Shopify Affiliate Program: Overview, Commission & Top 20+ Programs

Affiliate marketing is a mutually beneficial program for both affiliate and retail partner.

For affiliates, it’s an excellent source of additional revenue, especially if they’re already content creators, influencers, or thought leaders in a given industry. For the retail partners, affiliate marketing drives high-converting, high-intent, niche traffic to their eCommerce site.

Shopify, the leading eCommerce platform, has its own affiliate program. The Shopify affiliate program is similar to other programs but offers unique benefits tailored to the Shopify ecosystem.

Let’s dig through all the nooks and crannies of the Shopify affiliate program, including its commission rates, bonuses, and the various ways affiliates can earn through it.

Types of Commission-based Shopify Affiliate Earnings

Two types of talent can earn commissions through Shopify—affiliates and partners.

While the Shopify Affiliate program is explicity and evidently referred to as an “affiliate program,” the Shopify Partner program has a similar incentives system to affiliate marketing. And hence, we’ll be tackling both programs’ rewards and commissions in this guide.

The table below should provide a quick summary of their differences before diving deeper:

So if you have a healthy following that values your opinion highly, opt for the Shopify affiliate program. But if your skills are more likened to a business partner or consultant, apply for the Shopify Partner program.

We’ll start by discussing how you can earn through the Shopify affiliate plan.

Shopify Affiliate Program

Shopify’s affiliate program incentivizes influential and trustworthy voices to contribute to Shopify’s growing user base.

We’ve listed below the respective affiliate commission rates and types of referrals they apply to.

Shopify Affiliate Program Commission Rate

Shopify provides commissions for two types of user actions—Shopify store plan sign-ups and POS Pro plan sign-ups, making it an attractive option for businesses planning to migrate to Shopify and leverage its robust eCommerce tools.

A Shopify affiliate payout can be between 10 USD and 300 USD for each referral. Keep reading and we’ll break down the numbers for the Shopify affiliate program commission rate.

Shopify Store Plan Sign-Ups

The first user action is getting a lead to sign up for either the Basic plan, Shopify plan, or the Advanced plan.

Leads would need to sign up through your link and avail of the plan’s full price, not the free trial.

Through the Shopify Affiliate Program, you’ll earn 100 USD for every lead you’ve successfully signed up for an eligible Shopify plan. But there are a few exceptions to this rate:

• 10 USD: When you successfully get a lead from Brazil to sign up for an eligible Shopify plan.
• 25 USD: When you successfully get a lead from India or Latin American regions to sign up for an eligible Shopify plan.
• 150 USD: When you successfully get a lead from Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Spain, the United Kingdom, or the United States to sign up for an eligible Shopify plan.

With the data shown above, we can say that the countries mentioned in that last bullet will have high-ticket leads for your affiliate efforts. So you’ll be a relatively more lucrative affiliate if you have a high-converting following in any of those areas.

Important: It may take up to nearly five months for a successful referral to see itself in your bank account.

The timeline of events is as follows:

• The lead clicks on your link.
• The lead would need to go through both the three-day trial and the 1 USD/month period. This could take up to three months if the merchant decides to use all three of the allocated 1 USD months.
• Only after the merchant has paid their plan’s regular price would you be credited the commission. Expect these to be credited and locked in on the 21st day of the following month. (e.g., If your lead paid for their Shopify plan on January 7, you’ll be credited the commission on February 21.)
• The earned commission will be processed to your bank on the 22nd day of that month. (e.g., if you’re credited the commission on February 21, your bank starts processing the payment on February 22.)

You’ll be credited the commission regardless of whether your lead used their paid Shopify plan for just one month or a lengthy 20 years. The important factor is that it’s through your assistance and expertise that they’re introduced to Shopify.

POS Pro Plan Sign-Ups

The second user action is getting a lead to sign up for the POS Pro plan—an add-on plan merchants use on top of their existing store plan.

Your commission for every successful sign-up for that plan is 150 USD.

But take note, you must be the affiliate that referred the merchant to their initial plan to be credited a commission for your referral. If you didn’t refer the lead to their initial store plan, you won’t be credited a commission for referring the lead to the POS Pro plan.

Also, the POS Pro plan is only available in select regions. So not every lead will be eligible for this user action.

Lucrative leads will be coming from Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States since you’ll earn 150 USD from the initial store plan referral and another 150 USD when you successfully sign them up for a POS Pro plan—for a total of 300 USD per lead.

So to maximize your efforts, aim to convert leads from these countries and build content that will resonate with them.

How to Become a Shopify Affiliate?

First, go to the Shopify Affiliates page and click Apply Now.

Go through the sign-up process that follows. Otherwise, if you already have an affiliate account, simply head to the Shopify affiliate login.

Sign in through any of the available options. You’ll then fill out some imperative information that Shopify needs to get to know you better.

These questions include some personal information, the category of your business (e.g., influencer, content reviews, etc.), and your marketing channels. Answer each of these as accurately as you can.

After filling out your information and verifying your email, you’ll be taken to your Impact dashboard.

From there, click on the link icon on the left menu.

This will bring up the ‘Create and share link’ drag-out menu. Click Create to generate your affiliate link.

The affiliate link will direct users to the ‘3 months of Shopify for $1/month’ landing page, which also explains how does Shopify work for new merchants. People who sign up through this page and eventually pay for an eligible Shopify store plan will earn you a commission.

You may paste this link into your blogs’ anchor texts, your Instagram bio, and your YouTube videos’ descriptions, among other places.

Make sure to monitor your Shopify affiliate earnings and manage your links from the Impact app.

Shopify Partner Program

The Shopify Partner Program doesn’t rely on affiliate links to track performance and commission payout. Instead, Partners earn a portion of prospects’ subscription payments.

We’ve listed credited Partner Program actions below, along with their respective commission rates.

• Referrals Through a Development Store. The Partner earns 20% of the merchant’s recurring subscription fee for every successful referral.

• Shopify Plus Referrals. Partners get 20% of the monthly “base platform fee.” Since the Shopify Plus plan starts at 2,300 USD, you can expect to earn about 460 USD monthly from each successful referral.

• Shopify POS Pro Referrals. Partners get 1) a one-time 500 USD Shopify referral bonus and 2) a recurring 20% of the net profit Shopify acquires from the merchant’s store for 24 months.

How to Become a Shopify Partner?

The Shopify Partner program is free to join, and you can start promoting and earning commissions once your application is approved.

First, go to the Shopify Partners page and click Join.

This will prompt you to create a Shopify account or sign in to an existing one.

Once you’ve signed in with a Shopify account, fill up the required business details.

Great! You’re already a Shopify Partner.

Best Shopify Affiliate Program from Theme Developers

In addition to Shopify’s Affiliate and Partner program, you may also earn commissions from theme developers from the Shopify theme store.

If you’ve honed your Shopify and consultancy skills (and maybe sales bravado), earning commissions from these Shopify affiliate programs shouldn’t be out of your ballpark.

We’ve listed below affiliate programs run by theme developers that you may want to look into:

SalesHunterThemes

SalesHunterThemes is a leading provider of cutting-edge Shopify themes tailored to elevate online businesses. With a commitment to seamless user experiences and visually stunning designs, SalesHunterThemes empowers entrepreneurs and e-commerce enthusiasts to create captivating storefronts that drive sales and customer engagement. With SalesHunterThemes, you're not just getting a theme, but a comprehensive toolkit to enhance your eCommerce journey.

Through the SalesHunterThemes Referral Program, you can earn a 25% Shopify affiliate commission rate based on the purchase price of any SalesHunterThemes theme you acquire for your clients' stores or any referred theme that results in a purchase.

Update on June 17: Unfortunately, the affiliate program of SalesHunterThemes is temporarily paused to improve the tracking system. This will help the theme developer optimize the Shopify affiliate commission rate. We will update this article when the program is back.

Debutify

Debutify is the #1 Free Shopify Theme geared towards conversion rate optimization, page speed, and navigation. Debutify is available in 2 versions, Debut-Light and Debut-Default, which serve multiple purposes and consist of various features appealing to many e-commerce entrepreneurs.

In the Debutify Affiliate Program, your Shopify affiliate payout is 30% to 40% of the sale amount. The payouts are transferred through Impact to the account details that you have specified.

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ThemeForest

ThemeForest is a part of the Envato Market, the world’s largest creative marketplace. You can buy and sell Shopify themes in the ThemeForest.

Their Shopify template collection consists of over 1,100 templates ranging from $16 to $89—much lower than the Shopify Theme Store’s rates.

Through the Envato Market Affiliate Program, you can earn a 30% Shopify affiliate payout with every purchase using your links. But remember, transactions need to happen on the official Envato Market site.

You need to create an account via the Envato Market Impact channel to apply for the program. Once you’re approved, you can create tracking links. Moreover, Envato provides you with its best-performing banner to enhance your affiliate activity.

Template Monster

Since 2004, Template Monster has provided a rich resource of high-quality templates, becoming one of the biggest template providers in the global market. Now, they deliver to their customers themes created by numerous developers around the world.

Each template costs around $75 on average, generally ranging from $55-$120. Both Themeforest and Template Monster are among the world’s largest theme providers, which is great for affiliate marketing and earning commissions.

With Template Monster’s affiliate program, you can earn a 30% commission for any user’s first purchase and 10% for their returning purchases. You’ll need to fill in the sign-up form, and once approved, you’ll get referral links to start earning money.

Booster Theme

Booster theme comes as an independent theme provider. Compared to other general Shopify themes out there, Booster theme has more advanced features.

One standout feature is their theme-updating process. When updating themes, Booster Theme doesn’t result in frustrating data (and progress) loss.

Booster Theme makes updating a breeze with just one click but still keeps and preserves all the merchant’s settings.

You can get from 20% to 30% commission when you join the Booster affiliate program. The Booster Theme application form requires more detailed information than the other affiliate programs but it shouldn’t be a big issue.

Best Affiliate Program for Shopify Apps

Just like theme developers, a bunch of Shopify app developers have also crafted their own affiliate program.

If you know the ins and outs of building a Shopify website and running an online store, you’re sharpened enough to be an excellent Shopify app affiliate.

Listed below are 3 Shopify Affiliate Program from app developers you’d want to consider:

PageFly

PageFly is a compelling page builder app with a drag-and-drop system designed to boost conversion rates.

With a 4.9-star rating from nearly 12K reviews, PageFly is currently listed as the number 1 page builder app in the app store. The app allows users to freely build their own web pages with a professional design, even on a free Shopify theme.

PageFly also provides instantaneous, high-quality customer support with over 93% satisfied customers.

The PageFly affiliate program’s incentives system is similar to that of the Shopify Partner program—you can earn recurring commissions.

So if you already joined and worked with Shopify referrals, familiarizing yourself with the flow shouldn’t be difficult. Furthermore, the PageFly team also provides up-to-date blog posts that guide affiliates to their referral goals. For instance, check out 6 creative ways to earn money as a PageFly Affiliate.

The commission of the PageFly Affiliate program is the highest among Shopify apps. You will get a 50% revenue share for the first month and a 30% recurring Shopify affiliate commission rate from the second month onward (after the 20% Shopify app fee.)

This hefty inventive system alone makes PageFly the best affiliate program for Shopify influencers and thought leaders. Other apps will pay for a single sale, whereas PageFly compensates you with recurring commissions.

The process is also simple for anyone to get started. After completing the signup form and getting approved, you’ll receive an email to enter your Affiliate Dashboard.

You’ll see your referral links in the dashboard and you can track your affiliate performance. You’ll see how many merchants you have referred and which plans they use. Commissions will be calculated and transferred through your active PayPal account within the 1st week of the succeeding month.

BSS Commerce

The BSS Commerce Shopify affiliate program is designed to assist merchants at every stage of the process. BSS nurtures its affiliates to become eCommerce solution specialists with unique abilities, allowing them to learn faster and earn more.

Affiliate marketers can offer almost any service on the network, from influencer marketing to content generation. Anyone, including agencies, freelancers, and professionals, can participate in an affiliate program and recommend BSS’s app to their customers.

You will gain a discount or commission on every transaction or referral you make, especially if you are one of BSS’s Shopify partners.

What you can get when becoming a partner?

The partner will receive 20% of the app cost for each purchase/referral of BSS Commerce’s Shopify apps. In addition to fattening your wallet, Partners can benefit from free training resources and incentives such as:

• Client Network Expansion
• Discounts and Privileges
• Product Portfolio Enhancement
• Branding Possibilities
• Prompt Assistance
• Co-Marketing Initiatives

Become an Affiliate Partner of BSS Commerce now: https://bit.ly/3KX5Foa

Amplify (formerly PickyStory)

Updated Jan 2025, PickyStory changed its name to Amplify.

Amplify helps eCommerce brands create rich sales experiences by implementing bundle discounts and offers into the Shopify store. With the most advanced solution for product deals, discounts engine, and storefront API, Amplify enables brands to dramatically increase their average order value (AOV) and return on investment (ROI).

By joining Amplify's Partnership Program, you can earn a 15-25% commission depending on the number and quality of referrals. Apart from that, you can expect other financial incentives. You can apply through this Registration Form, and once approved, you will receive an email guiding you through the next steps of the process.

Furthermore, Amplify will provide you with free access to their platform for your dev store for testing purposes, and one-on-one initial training and onboarding.

What you will get after becoming a Amplify partner:

1. Free access to the platform;
2. One-on-one training;
3. Chance to participate in the co-marketing opportunities;
4. Co-sell together;
5. Dedicated Partner Manager and CSM;
6. Generous revenue share and other financial incentives.

ReCharge

ReCharge is a recurring billing app built exclusively for Shopify. It helps businesses with physical subscription products operate in a seamless revenue stream by enabling them to analyze, customize and manage repeat orders. Subscription by ReCharge is a Shopify App which receives a score of 4.7 with 2000+ reviews, listing it among the top apps in Orders and Shipping collection.

ReCharge Affiliate Program allows you to earn 10% revenue share for each store you refer to. You can apply through their registration form, and once approved, you will receive a notification email guiding you to the Dashboard. Moreover, with a view to empowering and supporting their agency partners, they also provide you with 1-on-1 training and development support and access to latest features and integrations of the product.

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LimeSpot

With 1,100+ 5-star ratings on the Shopify App store with powerful features, LimeSpot is the perfect option if you want to help your customer in delivering a unique Upsell, Cross-sell & personalized experience across different channels.

By joining the LimeSpot affiliate program, you can earn from 10% to 20% commission depending on the number and quality of referrals. However, the free app policy may cause some hardship at first. With all four plans, the app offers free usage until app-attributed revenue exceeds 5x the monthly subscription fee. It, of course, will be a win-point for Shopify merchants but at the same time, it will take time for you, as an affiliate, to successfully earn your commission.

The application process is also simple. You will need to fill in the signup form from LimeSpotand wait for approval. However, the waiting time will be longer than 72 hours based on my personal experience.

10 Other Affiliate Programs for Shopify Apps

Some affiliate programs hosted by Shopify apps that you may want to look into include the 10 services listed below:

• Printful ($25 for every new subscription and 10% for 12 months on every order)
• Printify (5% of your referrals’ total sales)
• Bold Commerce (20% NET revenue on all apps and 10% on subscriptions)
• Loox (20% commission for a year)
• LeadDyno (20% commission for a year)
• VITALS (10% - 25% lifetime commission, depending on the amount of referrals)
• Weglot (20% commission for every referral)
• Spocket (20% to 30% commission on subscriptions)
• Referral Candy ($50 for every trial sign-up)
• Sufio (monthly recurring 20% for each subscription OR one-time 200% of the monthly fee)

Last words

As an affiliate and content creator, it’s not just about earning a significant amount of commission; you also need to provide knowledge, experience, and insights that bring long-term value to clients.

This, paired with knowing how to calculate your Shopify affiliate program commission rate, can help you make the most of the platform and maximize your Shopify affiliate earnings.

Affiliate programs by app and theme developers also exist, such as PageFly’s affiliate program. Each affiliate program has its own set of perks that you can benefit from; for example, PageFly offers lifetime commissions for affiliates, but another may directly give cash on sales. Thoroughly consider each program’s credited actions and incentives system in your pursuit of the best Shopify affiliate program.

It’s also crucial that you use the product first to know what value it brings to customers and what type of person it’s for. That way, you can provide genuine, helpful content instead of sales barf.

If you know any affiliate programs in the Shopify ecosystem, feel free to drop us a line. We’ll check it out and consider including it in this blog post.