Digital products
Make the paid download count—not the click.
Run a clear referral program for courses, templates, software downloads or other paid digital products, with truthful claims and reviewable reward records.
Start with the people
Who could you invite?
Invite knowledgeable customers, educators and creators who understand the product. Give them accurate descriptions and explain permitted promotion rather than encouraging earnings or results promises.
Offer ideas to adapt
- A reward on a paid template or download.
- A qualifying course purchase with clear refund treatment.
- A focused launch campaign using approved material and a limited schedule.
Illustrative ideas. Choose your own economics and terms.
Make the numbers explicit
Illustrative: a one-time eligible digital purchase of $40 produces a $2 reward at 5%. A free signup or a trial without a paid purchase produces no commission.
Evidence sources
Illustrative, not account dataA realistic workflow for digital products
- 1
Define the paid product, eligibility and refund conditions.
- 2
Configure the actual checkout’s paid-sale and refund path.
- 3
Invite and approve partners; provide accurate approved content.
- 4
Track eligible purchases, not clicks or free registrations.
- 5
Review held commissions and record partner payouts externally.
The operational details matter
Match the real checkout
Stripe Checkout is a configured path; supported store notifications and the authenticated server API are other options. Do not assume every course host has a native connector. Manual/CSV paid records can be used where appropriate.
Avoid lifetime-reward assumptions
This page illustrates one-time purchases. Recurring attribution requires the supported subscription event path, matching identifiers and explicitly configured program terms. A first referral is not a default promise of lifetime commissions.
Explain access and refunds
Your business supplies the product, access and customer refund policy. If a purchase is refunded, rewards may reduce or reverse; already-paid rewards may create recovery. Affiliate promotional copy should not invent educational outcomes or guaranteed earnings.
Questions for your business
Do free trials earn commission?
Not without a qualifying paid purchase.
Are lifetime commissions automatic?
No. Any recurring arrangement needs supported event reporting and explicit program configuration and terms.