the more commissions you get. 

On the Silver Tier, you get a $20 commission. This is where most people start. You get a 25% commission on the Gold Tier, $500 in current accounts, or $100 of new business in the last three months. 

Lastly, their Platinum Tier has active accounts worth $2,000 or new businesses worth 4500 in the previous three months. 

ConvertKit 

ConvertKit, the email provider that I use for this blog, is one of the simplest recurring affiliate networks to get started with. It’s also one of the most user-friendly email autoresponders for novices. 

This means that new customers will be more likely to stay subscribed if you suggest it consistently. CovertKit also provides its affiliate partners with a variety of promotional banners and graphics. 

Recurring commissions of 30% are paid to all affiliates. 

GetResponse 

In terms of versatility, GetResponse’s affiliate program is one of the finest out there. They pay their affiliates on a monthly basis and provide some of the best affiliate assistance available. 

One of my favorite features of theirs is the Affiliate Bounty Program, where you can get one-time commissions of $100 per signup. You can also sign up for the standard Affiliate Recurring Program, where you also get recurring commissions of $100 per signup and 33% recurring commissions overall. 

Drip 

For affiliate agreements, Drip primarily seeks out two sorts of hustlers: software developers and marketing agents. 

Marketing agents are in demand because they can offer Drip directly to their customers. In addition, software developers can get in on the action because they can build integration partnerships. 

Recurring commissions of 30% are paid to all affiliates. 

AWeber 

AWeber is a small entrepreneur-focused email service company. They provide easy-to-print promotional text to their affiliates, as well as lots of assistance in the form of an Affiliate Newsletter and sales stats. 

Every time you make a sale, they give you an email notification. In addition, recurring commissions of 30% are paid to all affiliates. 

SendLane 

SendLane is geared towards regular affiliate partners, SaaS creators, and agency partners. It has specific marketing tools for each kind of partner. Recurring commissions of 30% are paid to all affiliates. 

BenchMark 

BenchMark is a small autoresponder service that specializes in generating responsive marketing campaigns. In addition, they provide customizable advertising and promotional videos to their affiliates. 

You can always check your sales figures in the affiliate section. Affiliates get a recurring commission of 25%. 

Ontraport 

For the first eight years of its operation, Ontraport depended solely on word-of-mouth referrals. This is a good indicator for affiliates since it shows they have a good product that people naturally recommend. 

A significant plus is that they pay commissions weekly, and there are no commission restrictions, so you may earn as much as you like. 

Recurring commissions of 25% are paid to all affiliates. 

Active Trail 

Active Trail is a company that specializes in marketing automation. They deal with various kinds of affiliates but prefer to work with existing Active Trail clients. A specialized affiliate support staff will be behind you if you decide to work with them. 

Recurring commissions of 15% are paid to all affiliates. 

Market Hero 

Market Hero is a Shopify and other eCommerce seller-focused affiliate network. So if you’re in the eCommerce area, it may be a good fit for you. 

Market Hero’s software integrates easily with other platforms, making it a fantastic addition if you currently advertise on ClickFunnels and LeadPages. 

A one-time commission of 50% is paid to all affiliates. 

SendLoop

SendLoop is an email service provider that offers a variety of solutions for small and large businesses alike. Recurring commissions of 10% are paid to all affiliates. 

Ninja Outreach 

Ninja Outreach is an automated outreach and influencer marketing platform that allows you to reach out to massive audiences at once, but it works for smaller projects too! 

This could be an incredible tool to add to your arsenal of affiliate resources if you have a presence in the digital marketing industry. 

Users can pick from four subscription tiers, with each user being paid once a year, meaning larger payouts for you. In addition, recurring commissions of 20% are paid to all affiliates. 

Automizy 

Automizy is a split-testing and automation-focused AI-powered autoresponder service. In your first month, you as an affiliate can earn 90% one-time commissions, followed by 40% recurring commissions on all renewals. 

Best Affiliate Programs For Sales Funnels and Landing Pages 

ClickFunnels 

ClickFunnels is a company that creates sales funnels. ClickFunnels, in my opinion, offers one of the finest affiliate systems ever. 

The amount of promotional material Russel possesses and how good he is at selling is ClickFunnels’ two significant advantages. Once you’ve gotten someone into the funnel, he takes care of the legwork for you. 

His Fee Shipping book offers are also a significant plus, as they help you get customers into the funnel willingly. They also feature an unlimited number of information goods like upsells and an enticing $97/month membership. 

There are two membership tiers available. You can get paid for referring new customers and for referring new affiliate partners. You also get recurring commissions of 40% on all sales. 

Lastly, you get recurring commissions of 5%on all punches made by your affiliates’ customers. 

LeadPages 

LeadPages is a well-known landing page creator with a large selection of professional layouts. It’s generally an excellent lead-generation tool for small businesses and entrepreneurs. 

The company does an excellent job of educating and supporting new clients. Recurring commissions of 30% are paid to all affiliates. 

Wishpond 

Wishpond is a marketing automation platform that allows users to create landing pages, pop-ups and run promotional contests. 

In my opinion, Wishpond is one of the most outstanding affiliate programs in terms of assistance for their affiliates. At the Wishpond Academy, you’ll find a ton of affiliate landing page examples and training resources. 

All affiliates get a recurring 30% commission. 

Instapage 

Instapage is a landing page creator that focuses on converting leads generated by digital advertisements. They’ll provide the advertising materials as well as a specialized affiliate manager to all their affiliates. 

Another advantage is that they pay on a weekly basis. In addition, affiliates get a 50% commission on the first purchase and a 30% recurring commission on all subsequent subscription purchases. 

Landingi

Landingi is a landing page creator designed for non-programmers that have Neil Patel’s seal of approval. And there are a few notable aspects of their affiliate program that you might want to be aware of. 

For starters, they pay you promptly if your commission surpasses $35. They also have some unique payment options like 30% on recurring commissions or 15% recurring commissions with a 15% discount to your customer base. 

Best Affiliate Programs for SEO 

LongTail Pro 

LongTail Pro is a keyword research tool developed by Niche Pursuits before it was sold a couple of years ago. Their affiliate opportunities are limited, but the tool itself is a high-quality solution that retains subscribers well. 

Recurring commissions of 30% are paid to all affiliates. 

SEMrush 

Out of all the SEO research tools, SEMrush offers the most fantastic affiliate marketing scheme. They provide their affiliates access to a wealth of marketing materials for a variety of platforms, as well as a direct route to their affiliate support staff. 

Affiliates earn a 40% recurring commission and have a variety of payout options. 

SerpStat

SerpStat is another all-in-one SEO tool that allows you to do keyword research, backlink research, and website analysis all in one place. 

In the SerpStat affiliate dashboard, you can track and manage your affiliate revenues. For example, if you have a SerpStat membership, you can pay for it with a 1.5x multiple of your profits. In other words, when you use $50 in commissions to pay for your SerpStat membership, it’s worth $75. 

Affiliates can earn recurring commissions of up to 30%. 

Best Affiliate Programs for Shopping Carts

SamCart 

SamCart is an eCommerce platform for companies that only offer a single product. It generated a page where you can showcase your product and take orders. 

Each affiliate is assigned a personal affiliate manager and will receive promotional materials on a monthly basis. In addition, recurring commissions of 40% are paid to all affiliates. 

Kartra

Katra is a one-stop platform for creating landing pages, designing shopping cart systems, and managing lead generation. In addition, Kartra offers one of the most excellent affiliate programs available when it comes to payout systems. 

The JV Broker Network affiliate program features a fantastic community of affiliates to engage with, as well as a devoted affiliate support staff. 

Recurring commissions of 40% are paid to all affiliates. Furthermore, you may earn 10% regular earnings on all sales made by affiliates you’ve hired. 

PayKickstart 

PayKickstart is a robust shopping cart and affiliate management application. In addition, they provide a variety of high-quality advertising materials, such as pre-recorded webinars, a bootcamp, and a Free Shipping offer. 

Sadly, they don’t allow just anybody into their affiliate program, so you’ll have to call and speak with someone first. 

They also refuse to say how much they pay their affiliates, despite the fact that we know it’s a systematic plan with rewards every 30 days. 

Best Affiliate Programs For Link Tracking 

Improvely

Improvely keeps track of link activity and has a built-in click fraud detection system. In addition, they provide banner advertisements and text links in a variety of sizes to their affiliates, and they pay out instantly every month. 

All affiliates earn 50% commission on the initial payment and 10% recurring revenue for the first year. 

ClickMagick 

ClickMagick is a simple click tracking tool that shows you precisely where your audience is clicking on your landing pages and forms so you can improve them. 

It has a great affiliate program because it pays out so well. Plus, they have a high customer retention rate. 

Payouts are made daily into your PayPal account. Not monthly, weekly, or even biweekly! In addition, all affiliates get a recurring commission of 35%. 

Trck.me

Trck.me monitors affiliate links, social media profiles, and marketing initiatives for clicks. Affiliates get a regular 30% commission for the rest of their entrepreneurial lives! 

Best Affiliate Programs For Membership Sites and Online Courses

 

Teachable 

Teachable is a fantastic tool for building and marketing attractive online courses. In addition, they provide their affiliates with thoroughly split-tested sales funnels tailored to specific demographics.

Their affiliate tracking cookies are valid for 90 days, so if someone clicks on your link and buys after that time, you’ll still get compensated. In addition, recurring commissions of 30% are paid to all affiliates.

Thinkific 

Another good online course platform is Thinkific. It’s similar to Teachable, although it’s a little more challenging to use for complete beginners.

Their affiliates get precedence in their customer support department, so you’ll always be able to reach someone if you have a query.

They employ a 90-day monitoring cookie, much like Teachable. In addition, all affiliates get a 20% recurring commission (which is regrettably only available for the first year of a customer’s cycle).

MemberPress 

Yet another all-in-one WordPress plugin for creating a membership site is MemberPress.They employ a 60-day monitoring cookie, so you’ll still earn credit for the recommendation even if the consumer delays two months to buy.  

A one-time commission of 24 percent is paid to all affiliates.

MemberMouse 

MemberMouse is a WordPress membership site plugin that lets you sell items and subscriptions in a secure membership area. In addition, they provide banner advertisements and text links to their affiliates to aid in promotion.

For the first year, all affiliates earn a 25% recurring commission (no lifetime commissions).

Memberium 

Memberium is a WordPress membership plugin that integrates with Keap (known to many as Infusionsoft) or ActiveCampaign. It allows you to safeguard your online course materials and develop membership sites efficiently.

Affiliates may access banner advertisements, marketing materials, and more through the affiliate dashboard. In addition, recurring commissions of 10% are paid to all affiliates.

Best Affiliate Programs For Graphic Designers 

Canva

Canva is by far my favorite design software and has been a disruption to the design industry. I would recommend Canva whether they paid me or not. You can design everything with Canva.

When I say everything, I mean everything.

They pay up to $36 for each new customer that you refer to them. It’s not recurring, but I love Canva, so wanted to be sure to include them in the article.

PicMonkey 

PicMonkey is a simple tool for making social network advertisements, banners, and cover photographs, among other things. It’s a great tool and the company that I used before finding Canva.

Unfortunately, it’s only offered as a yearlong subscription; therefore, each sale will result in a larger single payout.

All affiliates earn 30% commission on the first sale and 15% recurring commissions on renewals and repeat clients.

Design Pickle 

Design Pickle is the site to go if you want to discover the right graphic designer in a matter of seconds.

Unfortunately, they don’t allow just anybody to join their affiliate network; you should have an active Design Pickle account and have used the service for at least two months.

A one-time commission of $100 is paid to all affiliates (not recurring).

Snappa 

Snappa is a fantastic tool for marketers and business owners that want to create attractive visuals quickly (quite similar to Canva, but much easier and faster to use). As a Snappa affiliate, you’ll get a 30% commission on all sales made during the customer’s lifetime.

Stencil 

For social media marketers, bloggers, and small companies, Stencil could be a perfect fit because it specializes in developing high-converting pictures.

In addition, commissions are tracked using a full-featured dashboard, and payments are issued on a monthly basis.

A dedicated affiliate liaison will also always be available to you. Recurring commissions of 30% are paid to all affiliates.

Best Affiliate Programs For Web Hosting 

Kinsta 

Kinsta provides quality managed WP hosting for businesses of all sizes. In addition, they have a meager churn rate of about 5%, so the consumers you bring in are pretty likely to stay.

Affiliates receive a $50-$500 signup incentive for each new subscription, followed by a 10% recurring commission.

Liquid Web

Liquid Web is a fully managed website hosting service that ensures lightning-fast load speeds and 99.9% uptime. In addition, dedicated account managers, quarterly newsletters, and a comprehensive collection of promotional materials are all part of their affiliate program.

The average commission payout at Liquid Web is $230 per sale. In fact, a single transaction can earn you up to $5,000.

WP Engine 

WP Engine offers managed WordPress hosting that is fast, dependable, and secure. You’ll be able to use their premium StudioPress themes in addition to their high-ticket hosting services.

Every WP Engines sale earns affiliates a minimum of $200, and all StudioPress theme sales reward affiliates 35%. (this is not a recurring affiliate program)

Best Affiliate Program For Social Media Scheduling 

SocialOomph 

SocialOomph is a post-scheduling solution that allows teams to plan all of their social media and blog articles from one place. Although their affiliate resources aren’t particularly robust, they do provide discount vouchers that may be used to entice clients.

For the first year, all affiliates earn a 40% recurring commission.

Tailwind 

Tailwind is the most popular Pinterest and Instagram scheduling and optimization service. They offer fast-response chat assistance as well as dozens of pre-made advertising materials such as screenshots, text, and banner advertisements to their affiliates.

Tailwind employs a 90-day monitoring cookie, which means you’ll get paid even if the customer doesn’t buy for three months. In addition, recurring commissions of 15% are paid to all affiliates.

Now that you can take your pick of the best recurring affiliate programs out there, how do you promote your choice? 

There are several methods to advertise your affiliate programs using your present business or web presence. However, there are a few key elements to remember in general:

To start, only propose things that are relevant to your audience’s interests. Don’t promote something if it doesn’t provide value, even if it pays 90 percent commissions.

At the same time, it’s critical to keep the number of things you’re marketing at any given moment to a minimum.

Instead, choose only a handful that you believe will make a significant difference in your audience’s lives. In the same vein, avoid marketing products that are highly alike because they will compete in your audience’s minds.

It’s best to just recommend one product for each sort of issue your audience is experiencing.

Keeping these considerations in mind, below are some of the most effective affiliate marketing strategies:

1. Video Tutorials on YouTube 

One of the most effective ways to become a leading affiliate is to provide tutorial videos and product recommendations on YouTube.

Videos have more engagement than other mediums, and a well-explained demo may give a good idea of what the product can achieve. They’re particularly good at persuading folks that they’ll be able to utilize the technology without becoming overwhelmed.

2. Write Original Product Reviews. 

Another fantastic marketing tactic is to write in-depth product reviews. Take screenshots, explain how each feature works step by step, and offer impartial, honest advice (this means sharing the bad stuff as well as the good).

These articles may be pretty powerful if you create authentic, unbiased evaluations and target the relevant keywords.

3. Virtual Summits 

Virtual summits are a brilliant method to promote your own personal brand, establish an email list, and sell your own items, but they can also be used to market affiliate items. If you’re interested, here is virtual summit software you can use to create your own.

When I conduct my own virtual conferences, I occasionally earn more money from affiliate sales than from all-access passes. But, again, the idea is to advertise items that are relevant to the event and your target market.

4. Case Studies 

Case studies and testimonials are some of the quickest and most effective ways to persuade customers to make a purchase. Ask anyone you know who has had a lot of success with the product you’re marketing whether they’d be willing to share their experience.

These case studies may be included in current blog pieces, in-depth evaluations, and emails.

5. Include Affiliate Products into Existing Blog Posts 

If you already have blog articles on subjects relating to your affiliate items, you have an edge.

If you’re writing a post about how to establish a blog, for example, you may include software suggestions for autoresponders, page builders, and marketing tools like RightMessage or Funnelytics.

6. Resources Page

I keep track of all of my favorite products on a resource page. People naturally want to know what tools you use when they see you flourish, and a resource page is a great way to advertise them.

Please note that I’m not an affiliate for all of the items and services listed on my resource page, but there are defnitely affiliate links there.

7. Automate Email Marketing 

Consider adding your affiliate products into your onboarding sequences that you give out to all new members. You could do the same with your weekly newsletter and any other messages that you send out on a regular basis.

8. Online Coaching 

Specific software has a high learning curve, particularly for non-technical users. Therefore, it may be worthwhile to develop a brief online course about how to use the affiliate product you’re marketing if it’s a bit complicated.

You could also have group coaching calls during which users may ask questions regarding the product. Again, the more at ease your consumers feel with your product, the more likely they are to remain subscribers, which means more recurring affiliate commissions for you.

9. Offer Services

You can recommend specific products as an add-on service to your clients if you offer marketing, SEO, or lead generation for small businesses.  After that, you can use the tools on their behalf.

For example, if they pay for a ClickFunnels membership, you might offer to run Facebook ads for them.

You should be able to phase yourself out over time while still earning commissions on your subscription.

10. Offer Exclusive Deals to Your Audience.

 

You could also add your own extra incentives to sweeten the sale.

When other top-ranking affiliates are running identical deals, this tactic becomes even more critical. You can outperform the competition by providing even higher discounts.

Related Reading: Best Credit Card Affiliate Programs – Check Them out Here

Final Thoughts 

I greatly appreciate the time you spent going through this comprehensive guide and comparison of the leading recurring revenue affiliate programs.

These are some of the top affiliate programs available but bear in mind that not all of them will be suitable for your target market. The most crucial aspect of the puzzle is matching the right products with relevant leads.

Because the best affiliate programs rely on monthly subscriptions, you should only target those who you believe will stay subscribed for a long time. Always aim to form a genuine connection with your audience.

They’ll learn to take your word over time, and you’ll be able to establish an excellent small side business and maybe even a full-time career out of being an affiliate marketer. 

Now get out there and make some money!