Affiliate earnings
Shopify Affiliates earn money based on contributions to the Shopify ecosystem in the form of referrals that are made by using your referral link. Your earnings as a Shopify Affiliate vary depending on the location of the merchants that you refer. Your earnings might be subject to taxes, depending on your location and applicable local tax regulations.
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Referral types eligible for commission
The following table indicates which plan referrals are eligible for commission earnings.
| Store plan | Commission | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Not eligible for commission. | Not applicable. |
| Eligible for commission according to merchant location. | Full price plan referrals are eligible for commission, as detailed in the agreed-upon contract terms in Impact. |
| POS Pro Plan | Eligible for commission according to merchant location. | Referred merchants that additionally subscribe at least one of their retail locations to a full-price POS Pro subscription are eligible for commission, as detailed in the agreed-upon contract terms in Impact. |
Store plan referral commission
Referrals earn commission payments if the merchant signs up by using your referral link. The amount of the commission depends on the merchant's location, and is paid after a merchant signs up for a store plan at full price.
Affiliate earning by merchant location for store plan referrals
The amount of the commission that's earned for a store plan referral is based on the merchant's location. The following table indicates earnings according to the merchant's location. Countries and regions are listed in Impact reports in ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code format.
| Merchant location | Payout |
|---|---|
| Australia | 150 USD |
| Brazil | 10 USD |
| Canada | 150 USD |
| China | 150 USD |
| France | 100 USD |
| Germany | 150 USD |
| India | 25 USD |
| Ireland | 150 USD |
| Italy | 100 USD |
| Japan | 150 USD |
| New Zealand | 150 USD |
| Spain | 150 USD |
| United Kingdom | 150 USD |
| United States and Puerto Rico | 150 USD |
| Other APAC (Asia-Pacific) countries and regions | Afghanistan, American Samoa, Antarctica, Bangladesh, Bhutan, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Heard Island and Mcdonald Islands, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kiribati, Korea (Democratic People's Republic of), Korea (Republic of), Lao People's Democratic Republic, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pitcairn, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna | 100 USD |
| Other EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) countries and regions | Åland Islands, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Armenia, Ascension Island, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Congo (the Democratic Republic of the), Cote D'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Finland, French Southern Territories, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Holy See (Vatican City State), Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Iraq, Isle Of Man, Israel, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia (the Former Yugoslav Republic of), Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Moldova (Republic of), Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Palestinian Territory (Occupied), Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Helena, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tanzania (United Republic of), Togo, Tristan da Cunha, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe | 100 USD |
| Other LATAM (Latin America) countries and regions | |
| Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba and US Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), French Guiana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin (French), Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Sint Maarten, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uruguay, Venezuela, Virgin Islands (British) | 25 USD |
Affiliate commission timeline for store plan referrals
You can start tracking your referrals in your reports as soon as a merchant that you've referred signs up for a free trial. The actions in the earning timeline are free trial, paid trial, online sale, actions lock, and payment. Referral commission isn't payable until the online sale action, when the merchant pays for an eligible store plan at full price.
| Activity | Action Name in Impact | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | Free Trial API | This period starts when a merchant signs up for a free store plan trial by using your referral link. |
| Paid trial | Paid Trial API | This period starts when a merchant signs up for a paid store plan trial. |
| Online sale | Online Sale API | This period starts when a merchant signs up and pays for a store plan at full price. |
| Commission lock | N/A | To prepare for payment, actions are locked on the 21st day of the month for the previous month's actions. For example, if a merchant pays for a full-price store plan on March 26, then the action locks on April 21. Alternately, if the merchant pays for their plan on April 4, then the action locks on May 21. |
| Commission payment | N/A | Payments occur one day after actions are locked. Payment is processed and sent to your Impact account balance. |
For example, suppose that you refer a merchant that signs up for a three-day free trial on January 1. From January 1 to January 3, the referral is in the free trial period.
The merchant then signs up for a 3-month paid trial for 1 USD on January 4. From January 4 to April 4, the referral is in the paid trial period.
Next, the merchant pays for a month of the Basic Shopify plan at full price on April 5. The referral now earns a commission.
On May 21, the action is locked in Impact to prepare for payment.
On May 22, payment for the referral is processed and sent to your Impact account balance.
POS Pro plan referral commission
Commissions are payable for referrals for the POS Pro plan if the following are true:
- The merchant is located in a region where the plan is available.
- The merchant has purchased the POS Pro Plan at full price.
- You referred the merchant for their initial store plan.
Affiliate earning by merchant location for POS Pro referrals
Countries and regions are listed in Impact reports in ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code format.
| Merchant location | Payout |
|---|---|
| Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, United States | 150 USD |
Affiliate earning timeline for POS Pro referrals
| Activity | Action Name in Impact | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Store free trial | Free Trial API | This period starts when a merchant signs up for a free store trial by using your referral link. |
| Store paid trial | Paid Trial API | This period starts when a merchant signs up for a paid store trial. |
| Store online sale | Online Sale API | This period starts when a merchant signs up and pays for a store plan at full price. |
| Paid POS Pro plan | POS Pro Sale API | This period starts when a merchant signs up and pays for a full-price POS Pro plan within 120 days of starting their Free Trial API action. |
| Commission lock | N/A | To prepare for payment, actions are locked on the 21st day of the month for the previous month's actions. For example, if a merchant pays for a full-price POS plan on March 26, then the action locks on April 21. Alternately, if the merchant pays for their plan on April 4, then the action locks on May 21. |
| Commission payment | N/A | Payments occur one day after actions are locked. Payment is processed and sent to your Impact account balance. |
For example, suppose that you refer a merchant that signs up for a three-day free trial on January 1. From January 1 to January 3, the referral is in the free trial period.
The merchant then signs up for a 3-month paid trial for 1 USD on January 4. From January 4 to April 4, the referral is in the paid trial period.
Next, the merchant pays for a month of the POS Pro plan at full price on April 5, within 120 days of the initial free trial referral. The referral is now eligible to earn a commission.
On May 21, the action is locked in Impact to prepare for payment.
On May 22, payment for the referral is processed and sent to your Impact account balance.