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

Are you looking for an e-commerce platform to promote?

The WooCommerce affiliate program is excellent for bloggers with large audiences looking to promote a reputable e-commerce product. However, joining the WooCommerce affiliate program isn’t easy.

Read on to learn why you should consider promoting WooCommerce, how much you can earn, and more. If you don’t know what WooCommerce is, check out our WooCommerce review first.

Does WooCommerce Have an Affiliate Program?

Yes, WooCommerce has a referral program. The WooCommerce affiliate program is part of the broader WordPress referral program.

What Is the WooCommerce Affiliate Program?

The WooCommerce affiliate program is a program that allows bloggers, e-commerce site owners, and WordPress plugin authors to promote WooCommerce in exchange for a commission.

When you send a new customer to WooCommerce, and that person purchases a WooCommerce extension, you will make money off the sale.

How Does the WooCommerce Affiliate Program Work?

The WooCommerce affiliate program gives you a unique URL that you can use to promote WooCommerce. You will be able to put this link on your website, in banners, and on social media.

On your dashboard, you will be able to track your traffic, view your sales, and more.

Is the WooCommerce Affiliate Program Free?

Yes. The WooCommerce affiliate program is free to join. You will never have to pay to be an affiliate and promote WooCommerce.

Most legitimate affiliate programs are free to join. You shouldn’t have to pay to join an affiliate program; if you do, it’s a red flag, and you should investigate the program thoroughly first before paying.

Most affiliate programs that require you to purchase a membership or buy a product before promoting it are nothing more than multi-level marketing schemes.

What Products Can You Promote For the WooCommerce Affiliate Program?

As a WooCommerce affiliate, you have a wide range of products you can promote. Here are the main products you can promote as a WooCommerce affiliate.

• WooCommerce: WooCommerce itself is free and open source. You won’t get a commission when you refer someone to WooCommerce. However, you can promote WooCommerce and earn a commission when they purchase an extension.
• Individual extensions: You will be earning commissions on extension sales, so it makes sense to promote individual extensions while promoting WooCommerce. For example, you might recommend a spam prevention and security plugin and suggest that your referrals purchase it when setting up their WooCommerce sites.
• Discounts: You can sometimes find discounts on WooCommerce plugins and extensions. If you can find discounts for WooCommerce, use them to incentivize your readers to make a purchase.
• Jetpack: The WooCommerce referral program is part of a single program that allows you to promote Jetpack and WordPress as well. Jetpack is a plugin for WordPress and WooCommerce stores that boosts site performance, increases site security, and gives you critical marketing tools. It has individual products such as Backup Daily and Scan.
• WordPress: Finally, you can also promote annual WordPress plans as an alternative to WooCommerce. For example, there is the WordPress.com e-commerce plan, which is an excellent alternative to WooCommerce and also gives you a higher commission – 100% of the initial purchase price for the first year.

Other Things You Can Promote with This Program

You can also pair WooCommerce with another product, like top-rated WooCommerce hosting providers, and promote both products at the same time.

What Products Are Excluded From the WooCommerce Affiliate Program?

Since WooCommerce is free, you can’t earn commissions from referring users who only create free sites.

Furthermore, if you promote WordPress.com plans, you need your referrals to sign up for annual billing.

How Much Do WooCommerce Affiliates Make?

WooCommerce affiliates generally make a decent income from promoting WooCommerce, as the program only accepts bloggers with large audiences.

In addition, you must have $100 in accrued rewards consistently to remain part of the program.

Ultimately, though, the amount you will make depends on how much traffic you can drive to your links.

WooCommerce Affiliate Program Commission Rates

The WooCommerce affiliate program pays a 20% commission on each sale you generate.

For example, if someone purchases a WooCommerce extension that costs $50, you will earn a $10 commission.

This 20% commission rate applies to all products in the WordPress referral program, including Jetpack products and WordPress.com plans.

For example, the WordPress Premium plan costs $96/per year. You will earn, therefore, a commission of around $19 when someone signs up for that plan.

However, there is an exception.

WordPress.com E-commerce and Business Plans

As of January 2023, things have changed a bit, and WordPress offers a more generous commission on the WordPress.com e-commerce and Business plans.

Instead of a 20% commission, you will earn a 100% commission for the first year when a referral signs up for an annual WordPress.com e-commerce or Business subscription.

However, that commission is capped at $300, which is how much WordPress.com e-commerce costs per year anyway.

WordPress.com Business costs more, but you still won’t earn more than $300 per referral.

How Long Does the WooCommerce Cookie Last?

The WooCommerce cookie lasts for 30 days. When someone clicks on your affiliate link, they must purchase a WooCommerce extension within 30 days for you to earn a commission.

Furthermore, if the user clicks on a different affiliate’s affiliate link after yours and then makes a purchase, you will not get credit for the referral. The same applies if they click on an ad that promotes WooCommerce.

Finally, it must be a new user who is not yet using WooCommerce.

How Do You Get Paid From WooCommerce?

WooCommerce now pays its affiliates through Tipalti, a third-party payment processor that allows you to receive your payment in a variety of ways.

Most people opt for PayPal or a direct ACH bank transfer, but those aren’t the only options. You can also receive a wire transfer or get a physical check in the mail.

When Does WooCommerce Pay Affiliates?

It will take at least 45 days from the end of the calendar month during which you made the referral for WooCommerce to pay you.

In other words, if you made a referral on the first of January, it will take until mid-March, at the minimum, for you to receive your payment.

Typically, you will receive your payment between the 16th and last day of every month.

So, for a sale that you made in January, you will receive your affiliate earnings between the 16th and final day of March.

For referrals you made in February, you will receive your payment in the last half of April.

That might seem like a lot of time, but there is a reason for that. WooCommerce has to verify each sale and ensure the customer doesn’t request a refund.

What Marketing Materials and Promotional Tools Are Available?

When you join the WooCommerce affiliate program, you will get access to a unique link that you can use anywhere online to promote WooCommerce.

Similarly, WooCommerce will grant you a limited license to use its trademarks and logos on your site for the sole purpose of promoting WooCommerce.

Who Should Join the WooCommerce Affiliate Program?

So, is the WooCommerce affiliate program right for you?

The first thing to know is that the WordPress referral program, which includes WooCommerce, is invitation-only. However, you can apply if you think you would be a good fit.

The WooCommerce affiliate program is best for:

• Bloggers with a focus on e-commerce
• WordPress plugin authors and theme developers
• E-commerce developers and freelancers

For example, if your blog features tutorials about how to use WooCommerce, promoting WooCommerce is a great idea.

Most of all, you should have a large audience and the ability to drive consistent traffic.

If your referral earnings balance is consistently below $100, you will not be able to stay part of the program.

In other words, before deciding to start promoting WooCommerce, even if you received an invitation, make sure you can keep on driving consistent traffic.

Is the WooCommerce Affiliate Program Worth It?

Is it worth promoting WooCommerce? There are only so many affiliate programs you can join.

If your site focuses on e-commerce, should you promote WooCommerce, or would it be better to promote a competitor like Shopify?

Pros of the WooCommerce Affiliate Program

Let’s start with some of the reasons you might want to promote WooCommerce as an affiliate.

• WooCommerce is one of the most trusted e-commerce platforms. As an affiliate, it’s important to promote only quality products, so WooCommerce is a natural choice.
• Due to WooCommerce’s popularity, getting conversions will be a lot easier compared to promoting an unknown product.
• You can earn a generous 20% commission on any extension sale. If a referral purchases a lot of extensions, you can make a lot of money.  
• There are multiple payout methods, giving you more flexibility and control over how you get your earnings. You can also change your payout method at any time.
• In addition to WooCommerce, you will get access to affiliate links for promoting WordPress.com plans and Jetpack, giving you more products to promote. For example, if someone isn’t interested in WooCommerce but prefers the convenience of a WordPress.com plan, you can promote WordPress.com’s e-commerce plan.

Cons of the WooCommerce Affiliate Program

Despite its pros, there are some drawbacks to promoting WooCommerce as well.

Here are the top reasons you might want to avoid WooCommerce and promote alternatives to WooCommerce, such as Shopify, instead.

• WooCommerce is free, so referrals who only sign up for a WooCommerce plan won’t bring you any earnings. They will have to purchase an extension as well, which requires an extra step and conversion. That makes it harder to make sales.
• While there is a fixed commission of 20%, each extension has a different price. That makes it hard to calculate your potential earnings, as you don’t know which extensions your referrals will purchase.
• There is a minimum payout of $100, which is pretty high. Shopify’s minimum payout, on the other hand, is just $10.
• You have to keep promoting WooCommerce, Jetpack, or WordPress.com to remain part of the program. You can’t just promote it from time to time as a side product. If your referral balance is consistently below $100, they will remove you from the program.
• It can take up to three months to get paid, which is a long time.

Conclusion: Is the WooCommerce Affiliate Program Worth It?

Considering how difficult it is to get into the WooCommerce affiliate program, it might be better if you found another program instead.

Shopify, for example, pays a fixed bounty of $150 for any referral who signs up for a Basic, Shopify, or Advanced plan. That does not include trial signups.

Shopify, unlike WooCommerce, is not free to use. You need an active plan to use it. Therefore, it’s a lot easier to earn from your referrals.

As long as a referral sets up a store on Shopify and stays past the trial membership period, you will make a referral. With WooCommerce, however, they will need to take an extra step – purchasing a premium extension.

Remember, there are a lot of free extensions on WooCommerce as well, so there’s no guarantee you will earn money.

Furthermore, it’s a lot easier to calculate your earnings with a program like Shopify. If you make 10 sales, you will earn a fixed $1,500.

If your intent is only to promote an e-commerce platform, I can’t recommend the WooCommerce affiliate program.

However, if you also plan on promoting WordPress.com plans, it would be worth it, as you can earn $300 for every e-commerce or Business member you refer.

How To Join the WooCommerce Affiliate Program

Joining the WooCommerce affiliate program isn’t easy, as it’s an invite-only program. However, there may still be a way for you to join.

Requirements To Join the WooCommerce Affiliate Program

To join the WooCommerce affiliate program, you must receive an invitation, which will only happen if you are a blogger or influencer with an established reader base.

There is an alternative, but it’s probably not what you’re looking for. The WordPress Refer-a-Friend program doesn’t require you to apply.

For every paying customer you send to WordPress, you will receive a $25 credit, but you can only use that towards an annual WordPress.com plan. Your friend will receive a $25 credit as well.

How To Apply [Step-by-Step Tutorial]

If you did not receive an invitation, here’s how to apply for the WooCommerce affiliate program:

1. Visit the WordPress partner page.
2. Click on the Contact Us button.
3. Fill out the form.
4. In the “Additional Information” box, explain why you’d be a good fit for the program.

How Long Does It Take To Get Approved for the WooCommerce Affiliate Program?

There is no specific period for WooCommerce to approve you for the program.

However, if you don’t hear back within a few weeks, you can assume that they did not accept you. Don’t feel bad – WooCommerce only works with select affiliates, and the bar is high.

Does WooCommerce Support the Affiliate Program?

Yes. WooCommerce affiliates will get support from Automattic’s team of experts. Automattic is the software development company behind WordPress and WooCommerce.

You can also email support at [email protected] to get help with payment issues or other issues. Remember to include your affiliate ID when contacting support to get quick assistance.

How To Make Money With the WooCommerce Affiliate Program

To be successful as a WooCommerce affiliate, you need a solid affiliate marketing strategy that you can implement and scale.

Here are some tips that will help you succeed in your affiliate marketing campaign.

Target the Right Audience

It’s critical to target the right audience. People who might fit into your target audience include:

• Entrepreneurs
• Stay-at-home moms
• Freelancers
• Small business owners

It’s important to promote the right products to the right people. For example, a blogger might be interested in one of the WordPress.com premium plans or Jetpack, but e-commerce might just not be their thing.

It’s also essential to target people who are serious about e-commerce. Someone who is just starting or testing the waters might set up a WooCommerce store but avoid paying for premium extensions, as they aren’t yet fully committed to investing in their business.

Instead, focus on people who are ready to invest in a long-term e-commerce business. These people are more likely to purchase at least a few premium extensions, netting you higher profits.

Use Email Marketing To Get More Conversions

Your WooCommerce cookie will only last for 30 days. If you don’t convert someone within that period, you won’t earn anything.

For example, if they click on your link and then sign up for a WooCommerce account 31 days later, you won’t get any credit.

The reality is that a lot of people will click on your affiliate link and fail to sign up. They may merely be researching different e-commerce platforms and not yet sure which one they want to use.

Email marketing can be an effective tool for converting more customers within those first 30 days. It involves capturing your visitors’ email addresses and adding them to a list.

In this case, an automated follow-up sequence can be very effective. The follow-up sequence should contain helpful tips and advice for new entrepreneurs looking to start an e-commerce site.

Topics you can cover can include:

• How to find a niche and research different markets
• How to find suppliers
• Different types of e-commerce business models, such as dropshipping and white labeling

In your emails, you should also subtly remind your readers to sign up for a WooCommerce account and create a site. Furthermore, provide extension recommendations to increase the likelihood of earning commissions.

Of course, you can also put your affiliate links inside your emails. However, sometimes, customers will go directly to Google and type in “WooCommerce” instead of clicking directly on your link. You also have to limit the number of times you put your affiliate link in a single email to avoid being spammy.

Therefore, in many cases, you will only have 30 days to get your readers to create a WooCommerce site and purchase an extension to earn a commission.

Promote Other Plans

Even if you join the WooCommerce affiliate program, it’s important to realize that not everyone will decide to use WooCommerce.

As a WooCommerce affiliate, you already have an alternative for them: the WordPress.com e-commerce plan.

This plan provides built-in hosting, a free domain for one year, a built-in payment solution, live chat support, and more.

It’s like a free WordPress.com blog but with e-commerce features, no ads, premium support, and other advanced features.

Use Alternatives

You can also sign up for the Shopify affiliate program and promote that as an alternative.

There is no reason you can’t sign up for both programs, as long as you maintain at least $100 in accrued referral revenue on WooCommerce consistently. It will only increase your earning potential and give your readers more options to choose from.

Additional Skills To Be Aware Of

If the WooCommerce affiliate program did not accept you, here are some other alternatives that we recommend.

• Bluehost Affiliate Program: The Bluehost affiliate program allows you to earn commissions for referring people to Bluehost, a popular hosting platform.
• Shopify Affiliate Program: Shopify is a top WooCommerce competitor, and it gives you a $150 fixed commission for every referral you bring.
• Teachable Affiliate Program: Teachable allows users to create and sell online courses.

Wrapping Up

The WooCommerce affiliate program is hard to join, and you need to drive a lot of traffic to earn consistent income.

In addition, since WooCommerce is free, your referrals will need to purchase premium WooCommerce extensions for you to make a commission.

For most bloggers and affiliate marketers looking for an e-commerce platform to promote, Shopify remains the superior choice. It is much easier to qualify for the program, and you will earn a fixed commission of $150 for each referral.