Program Details
| Commission | 50% for first 12 months; 10-20% recurring (tiered) after month 12 (Hybrid) |
| Cookie Duration | 90 days |
| Network | PartnerStack (Direct) |
| Payment Methods | Direct deposit, PayPal, Stripe |
| Min. Payout | $5 |
| Payment Frequency | Monthly |
| Category | Email Marketing / Creator Tools |
| Countries | Worldwide (payout methods vary by location) |
| Website | kit.com |
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is an email marketing and creator commerce platform built specifically for online creators, newsletter publishers, and solopreneurs. It offers email broadcasts, visual automation builders, landing pages, opt-in forms, and built-in commerce features – all under one roof. The company rebranded from ConvertKit to Kit in 2024 while keeping the same product focus: helping creators build and monetize an audience they own.
The Kit affiliate program pays 50% commission on referred customers for their first 12 months, making it one of the more competitive first-year payouts in the email SaaS space. Beyond month 12, tiered recurring commissions of 10%-20% kick in for affiliates who hit Bronze, Silver, or Gold status. The program runs through PartnerStack and is best suited for content creators, bloggers, and educators whose audiences are building online businesses.
Kit Affiliate Program Commission Structure
Kit pays 50% of what each referred customer pays during their first 12 months as a subscriber. That means if someone signs up for Kit’s $29/month Creator plan on your referral, you earn $14.50/month for up to a year – totaling up to $174 from a single referral on that plan alone.
After the 12-month mark, commissions shift to a recurring tiered model based on how many paying customers you have referred cumulatively. The tiers determine your ongoing rate for all active referred customers going forward.
| Tier | Qualifying Paid Referrals | Recurring Commission Rate |
|---|---|---|
| New Affiliate | 0-9 active paid referrals | 50% (months 1-12 only) |
| Bronze | 10+ active paid referrals | +10% recurring (post month 12) |
| Silver | 25+ active paid referrals | +15% recurring (post month 12) |
| Gold | 50+ active paid referrals | +20% recurring (post month 12) |
One important caveat: referrals made through paid ads (PPC) do not count toward your tier qualification totals. Kit only counts organic referrals when calculating Bronze, Silver, or Gold status. Free plan signups also do not count – only paid customer conversions move you up the tiers.
Cookie Duration and Tracking
Kit uses a 90-day affiliate cookie through PartnerStack. That gives you a solid three-month window from the time someone clicks your link to when they need to convert for you to get credit. In the SaaS space, where buyers often research tools for weeks before committing, a 90-day window is genuinely useful.
Tracking is handled entirely through PartnerStack’s dashboard, where you can see clicks, sign-ups, trial conversions, and commission status in real time. PartnerStack assigns each affiliate a unique referral link and also supports custom short links.
Commissions go through a 31-day hold period before they are approved and eligible for withdrawal. This buffer accounts for refunds and plan cancellations in the first month. After approval, funds are released and available for payout on the next monthly cycle.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- 50% commission for the first 12 months is strong for a SaaS affiliate program
- Low $5 minimum payout threshold – you do not need to accumulate much before withdrawing
- 90-day cookie gives plenty of time for deliberate buyers to convert
- Monthly payouts keep cash flow predictable
- PartnerStack dashboard provides clean tracking and reporting tools
- Tiered recurring model rewards affiliates who build a real referral base
Cons:
- Post-12-month recurring rates (10%-20%) are only earned if you maintain a qualifying tier – drop below Bronze and the ongoing income stops
- Paid traffic does not count toward tier qualification, so PPC-heavy affiliates cannot use ads to scale tier status
- Kit restricts certain affiliate content types – sites built primarily around affiliate marketing may not qualify
- The rebrand from ConvertKit to Kit causes some audience confusion, which can add friction in conversion copy
How to Join the Kit Affiliate Program
The Kit affiliate program is managed through PartnerStack. Applications are reviewed manually, so there is a short wait after you apply before gaining access to your links and dashboard.
- Visit kit.com/affiliate and click “Become an affiliate” to start your application.
- Create a PartnerStack account (or log in if you already have one from another program).
- Fill in your application details: your website, how you plan to promote Kit, your audience type, and your monthly traffic. Kit wants to see that you have your own content or business beyond affiliate marketing.
- Wait for approval – typically a few business days. Kit reviews applications manually and may reject sites that are 100% affiliate-focused or fall into restricted categories.
- Once approved, grab your unique referral link from the PartnerStack dashboard and add it to your content.
Kit’s content requirements state that affiliates must have their own business or content presence outside of affiliate marketing. Restricted categories include education-only sites, financial/loan content, online pharmacies, and make-money-online software. If your site is primarily a thin affiliate review site, approval may be difficult.
Who Should Promote Kit?
Best fits: Kit is a natural fit for bloggers and content creators who already write about email marketing, newsletter building, or online business tools. Educators and course creators whose audiences are starting or growing digital businesses will see strong conversion because Kit is specifically positioned for that use case – it is not trying to compete with enterprise CRM tools.
YouTube creators and podcasters in the “creator economy” niche do particularly well with Kit referrals because their audiences are exactly who Kit markets to: people who want to build an email list as a business asset. Newsletter operators promoting Kit to their own subscribers also see solid conversions, given the audience overlap.
Weaker fits: Affiliates focused on e-commerce tools, enterprise software, or general digital marketing may find Kit’s niche positioning limits their addressable audience. If your readers are primarily large businesses or e-commerce store operators, they are more likely to gravitate toward Klaviyo or ActiveCampaign rather than Kit’s creator-first platform.
How Kit Compares to Alternatives
| Program | Commission | Cookie | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kit (formerly ConvertKit) | 50% for 12 months, then 10-20% recurring | 90 days | PartnerStack (Direct) |
| ActiveCampaign | 30% recurring for up to 12 months | 90 days | PartnerStack |
| GetResponse | 40%-60% recurring for 12 months | 120 days | PartnerStack |
| AWeber | 30%-50% recurring | 90 days | Direct |
| beehiiv | Up to 60% for 12 months | 60 days | Direct |
Kit’s 50% first-year rate is competitive, but beehiiv goes higher at up to 60% for the same 12-month window, and GetResponse also hits 60% at its top tier. Where Kit pulls ahead is name recognition in the creator space – the ConvertKit/Kit brand carries more authority with bloggers and newsletter operators than most competitors.
If your audience skews toward e-commerce or marketing agencies, ActiveCampaign is a stronger match. If you are writing for newsletter builders specifically, beehiiv is worth testing alongside Kit given its higher potential rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Kit affiliate program pay?
Kit pays 50% commission on everything a referred customer pays during their first 12 months. After month 12, affiliates at Bronze status (10+ active paid referrals) earn 10% recurring, Silver (25+) earns 15%, and Gold (50+) earns 20% on those customers going forward.
What platform does Kit use to run its affiliate program?
Kit runs its affiliate program through PartnerStack. You apply via kit.com/affiliate, and once approved, PartnerStack handles your tracking links, commission reporting, and payouts. If you already have a PartnerStack account from another program, you can use the same login.
How long does the Kit affiliate cookie last?
The Kit affiliate cookie lasts 90 days. Someone can click your referral link today and still convert up to three months later – and you will still earn the commission. This is helpful for SaaS tools where buyers often take time to evaluate options before paying.
When and how does Kit pay affiliates?
Kit pays monthly. Commissions go through a 31-day hold period first (to account for refunds and cancellations), then are approved and paid out on the following monthly cycle. Payment methods include direct deposit, PayPal, and Stripe, depending on your location.
What is the minimum payout amount for Kit affiliates?
The minimum withdrawal threshold through PartnerStack is just $5. This is unusually low compared to most affiliate programs, which means you can cash out even from your earliest referrals without waiting to accumulate a large balance.
Does Kit approve all affiliate applications?
No – Kit reviews applications manually and has content requirements. You need to have your own business or content presence beyond affiliate marketing. Sites that are 100% affiliate-focused, or that cover restricted niches like financial products, online pharmacies, or make-money-online software, are unlikely to be approved.
Do paid ad referrals count toward Kit affiliate tiers?
No. Kit explicitly excludes PPC-driven referrals from tier calculations. Only organic referrals count toward Bronze, Silver, or Gold status. This means affiliates who rely heavily on paid traffic cannot use ad spend to accelerate their tier progression.
What happened to the ConvertKit affiliate program after the rebrand to Kit?
ConvertKit rebranded to Kit in 2024, and the affiliate program migrated from the older LinkMink platform to PartnerStack. The commission structure also changed – the previous model offered 30% recurring for up to 24 months, while the current model offers 50% for the first 12 months with tiered recurring rates after that. Existing affiliates were transitioned to the new system.
Final Verdict
Kit’s affiliate program is a strong option for anyone writing for the creator economy – bloggers, newsletter operators, and educators whose audiences are building online businesses. The 50% first-year commission is genuinely competitive, and a $5 payout threshold with monthly payments makes the earnings cycle clean and accessible.
The main limitation is the tiered structure: long-term recurring income only materializes if you maintain Bronze status or above, which requires building a meaningful referral base over time. Affiliates who cannot sustain that volume will essentially be on a one-time 12-month payout per referral.
If your audience overlaps with Kit’s target market – creators who want to own their audience through email – apply at kit.com/affiliate. If your readers skew toward e-commerce or enterprise tools, test a competitor like ActiveCampaign or GetResponse alongside it first.
