Shopify Affiliate Program
ActiveCommerce platform paying a one-time $25–$150 per full-price merchant referral, set by the merchant's location, through Impact.
Quick answer
Yes. Shopify pays affiliates a one-time 150 USD or 25 USD per full-price store plan referral, depending on where the merchant is based, through Impact. Referrals are tracked for 30 days after the click, and you can withdraw once your balance reaches $10.
At a glance
SaaS Affiliate Score
An editorial, data-based rating — not an objective measure, and never influenced by sponsorship. See the method.
- Commission
- $25–$150
- Recurring
- One-time
- Cookie window
- 30 days
- Minimum payout
- $10
- Network
- Impact
- Approval
- Most within 5 business days
About Shopify
Shopify is the commerce platform behind online stores, social selling, dropshipping and in-person point of sale. Its affiliate program pays a one-time commission when a merchant you refer signs up for a Basic, Grow or Advanced store plan and pays at least one month at full price; Plus, Enterprise and Retail referrals earn nothing. The help centre's earnings table sets the amount by the merchant's location: 150 USD for the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Japan, the United Kingdom, Europe and the Middle East, and 25 USD for Africa, India, Latin America, the rest of Asia and all other countries. The program runs on Impact, which hosts tracking, reporting and monthly payments. Referrals are tracked for 30 days from the click, and a free-trial store is followed for up to 400 days while it converts to a full-price plan. Actions lock on the 21st for the previous month and are paid to your Impact balance the next day; you can then withdraw to a bank account or PayPal bi-weekly or at a balance you choose, once you have at least $10. Joining is free but every application is reviewed. Shopify looks for an active website, an established audience and original content about commerce or entrepreneurship. Its strategy guide encourages promotion by blog, social media and email, paid marketing aimed at your own Shopify content, and referral links pointed at any landing page or international Shopify site.
Listed in: High ticket SaaS affiliate programs · New SaaS affiliate programs
Commission details
One-time commission per full-price Basic, Grow or Advanced store plan referral, by merchant location: 150 USD for the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK, Europe and the Middle East; 25 USD for Africa, India, Latin America, the rest of Asia and all other countries
- Commission type
- Fixed
- Recurring
- No — one-time payment per sale
- Commission currency
- USD
Payouts and tracking
- Payout frequency
- Locked on the 21st for the prior month and paid to your Impact balance on the 22nd; withdraw bi-weekly or at a chosen balance
- Payment methods
- Direct deposit to a bank account, PayPal
- Payout currency
- USD
Attribution window. Shopify tracks a referral for 30 days from the click. If the referral starts a free trial in that window, Shopify keeps tracking the store for up to 400 days until it becomes a paid trial and then a full-price store.
Promotional rules
What Shopify allows and forbids before you promote it.
- Only Basic, Grow and Advanced store plan referrals earn commission; Plus, Enterprise and Retail referrals are not eligible.
- A referral must pay at least one month at full price, and Shopify can reverse commissions on fraudulent or refunded stores.
- Each qualified referral pays once; there is no recurring share.
- Shopify's help centre suggests paid marketing that sends traffic to your own content promoting Shopify; the pages we read do not say whether paid ads may link straight to Shopify or bid on Shopify brand terms.
- Using Shopify brand assets means accepting Shopify's Trademark Usage Guidelines, and a violation ends your agreement through Impact.
- Coupon and self-referral rules are not stated on any Shopify page we read; the full rules sit in the Shopify Affiliate Marketing Program Terms, which applicants must read.
Requirements
Shopify reviews every application. Its help centre says most are processed within 5 business days, while the program page says applications are typically processed within 24 hours, sometimes longer. Shopify does not give feedback on denied applications; it names a missing active website or established audience, or content that does not fit its brand, as common reasons for a decline. Joining is free.
- Application review
- Most within 5 business days
- An active website that you own and run
- An established audience
- Original content such as online courses, blog posts, videos or guides
- Experience with commerce, entrepreneurship, Shopify or other ecommerce platforms
- Having read the Shopify Affiliate Marketing Program Terms
Who this is best for
Good fit
- Ecommerce educators and course makers whose students in the US, UK, Canada, Australia or Europe qualify for the 150 USD rate
- Publishers of store-building tutorials who can wait out a long trial, since trial stores stay tracked for up to 400 days
Poor fit
- Affiliates who want income that compounds, as each merchant pays out once
- Audiences concentrated in India, Africa, Latin America or Asia outside China, Hong Kong and Japan, where a referral earns 25 USD
Pros and limitations
Pros
- A $10 withdrawal threshold on Impact, with bi-weekly or balance-based withdrawals to a bank account or PayPal
- Free-trial signups remain attributed for up to 400 days while they convert
- Referral links can point at any landing page, including Shopify's localised international sites
Limitations
- One-time bounty only, with no share of later subscription payments
- A referral from Africa, India, Latin America or the rest of Asia earns 25 USD instead of 150 USD
- Shopify's own pages disagree on payout currency: the program page offers 80+ currencies, while a Shopify blog roundup says all payments are in USD
How to join
- 1Select Become an affiliate on shopify.com/affiliates
- 2Complete the free application describing your website, audience and content
- 3Once approved, log in to Impact and create referral links to the landing pages you want
Shopify vs the Website Builders & Ecommerce median
| Term | Shopify | Category median | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recurring term | One-time | One-time | 3 |
| Cookie window | 30 days | 45 days | 3 |
Medians across published Website Builders & Ecommerce programs that disclose each term. Undisclosed terms are left out, not counted as zero.
Sources and verification
- Official
- Official
- Official
- Official
- Official
- Official
Frequently asked questions
How much does Shopify pay per affiliate referral?
It depends on where the merchant is based. Shopify's earnings table pays 150 USD per full-price referral from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK, Europe and the Middle East, and 25 USD from Africa, India, Latin America, the rest of Asia and all other countries. Each referral pays once.
Which Shopify plans earn an affiliate commission?
Basic, Grow and Advanced, once the referred merchant has paid at least one month at full price. Plus, Enterprise and Retail plan referrals are not eligible.
How long does Shopify track an affiliate referral?
30 days from the click. If the referral opens a free trial in that time, Shopify keeps tracking the store for up to 400 days as it moves to a full-price plan.
When are Shopify affiliate commissions paid?
Actions lock on the 21st of each month for the previous month's referrals, and payment reaches your Impact balance a day later. You can withdraw bi-weekly or at a balance you set, as long as you have at least $10.
Alternatives to Shopify
Open programs in the same category. Each row shows the one published term that differs most in the affiliate's favour.
