Program Details
| Commission | 70% of Discover Cars profit per completed booking (~$7-$15 per rental) (Cost Per Sale) |
| Cookie Duration | 365 days (direct); 30 days (Travelpayouts) |
| Network | Direct / Travelpayouts |
| Payment Methods | PayPal, Bank Transfer |
| Min. Payout | $50 |
| Payment Frequency | Monthly (Net 30) |
| Category | Travel – Car Rental |
| Countries | Worldwide |
| Website | www.discovercars.com |
Discover Cars is a global car rental comparison platform founded in 2013 and headquartered in Riga, Latvia. It pulls live pricing from over 500 car rental suppliers across 145+ countries, letting travelers compare and book rental cars worldwide from one place. The platform stands out for transparent pricing and a full-coverage insurance option that eliminates the damage excess entirely.
Discover Cars Affiliate Program Overview
The Discover Cars affiliate program pays a 70% revenue share of the company’s profit on every completed rental booking. In practice that translates to roughly $7-$15 per rental depending on car type and duration, plus an additional commission when customers add the full-coverage insurance product.
The standout feature of this program is the 365-day cookie – one of the longest available in the travel niche. The program runs in-house at discovercars.com/affiliate and is also available through Travelpayouts, though the Travelpayouts version carries a shorter 30-day cookie. Payments go out monthly via PayPal or bank transfer once you hit the $50 threshold.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- 365-day cookie duration – exceptionally long for the travel category
- 70% profit share model means commissions scale with booking value
- Covers 145+ countries, making it relevant to any travel-focused audience
- Full-coverage insurance upsell creates a second commission stream per booking
- Easy approval with no strict traffic minimums – open to affiliates worldwide
- Real-time reporting dashboard with deep-link tools and search widgets
Cons:
- Commission is based on profit share – the exact margin Discover Cars takes is not disclosed to affiliates
- Joining via Travelpayouts drops the cookie to 30 days instead of 365
- Car rental demand is seasonal – expect significant traffic and earnings dips outside summer and holiday periods
- Lower brand recognition than Booking.com or Rentalcars.com may reduce conversion rates with cold audiences
How to Join
There are two routes. For the full 365-day cookie, apply directly at discovercars.com/affiliate – fill in your site details, traffic source, and content focus. Approval is typically quick and there are no hard traffic minimums.
Alternatively, sign up as a publisher on Travelpayouts and then apply to the Discover Cars program within the network. This route gives you access to Travelpayouts’ wider suite of travel programs alongside Discover Cars, but the cookie is shorter at 30 days. For dedicated travel bloggers who plan to promote only Discover Cars, the direct program is the better option.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can I earn with the Discover Cars affiliate program?
Discover Cars pays 70% of its profit on each completed rental booking, which works out to roughly $7-$15 per booking depending on car type and rental length. Additional commissions are available when customers purchase the full-coverage insurance add-on, giving you two earning opportunities from a single referral.
How long is the Discover Cars affiliate cookie?
The direct in-house program at discovercars.com/affiliate offers a 365-day cookie – one of the longest in the travel affiliate space. If you join through Travelpayouts instead, the cookie window is 30 days.
Which affiliate network does Discover Cars use?
Discover Cars runs a direct in-house affiliate program at discovercars.com/affiliate. It is also available on Travelpayouts, a travel-focused affiliate network with a broad range of flight, hotel, and car rental programs.
How do I get paid as a Discover Cars affiliate?
Payments are processed monthly via PayPal or bank transfer once your account balance reaches the $50 minimum threshold. Commissions are paid on completed rentals, not on bookings – so cancellations before the rental takes place do not count toward earnings.
Does Discover Cars offer widgets and deep links for affiliates?
Yes. The affiliate portal provides deep-link tools, a search box widget, and banner creatives. Affiliates can generate links that point directly to a specific destination’s search results, which is particularly useful for destination guides and road trip content.
What types of sites convert best with Discover Cars?
Travel blogs, destination guides, road trip itineraries, and car rental comparison content tend to perform well. The 365-day cookie also makes Discover Cars viable for YouTube channels and review sites where the audience researches before booking – the long window captures conversions that happen weeks or months after the first click.
Is the Discover Cars affiliate program open to international affiliates?
Yes, the program accepts affiliates from all countries. Discover Cars operates in 145+ markets, so regardless of where your audience is based, there are relevant inventory and booking options available through the platform.
Final verdict: Discover Cars offers a genuinely competitive affiliate program for travel content publishers. The 365-day cookie and 70% profit share are strong terms by any standard, and the global inventory means you can promote it across destination-specific content without worrying about geographic coverage gaps. The main caveat is seasonality – earnings will be lumpy, concentrated in summer and holiday travel periods. For travel bloggers already producing car rental or road trip content, this program deserves a spot in the monetization stack.
