Zoho Affiliate Program
ActiveBusiness software suite paying 15%, 18% or 20% by tier on a referral's first 12 months of revenue, capped at $25,000 per deal, with a 90-day cookie.
Quick answer
Yes. Zoho pays affiliates 15% of a referred customer's first-year revenue, rising to 18% or 20% at higher tiers reviewed every January and July, with a $25,000 cap per deal. Referrals must sign up within 90 days of the first click, and commission accrues only after they have been a customer for 60 days.
At a glance
SaaS Affiliate Score
An editorial, data-based rating — not an objective measure, and never influenced by sponsorship. See the method.
- Commission
- 15%
- Recurring
- 12 months
- Cookie window
- 90 days
- Minimum payout
- $100
- Network
- Not publicly disclosed
About Zoho
Zoho sells a suite of 60+ business apps, from CRM and accounting to email. Its in-house affiliate program pays a share of what a referred customer spends in the 12 months after their first qualified purchase. The rate depends on your tier: Standard 15%, Super 18% and Elite 20%. Everyone starts at Standard, and Zoho re-evaluates tiers every January and July on the previous six months, using either revenue referred (up to $5,000, $5,001 to $15,000, or $15,001 and above) or new paid customers (up to 20, 21 to 50, or 51 and above). You do not automatically get the whole range. Zoho appoints each affiliate for the services a Zoho representative designates. Upgrades and extra user licences of that service within a year count; purchases of other Zoho products do not. Commission accrues only after the referral has been a customer for 60 days, and a single deal is capped at $25,000. The landing page describes the rate as a share of revenue Zoho receives, while the agreement words it as up to 20% of the list price.
Listed in: Best recurring affiliate programs for SaaS · B2B SaaS affiliate programs
Commission details
15%+ of revenue earned during the first 12 months after the first qualified purchase, rising with affiliate tier
- Commission type
- Percentage
- Recurring
- Yes — for 12 months per referral
- Commission currency
- USD
Payouts and tracking
- Payout frequency
- On request once unpaid commissions reach $100; about 15 days to arrive
- Payment methods
- Wire transfer, PayPal
- Payout currency
- USD
Attribution window. Zoho requires the prospect to sign up within 90 days of first clicking the affiliate link, and the initial purchase to be made within 90 days of that sign-up.
Promotional rules
What Zoho allows and forbids before you promote it.
- Existing Zoho resellers, platform partners and consulting partners, their employees, and Zoho employees and their immediate families cannot join.
- You may not use your link to buy the designated service for yourself, your employees or your immediate family.
- While in the program you cannot join another Zoho partner program without Zoho's written permission.
- Commission covers the designated service, including its upgrades and extra licences within a year, and nothing on other Zoho products the customer buys later.
- On monthly plans, commission stops accruing on the date a customer cancels or downgrades within the first year.
- Your promotion must disclose that the program is a paid partnership, and Zoho content may not be reproduced as your own.
- Either side can end the agreement with 30 days' notice.
Requirements
Appointment is at Zoho's discretion after it reviews your sign-up details, and covers only the Zoho services a Zoho representative designates to you. There is no minimum sales requirement. Zoho gives referred customers no discount, but they receive $100 of Zoho Wallet credits valid for 60 days.
Who this is best for
Good fit
- Implementation consultants who can bring in 21+ new paid customers in six months and move up to the 18% Super tier
- Publishers whose referrals place large orders, since Zoho adds a 5% one-time bonus at invoice values of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 depending on tier
Poor fit
- Affiliates who want to promote every Zoho app: you earn only on the services a Zoho representative assigns you
- Anyone already in a Zoho reseller, consulting or platform partnership, who is ineligible
- Affiliates needing quick cash, as nothing accrues until day 60, payout is on request from $100, and transfers take about 15 days
Pros and limitations
Pros
- Tiers lift the rate from 15% to 18% and then 20%, reviewed twice a year on revenue or customer count
- 90 days from first click to sign-up, then another 90 days for the first purchase
- Upgrades and added user licences on the designated service within a year also earn commission
- Deep links to any Zoho page through the dashboard's URL builder
Limitations
- Earning on a customer ends 12 months after their first qualified purchase
- $25,000 ceiling on any single deal, however large the order
- No commission accrues until the referral has been a customer for 60 days
- Payout is manual: request it once you pass $100, then wait about 15 days, in whatever currency the customer paid
How to join
- 1Sign up on zoho.com/affiliate, including details such as your estimated monthly website visitors
- 2Wait for Zoho to review the application and designate the services you can promote
- 3Use your Zoho Affiliate Store account for your affiliate link and deep links
Estimate earnings from this program
Zoho vs the Accounting & Finance median
| Term | Zoho | Category median | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recurring term | 12 mo | One-time | 3 |
Medians across published Accounting & Finance programs that disclose each term. Undisclosed terms are left out, not counted as zero.
Program change history
Recorded changes to this program's terms. Older values are kept so you can see the direction of travel.
restrictions Not recordedNo commission on cross-sell purchases
Zoho's affiliate FAQ states you are not eligible for commission on any subsequent purchases the same customer makes — significant given Zoho sells more than fifty products.
Source
Editor's notes
Zoho runs one affiliate program across its products, which is why this record sits under both accounting and CRM, but each affiliate is appointed only for the services a Zoho representative designates (zoho.com/affiliate/program-agreement.html). Upgrades and extra licences of a designated service within a year earn commission; a customer's purchases of other Zoho products do not.
Sources and verification
Frequently asked questions
Can I earn commission on every Zoho product?
Not automatically. Zoho appoints affiliates for the services a Zoho representative designates, and a customer's later purchases of other Zoho products earn nothing. Upgrades and extra licences of the designated service within a year do count.
How much does the Zoho affiliate program pay?
15% at the Standard tier, 18% at Super and 20% at Elite, on revenue from the first 12 months after the first qualified purchase. A single deal is capped at $25,000.
Is the Zoho affiliate commission recurring?
Only for the first year. Zoho's FAQ answers no to recurring commissions, because only revenue from the first 12 months after the first qualified purchase is shared.
When does Zoho pay affiliates?
Once your unpaid commissions reach $100 you can request a payout by wire transfer or PayPal, and it takes about 15 days to arrive. Payment is made in the currency the customer paid in.
Alternatives to Zoho
Open programs in the same category. Each row shows the one published term that differs most in the affiliate's favour.
