Stripe Affiliate Program: How It Works, Payment Details & More

If you use Stripe as your payment processor, you may be asking yourself if there is any way to benefit more from this service.

Well, there is! Stripe is one of the best online payment processors but offers businesses more than just quick transactions.

In recent years, Stripe rolled out new features that can benefit business owners, such as their partner program and affiliate integrations.

If you want more out of your relationship with Stripe, you can learn about their partner programs, affiliate program integration opportunities, and more below!

Does Stripe Have an Affiliate Program?

No. Stripe does not have a typical affiliate program, but they have an alternative that allows you to integrate affiliate programs into your Stripe payment process and connect with other affiliate partners.

How Does Stripe Work With Affiliates?

Since Stripe does not have an affiliate program, you may be wondering how they can help affiliates.

First, you need to join an affiliate program. Some of the most popular affiliate programs are Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.

Once you join an affiliate program, you can make money when people view ads on your page, click on them, or complete purchases from your website.

These clicks, views, and transactions must be carefully tracked and reported to receive payments from your affiliate partners.

And Stripe can help with this! While they do not have built-in affiliate tracking, Stripe can integrate seamlessly with many top-notch affiliate software.

What Affiliate Software Can You Use With Stripe?

Before you can make money from an affiliate program using Stripe, you need to integrate an affiliate software program with your Stripe software.

You can use these affiliate programs on their own, but integrating them with Stripe means one less software program to manage separately.

Many affiliate software programs can integrate with Stripe, but not all. So refer to the list below for the best affiliate software to integrate with Stripe.

1. AffiliateWP

This software is the best WordPress affiliate management plugin. It’s a simple program to set up, so it’s ideal for business owners who aren’t super tech-savvy.

You can connect it to your Stripe account in seconds through the WP Simple Pay integration, and you’re good to go! AffiliateWP always aims for simplicity, so it’s easily the most straightforward affiliate software to integrate into Stripe.

2. Rewardful

Rewardful is wonderful to streamline your Stripe partner program and complete your requirements quickly.

It’s also a more diverse and flexible option, giving users many features. It’s geared towed Stripe but can integrate with any payment processing platform you use.

3. LinkMink

LinkMink is an affiliate tracking software designed to work specifically with Stripe, so the integration is seamless and quick. It plugs directly into your stripe account and will manage and track your affiliate payments so you can focus on other things.

Other Affiliate Program Options

In case the affiliate programs above do not appeal to you, below are even more affiliate programs you can intricate with your Stripe payment processor.

• Kartra
• Refersion
• Trackdesk
• FirstPromoter
• GrowSurf
• Post Affiliate Pro
• LeadDyno
• OSI Affiliate
• Tapfiliate
• PayKickstart
• PartnerStack
• iDevAffiliate
• Growann
• Capterra
• Impact
• Tune
• Voluum
• SamCart
• WeCanTrack
• Scaleo
• Peerclick
• eLitius

And, still, this is not a comprehensive list. The options are endless, so feel free to find a different affiliate program for your needs!

What Affiliate Software Are Excluded From Stripe?

Currently, there are no affiliate software programs Stripe has explicitly banned. Some newer or rudimentary affiliate software programs may not be suitable for Stripe, but they are not prohibited.

However, Stripe may not allow you to integrate a program associated with countries they deem high risks, such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk Regions.

What Is the Stripe Partner Program?

Stripe has a popular and fast-growing partner program designed to help businesses grow and improve with the help of other companies using the Stripe platform.

The company refers to this new program as the Stripe Partner Ecosystem, as it’s a mutually beneficial setup for everyone! The ecosystem is also made up of industry experts, technology firms, and consulting companies.

The program encourages Stripe users to reach out to various Stripe partners for assistance, whether it’s coding a new piece of their website or honing their marketing strategy.

The goal is to improve all Stripe users’ platforms so any customers using a Stripe payment processor have a positive and modern digital experience.

How Is the Stripe Partner Program Helpful?

Stripe’s partner program may not offer the same benefits as other services that have affiliate programs, however, you can still make your operations more efficient, share the information with your partners and have expansion opportunities.

Below are some of the ways the partner program can help you uplift and enhance your business!

1. Global Expansion

If your business is doing well domestically, you may have your sights set on global expansion. This exciting but challenging move is much easier when you can communicate with global Stripe partners.

Foreign Stripe partners can help you understand the foreign market you wish to enter and guide you to this new market.

Stripe partners can also help you add new payment methods to your Stripe system and website, making transactions more comfortable and convenient for foreign customers.

2. Innovative Improvements

Many Stripe partners are creative tech experts always working on the best new way to streamline online shopping and browsing.

Hiring developers and coders to enhance your website is expensive and effortful. Instead, you can reach out to one of the many Stripe tech partners and ask for help building or redesigning your platform to work for you and the future of your business.

Tech experts and advisors can help you monetize payments quickly, add modern financial services, and transform your economic infrastructure to work seamlessly with your business model.

3. Quick Operations

If you think your financial processes could be faster or want to launch a new aspect of your website soon, you can ask Stripe partners for help with this.

Partners can help you reduce time to deployment using technology platforms that do all the heavy lifting. With a little help from the Stripe Ecosystem, you can quickly accept online and in-person payments, set up recurring invoices or subscriptions, and simplify tax collection and calculation!

4. Streamline Infrastructure

Newer businesses often choose budget-friendly programs and platforms to run their operations, and more often than not, it can get messy trying to juggle so many platforms.

But Stripe partners can help you streamline your operations and meld your infrastructure to simplify things. Using Stripe as the base platform, partners can help you integrate Stripe with your existing tech stack, unify reporting, automate certain processes, and simplify workflows via Stripe apps.

This type of transition and melding of operations can be complex and intimidating if you’re not sure what to do, which is where Stripe partners can come to the rescue.

5. Knowledge Sharing

The sections above all cover this benefit, but it bears repeating. The main advantage of the Stripe Partner Ecosystem is the sharing of information, knowledge, expertise, and innovations.

Not only can Stripe partners help you achieve goals and improve operations, but you may have insight that could help another Stripe user!

Is the Stripe Partner Program Free?

Yes, joining the Stripe partner program is 100% free. You don’t even need to be a Stripe user to join the program.

When you register, you will gain access to the program’s vast collection of resources created by Stripe and its partners. These resources offer a plethora of knowledge, from best marketing processes to coding troubleshooting, and much more.

Can Stripe Partners Make Money?

Stripe partners cannot make money from being a Stripe partner. Stripe partners are not employed by Stripe, but are part of a Stripe community where knowledge-sharing and support are encouraged.

Indirectly, you can make more money as a Stripe partner thanks to access to business resources and industry experts. But Stripe will never pay you for being a partner or compensate you for the insight or technology you share within the Stripe partner community.

Who Should Join the Stripe Partner Program?

For most people, it’s a wise choice to register as a Stripe partner, as you will immediately gain access to helpful resources and people.

If you’re still hesitant, this section will explain the best types of partners Stripe has and how they better the online community.

1. Tech Innovators

Many people come to the Stripe community in search of new plugins, features, and software they can add to their websites to enhance the customer experience.

If you have a knack for coding and want to help small businesses grow, the Stripe community is a wonderful place to bounce ideas off people and help business owners improve their platforms.

2. Marketing Gurus

Marketing and sales are not easy skills for everyone to master. A business owner may have a brilliant product, but no marketing or selling skills.

The Stripe community and resource library is a place where business owners can consult with marketing and sales gurus to learn how to improve their sales and marketing strategies.

Whether you need help with marketing or consider yourself a marketing expert and want to help others, the Stripe partner program is perfect.

3. Financial Advisors

If you’re a financial advisor, you’ve likely seen many individuals or businesses go belly up simply because of poor financial infrastructure, budgeting, and planning.

You can offer insight into financial operations, helping business owners find success and financial stability. And if you wish you had a financial advisor, the Stripe community is the perfect place to find someone willing to help you.

4. New Business Owners

If anyone should join the Stripe partner program, it’s green business owners. If you are brand new to running a business, the Stripe partner community can help you get a head start and ensure you use the best tools and tactics from day one.

The community is there if you have questions, need recommendations, or want to develop new software for your website. And meeting the partnership requirements can lead to your success.

5. Everyone

New business owners will highly benefit from the partner community, but so can everyone. Whether you’ve had your business for thirty minutes or thirty years, there is always room to grow and learn.

While the Stripe community is free for all, that doesn’t mean it can’t lead to other financial opportunities!

Many Stripe partners come together to develop something new or work together, so you may find new clients or profitable projects via this community.

Is the Stripe Partner Program Worth It?

Since the Stripe partner program is 100% free, it is worth it. Signing up for the program is like joining a business owner support group and an innovation hub all at once!

Below is an overview of the major pros and cons of the program to consider.

Pros of the Stripe Partner Program

The top pros of joining the Stripe partner program involve consultation and education opportunities.

• Community engagement
• Building solutions
• Marketing resources
• Selling strategies
• Training and certifications
• Completely free to join

Cons of the Stripe Partner Program

For the most part, the partner program has no cons. After all, it’s free, so there is very little risk involved.

However, below are some aspects of the program that may be viewed as downsides.

• No opportunities for compensation from Stripe
• Must meet partner requirements

How to Join the Stripe Partner Program

If you think you could benefit from and be a helpful addition to the Stripe partner program, it’s time to sign up! Learn how to join the partner program in the sections below.

Requirements to Join the Stripe Partner Program

The Stripe partner program requires you to meet different objectives depending on which of the partner programs you want to join. You can either become a technology partner, consulting partner, or specialized partner.

Below are the requirements for each one which must be met within the first six months of joining the community.

Technology Partners

Tech partners are software, platform, or cloud providers offering integrated solutions or connections with Stripe to make deployment easier.

To become a Stripe tech partner, you must meet the following requirements:

• Complete a partner application
• Must not be on the Stripe Restricted Businesses list
• Complete the Stripe Partner Ecosystem Agreement
• Create and activate a free Stripe account
• Demonstrate Stripe customer success
• Take Stripe Business Foundations (required by one person in the organization)

Consulting Partners

Consulting partners are service providers that advise, deploy, implement, or manage services with Stripe.

To be a consulting partner the person or business must meet the following requirements:

• Complete a partner application
• Must not be on the Stripe Restricted Businesses list
• Complete the Stripe Partner Ecosystem Agreement
• Create and activate a free Stripe account
• Maintain a minimum of two certified individuals within your payment practice (any combination of architect or developer certifications)
• Demonstrate Stripe customer success
• Take Stripe Business Foundations (required by one person in the organization)

Partner Specializations

Partner specializations are a little different. Specialization is the highest achievement a partner can earn with Stripe and results in more benefits, incentives, recognition, and resources.

There are four types of specializations:

• Stripe Products (Payments, Connect, etc.)
• Stripe + ERP (SAP)
• Stripe + CRM (Salesforce)
• Stripe + e-commerce Salesforce (Adobe)

To achieve a Stripe specialization, you must meet the following requirements:

• Maintain a minimum of four Stripe-certified (architect or developer) full-time employees
• Submit one public and Stripe-specific customer success story related to the Specialization category
• Complete and pass a capability assessment specific to the Specialization

How to Register

Registering for the partner program is super easy.

Note that the word is register, not apply, as they will not reject anyone at first. However, you can be removed from the community if you do not meet the partner requirements within the allotted time.

Follow the simple steps below to register for the partner program.

1. Enter Your Information

The first step is to enter your information into the Stripe partner interest form. You need to enter your name, company website, work email, company size (range of employees), and country of operation.

2. Wait for the Next Steps

After receiving your information, Stripe will contact you via email to help you better understand the partner program, the requirements, and how to be a successful partner.

3. Complete the Stripe Partner Ecosystem User Agreement

This step is easy! Along with all the other info in the email, you will also receive a term of service agreement, which you can read, sign, and send back.

4. Create Your Stripe Account

Next, you must create your Stripe account, which is free and only takes a few minutes. Creating an account is a requirement for all potential partners.

5. Start Checking Off Your Requirements

Now, you can start working toward meeting your partner’s requirements. You have six months to do so from the time you are contacted by Stripe concerning your application.

5. Enjoy the Benefits

Whether you’re still a provisional partner, meaning you haven’t completed the requirements yet, or an established partner, you can enjoy the many benefits and resources offered by the Stripe partner program.

How Long Does it Take to Get Approved for the Stripe Partner Program?

After submitting your “application” you may be contacted via email immediately or within a few hours. So approval is almost instantaneous.

However, if you do not meet the partnership requirements within six months, you will be booted from the program. So, you could say it takes six months to be fully approved as a partner.

Alternatives to Stripe

If you’re keen on choosing a payment processor with an actual affiliate program, below are the three best alternatives to Stripe.

• PayPal: Stripe’s main competitor is PayPal. As mentioned, PayPal typically charges more fees and higher rates for transactions, but unlike Stripe, they offer a genuine PayPal affiliate program that you can join to make more money.

• Clover: Clover is an affordable option with low rates and fees and offers the best free trial. However, it tends to be slightly slower and does not allow for as many integrations as Stripe does.
• Square: Square is almost as popular as Stripe and is typically the best option for retailers because of its integration capacity and reasonable fees. However, the free option is not as robust as Stripe or PayPal’s free services.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have more questions about how you can partner with Stripe or use their program to process payments, a couple of commonly asked questions are answered below.

Wrapping Up

While some may be disappointed to learn that Stripe does not offer an affiliate program, it doesn’t mean Stripe can’t help you grow and make more money.

Aside from being a stellar online payment processor, Stripe created the partner program and allows for affiliate integrations to see all businesses associated with Stripe grow and improve.

Hopefully, this article gave you a clear understanding of these Stripe features, so you can utilize them to their maximum potential and make your business better than ever!

If you have any questions be sure to leave them in the comments.