--- title: "Affiliate Program - PayBot Documentation" description: "Turn members into your sales team. Create affiliate codes, set custom commission rates, and track payouts — managed from Discord." canonical: https://paybotapp.com/docs/affiliate-program/ source: /docs/affiliate-program/ --- [Home](https://paybotapp.com/) / [Docs](https://paybotapp.com/docs/) / Affiliate Program # Affiliate Program Turn your members into promoters — create affiliate codes, set commission rates, and let affiliates track their earnings directly in Discord ## Table of Contents - [Overview](#overview) - [Requirements](#requirements) - [Creating Affiliates](#creating-affiliates) - [How Affiliate Links Work](#how-links-work) - [Affiliate Dashboard](#affiliate-dashboard) - [Commissions & Payouts](#commissions-payouts) - [Managing Affiliates](#managing-affiliates) - [FAQ](#faq) ## Overview PayBot's affiliate program lets you recruit members to promote your server's paid tiers. When someone subscribes through an affiliate's link, the affiliate earns a commission on every payment — including renewals. #### 🔗 Unique Links Each affiliate gets a unique code appended to your existing payment links #### 💰 Recurring Commissions Affiliates earn on every renewal, not just the first payment #### 📊 Self-Service Dashboard Affiliates track their referrals and earnings with `/affiliate` ## Requirements #### Plan Requirement The affiliate program requires the **Large plan ($89/mo)** or higher. You also need a portal page set up with at least one published tier. Before creating affiliates, make sure you have: - A connected Stripe account (via `/setup`) - At least one membership tier with a payment link - A portal page (Link in Bio) — affiliate links use your portal URL ## Creating Affiliates Server admins add affiliates through the setup dashboard. Each affiliate is a Discord user in your server. 1 ### Open /setup Run `/setup` in your server and navigate to **Manage Affiliates**. `/setup` → Manage Affiliates 2 ### Add an Affiliate Click **Add Affiliate** and select a Discord user from your server. PayBot generates a unique 6-character affiliate code automatically. 3 ### Set Commission Rate Choose a commission percentage between **1% and 50%**. The default is 10%. This rate applies to every payment made through the affiliate's link. **Example:** A 10% commission on a $20/mo tier means the affiliate earns $2.00 per subscriber per month — on every renewal. 4 ### Share the Affiliate Link The affiliate's link is your portal URL with their code appended. Share it with the affiliate so they can start promoting. `go.paybotapp.com/myserver/vip-tier?aff=ABC123` **Stripe Express Account:** When you add an affiliate, PayBot creates a Stripe Express account for them. This is how commissions are tracked and paid out through Stripe Connect. ## How Affiliate Links Work Affiliate links are your existing payment links with an `?aff=CODE` parameter added. When someone checks out through an affiliate link: 1 ### Customer Clicks the Link The affiliate shares their unique URL. The customer lands on your portal or goes directly to checkout. 2 ### Referral is Tracked PayBot records the affiliate code in the subscription metadata. This link persists for the lifetime of the subscription. 3 ### Commission on Every Payment Each time the subscriber is billed (including renewals), the affiliate's commission is calculated and tracked. #### Self-Referral Prevention Affiliates cannot use their own link to subscribe. PayBot blocks self-referrals to prevent abuse. ## Affiliate Dashboard Affiliates check their stats using the `/affiliate` command. This is available to any user who has been added as an affiliate. `/affiliate` ![PayBot affiliate dashboard showing referral stats, earnings, and unique affiliate links](https://paybotapp.com/images/docs/embed-affiliate.png) The dashboard shows: #### 📈 Referral Stats - Total referrals - Active subscribers referred - Your affiliate code - Your affiliate link #### 💵 Earnings - Total earned (all time) - Pending payout - Commission rate - Per-referral breakdown **Privacy:** The `/affiliate` command response is ephemeral — only the affiliate can see their stats. ## Commissions & Payouts ### How Commissions Work - **Recurring:** Affiliates earn on every billing cycle, not just the initial payment - **Percentage-based:** Commission is calculated as a percentage of each payment - **Lifetime attribution:** Once a subscriber is linked to an affiliate, that link persists — even across renewals ### Payout Process Commissions are managed through Stripe Connect. When an affiliate is created, PayBot sets up a Stripe Express account for them. Payouts are processed through Stripe's standard transfer system. **Commission example:** - Tier price: $20/month - Commission rate: 15% - Per-payment commission: $3.00 - If the subscriber stays for 12 months: $36.00 total earned ## Managing Affiliates Admins can manage all aspects of the affiliate program from `/setup → Manage Affiliates`. #### Edit Commission Rate Change an affiliate's commission percentage at any time. The new rate applies to future payments only — past commissions are not recalculated. #### Remove Affiliates Deactivate an affiliate to stop tracking new referrals through their code. Existing referrals and pending payouts are preserved. **Multiple affiliates:** You can have as many affiliates as you need. Each gets their own unique code and commission rate — useful for offering higher rates to top promoters. ## FAQ #### Can I set different commission rates for different affiliates? Yes. Each affiliate has their own commission rate (1-50%). You can reward top performers with higher rates. #### Do affiliates earn on renewals or just the first payment? Affiliates earn on every payment — initial and all renewals. The referral link persists for the lifetime of the subscription. #### Can an affiliate refer themselves? No. PayBot prevents self-referrals automatically. #### What happens if I change the commission rate? The new rate applies to future payments only. Past commissions are not recalculated. #### Do I need a portal page for affiliates? Yes. Affiliate links are built on your portal/payment link URLs. You need at least one published tier with a payment link. ## Related Documentation [ #### Link in Bio Set up your portal page where affiliate links point to ](https://paybotapp.com/docs/link-in-bio/)[ #### Payment Links Create and share checkout URLs for your tiers ](https://paybotapp.com/docs/payment-links/)[ #### Membership Tiers Create the tiers affiliates will promote ](https://paybotapp.com/docs/membership-tiers/)