How to start an affiliate program for your course or digital product

This guide is for creators with a product that already sells, who want other people to sell it too. Full disclosure: we make Eden. Platform facts below were checked on each company's site in September 2026.

Should you start one yet?

An affiliate program multiplies sales you already make. It doesn't create them. Start one when:

• Your product sells without you pushing hard. If you can't sell it, affiliates can't either.
• Buyers are happy. Affiliates who are also buyers are your best ones, and they only promote what worked for them.
• You know your numbers. You need to know what you can afford to pay per sale.

If you've made your first 20 or so sales and people are recommending the product on their own, you're ready.

Step 1: Choose your cut

Your cut is what an affiliate earns per sale, usually a percentage. Stan's help center calls 20% to 50% typical, and Whop sets 30% as its default.

How to pick:

• Digital products cost little to deliver, so you can afford a generous cut. 30% to 50% on a course or template is normal.
• Coaching costs your time, so keep the cut lower, often 10% to 20%.
• Memberships need a rule: do affiliates earn on every renewal, the first payment, or the first few? Every payment attracts serious partners. First only protects your margin.
• A higher cut for your best partners is fine. Most platforms let you set one per person.

Step 2: Pick a platform

Platform	Affiliates on which plan	Good to know
Eden	Pro, $79/mo	Pays affiliates to their own Stripe for you
Stan Store	Creator Pro, $99/mo	Not on the $29 Creator plan
Teachable	Builder, $89/mo and up	Not on Starter
Kajabi	Growth, $249/mo and up	Not on Basic
Podia	Shaker and up	Not on Mover
Thinkific	Every plan	Listed as affiliate reporting
Gumroad	Built in, no monthly fee	Affiliates pay their share of Gumroad's fee
Payhip	Built in	You pay affiliates yourself
Lemon Squeezy	Built in	+3% fee to you and +2% to the affiliate

If you sell software through Stripe, standalone tools like Rewardful (from $49/mo), FirstPromoter (from $49/mo), or Tolt (from $69/mo) plug into your billing. They're built for software subscriptions more than courses.

Whatever you choose, make sure it handles three things: tracking the link, reversing the cut on a refund, and paying people without you sending money by hand every month.

Step 3: Decide who can join

• Anyone approved by you. People apply, you say yes or no. The safest default.
• Anyone. Fastest growth, most spam.
• Only buyers. Your happiest customers become your sales team. Great for courses.
• Invite only. A few partners you choose, like other creators in your niche.

Start with approval or buyers-only. You can open it up later.

Step 4: Give affiliates what to share

Most affiliates never promote because they don't know what to say. Make it easy:

• A one-page brief. Who the product is for, the result it gets, and what not to claim.
• Posts they can copy. Three to five ready-to-post captions with their link dropped in.
• Images. Cover art and a few graphics sized for social.
• A discount code. Buyers like codes, and a code sale still counts for the affiliate without a click.

Step 5: Set the rules

• Link window. How long after a click a sale still counts. 30 days is common, and 7 to 90 days is the usual range.
• Refund hold. Pay commissions after your refund window closes (30 days is typical), so you never pay for a sale you refunded.
• Minimum payout. A small threshold, like $25, saves you from sending lots of tiny payments.
• What's not allowed. Spam, paid ads on your name, and fake reviews.

How to run an affiliate program on Eden

1. Open Your store → Affiliates → Settings and turn on Affiliate program. This needs the Pro or Studio plan.
2. Under Who can join, pick I approve, Everyone, Buyers, or Invite only.
3. Set a Default cut as a percent or a flat amount. Give any product its own cut, or leave a product out.
4. Choose what affiliates earn on membership renewals, and a link window from 7 to 90 days.
5. Add a brief, posts (write {link} and each affiliate sees their own), images, and links on the Resources tab.
6. Click Copy signup link and share it.

Eden takes each affiliate's cut at checkout, holds it 30 days in case of a refund, then pays affiliates to their own Stripe account every two weeks once they have $25 or more. The cut comes out of your share, and Eden's 5% fee doesn't change. You can also list your program in Eden's affiliate directory so new affiliates can find you. Full steps: run an affiliate program.

Step 6: Find your first affiliates

• Your buyers. Email everyone who bought and ask. Buyers-only programs can show a Get my link button right after checkout.
• Creators with the same audience but a different product. A writing coach and a note-taking template seller share buyers without competing.
• People who already mention you. Search your name and product on social media.
• Newsletter writers in your niche. One mention in the right newsletter can beat a month of posts.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I pay affiliates?

For courses and digital products, 30% to 50% is common. For coaching or services that take your time, 10% to 20%. Start where you can afford it and raise the cut for your best partners.

Do I need a separate affiliate tool?

Usually not. Most course and creator platforms include affiliates, though often only on higher plans. Standalone tools like Rewardful make sense for software sold through Stripe.

How do affiliates get paid?

It depends on the platform. Eden pays each affiliate's Stripe account every two weeks after a 30-day hold. Gumroad pays affiliates with its normal payouts. On Payhip, you pay affiliates yourself. Check before you launch, because paying people by hand gets old fast.

What happens to the commission if a buyer asks for a refund?

On platforms with a hold period, like Eden, the cut is taken back before it's paid. That's why a hold at least as long as your refund window matters.

Ready to let your buyers sell for you? Start Eden free, publish your product, and turn on affiliates from your store.