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10 Best Financial Affiliate Programs

Backlinko Team

Written by Backlinko TeamIn collaboration with Semrush

Financial Affiliate Programs – Blog post image

The affiliate marketing industry, as a whole, is booming, projected to reach a staggering $27.8 billion by 2027.

Financial products consistently rank among the top-converting affiliate niches. People are always looking for ways to save money, grow their wealth, and secure their financial future. By partnering with the right financial affiliate programs, you can tap into a ready-made audience eager to invest in themselves.

The commission rates can be incredibly lucrative. Some financial affiliate programs offer payouts as high as 50% per sale, meaning a single successful referral could land you a hefty chunk of change.

But where do you even begin? With countless programs vying for your attention, choosing the right ones can feel overwhelming. That’s where we come in.

Through countless hours of research and analysis, we’ve meticulously curated the ultimate list of the top 10 financial affiliate programs (plus 4 affiliate networks we think are worth checking out).

These programs aren’t just chosen at random; they’re hand-picked based on proven track records, generous commissions, high conversion rates, and a commitment to quality products and services.

Let’s jump in!

Top Financial Affiliate Programs

  1. SoFi Affiliate Program
  2. eToro Affiliate Program
  3. Wise Affiliate Program
  4. Robinhood Affiliate Program
  5. Credit Karma Affiliate Program
  6. Credit Sesame Affiliate Program
  7. NerdWallet Affiliate Progam
  8. Quicken Affiliate Program
  9. Acorns Affiliate Program
  10. Coinbase Affiliate Program

1. SoFi

SoFi Affiliate Program

Niche: Loans; Banking services; Insurance

Best for: Financial bloggers

Commission rate: Up to $150 per lead

Cookie window: 30 days

URL to join: SoFi Referral Program

Perks: Very lucrative commission and plenty of products to advertise

SoFi is the one-stop shop for all things finance. They offer credit, checking and savings accounts, loans (personal loans, private student loans, student loan refinancing, mortgage loans), investment accounts, and insurance.

If you’re any kind of content creator or blogger in the finance industry, then SoFi could potentially be a great service to promote because of its variety of products.

Plus, you can earn some big bucks here. Let’s look at their commissions:

SoFi Affiliate Program – Comissions

Yes, you saw that right – if you refer someone for SoFi’s student loan refinancing service, you can earn up to $1,000!

There is one big downside: If someone applies for a loan through your link, you’ll only receive your commission once the loan has been approved. So, if the loan isn’t approved, you won’t see any profits.

2. eToro

eToro Affiliate Program

Niche: Trading

Best for: Financial advisors; Entrepreneurs

Commission rate: 25% revenue share; $400 CPA

Cookie window: Lifetime

URL to join: eToro Partners

Perks: Trusted brand with lots of resources for marketers

eToro is a trading platform that offers stocks, shares, EFTs, and even cryptocurrencies – all in one place.

It has more than 30 million international users trading each day, and you can earn a slice of the trading pie when you promote this platform.

eToro has a bit of a different commission structure. They pay either a base 25% revenue share or a $400 CPA, which isn’t bad.

And did I mention the LIFETIME cookie duration?

3. Wise

Wise Affiliate Program

Niche: International money transfer

Best for: Freelancers; Content Creators

Commission rate: Up to $63

Cookie window: 365 days

URL to join: Wise Affiliate Program

Perks: Attractive to a wide variety of users and a generous cookie duration

Wise has been around since 2011 and has helped millions of users transfer their funds internationally. Money transfer is its main service, but it also offers a global debit card that allows users to spend money in more than 195 countries.

If your audience consists of freelancers or digital nomads, then this is a great affiliate program to promote, as these individuals often have to transfer funds across borders. It will also be an attractive offering to business people thanks to the Wise Business account – which can be used by a company of any size.

Affiliates can promote:

  • Wise money transfers
  • Wise account and debit card
  • Wise global business account

Their commission is paid in pounds, starting at £10 ($12.70) for personal and £50 ($63) for business users.

4. Robinhood

Robinhood Affiliate Program

Niche: Trading and stocks

Best for: Entrepreneurs; Beginners

Commission rate: $5 per lead; $20 per funded account

Cookie window: 30 days

URL to join: Robinhood Affiliates

Perks: Dedicated affiliate manager and opportunities to attend exclusive Robinhood events

Robinhood is one of the best affiliate programs for beginners just starting in the affiliate marketing game. It is an online trading platform, making it easy for anyone to invest in shares and stocks, even if they lack personal capital or investing know-how.

Robinhood is a wildly popular platform, especially amongst millennials. An estimated 22.5 million users were trading on the platform in 2021.

What does this mean for you?

A very easy-to-promote trading platform that will appeal to novice and experienced investors.

The Robinhood affiliate program pays up to $20 and is hosted through Impact Radius. Once you sign up for Impact Radius, simply contact Robinhood to receive an invite to their program.

5. Credit Karma

Credit Karma Affiliate Program

Niche: Credit scores

Best for: Experienced affiliate marketers

Commission rate: Up to $12

Cookie window: 30 days

URL to join: Credit Karma Affiliate Program

Perks: Can be marketed alongside other financial affiliate programs, like bank accounts or cards

Credit Karma is similar to Credit Sesame, which we discuss below.

That’s because both platforms offer free credit reports. However, Credit Karma comes in ahead of Credit Sesame because it is a much larger, and more well-known brand. That means it will be easier to market.

But (and it is a big but) you’re going to have to put in the work to earn money as a Credit Karma affiliate marketer. Credit Karma offers a mere $2 for each new person who creates an account through your link. If you want to earn a bit more, you receive $12 per online mortgage submission – a disadvantage if your audience is younger or isn’t in the market for a new home.

6. Credit Sesame

Credit Sesame Affiliate Program

Niche: Credit score and credit monitoring

Best for: Beginner affiliate marketers

Commission rate: Up to $6 per new sign-up

Cookie window: 30 days

URL to join: Credit Sesame Affiliate Program

Perks: Easy service to promote, free to join, and marketing banners and advertisements

As we just mentioned, Credit Sesame is similar to Credit Karma. It provides paying members with credit reports and tips on how to improve credit scores by comparing their income and their credit profile.

The platform also has a fee-free debit account that pays its members as their credit scores improve. Earning while you build your credit sounds too good to be true, but Credit Sesame is known for this offering.

Credit Sesame also allows members to compare credit card companies to find good deals.

The company also offers free identity theft insurance to protect against the theft of personal data once you sign up.

Sounds like an easy sell, right? That’s why it is such a great program within the financial industry for beginner marketers.

The affiliate program is hosted through FlexOffers.com, and affiliates earn $6 each time a new member signs up through their link.

7. NerdWallet

NerdWallet Affiliate Program

Niche: Personal finance

Best for: Financial bloggers

Commission rate: Varies

Cookie window: 14 days

URL to join: Nerdwallet Affiliate Program

Perks: High payouts on some products

NerdWallet has been around since 2009 and has grown a reputation in the financial industry since then.

Today, NerdWallet offers credit score tracking, guides on how to budget, and credit card, loan, and insurance comparisons.

It has more than 100 million users, making it one of the largest personal finance sites in the US.

The affiliate program is hosted on the CJ affiliate network and is one of the most lucrative programs on this list. That’s because NerdWallet pays out up to $100 for successful credit card referrals! For other products, like insurance or loans, the commission rate varies.

8. Quicken

Quicken Affiliate Program

Niche: Financial management

Best for: Financial advisors

Commission rate: Varies; Up to $40

Cookie window: 30 days

URL to join: Quicken Affiliate Program

Perks: Affordable products to promote and a dedicated support for affiliates

Have you ever sat down with a complicated spreadsheet and tried to track your budget? I bet you became overwhelmed very quickly.

Well, Quicken offers a nice solution. This personal finance manager allows you to track your budget, prioritize your savings, and make savvy financial decisions. The basic Quicken plan – Quicken Simplifi – starts at less than $3 a month, making this a very easy platform to promote.

Quicken does not disclose its commission structure until after signing up, however, payouts can be up to $40 per order through your affiliate link.

9. Acorns

Acorns Affiliate Program

Niche: Investing

Best for: Financial advisors

Commission rate: $5 for each successful referral

Cookie window: 30 days

URL to join: Acorns Referral Program

Perks: Opportunities to earn more through bonus investments

Acorns is a mini investment platform that you can take with you wherever you go.

This platform allows paying members to set aside any small change or a portion of their paychecks that will be placed within investment accounts.

Users have access to smart investment portfolios that have been designed by investing experts, who know how to make money grow.

I’ve tried Acorns myself, and based on my experience and the eight million other users, I’d say it is quite successful.

Acorns targets the younger crowd, with an average user age of 24 to 35. So if your audience fits this age group, then you can earn $5 per referral, which is paid back into your Acorns account. Although $5 may not seem like a lot, it will be reinvested and will grow over time.

10. Coinbase

Coinbase Affiliate Program

Niche: Cryptocurrency

Best for: Cryptocurrency bloggers

Commission rate: 50% of trading fees

Cookie window: 30 days

URL to join: Coinbase Affiliates

Perks: Trusted brand name, plenty of marketing materials, and a full-time dedicated affiliate manager

You’ve probably heard of cryptocurrency. It’s become a massive trend in the financial world, with 46 million people (that’s 13.7% of the population) in America holding crypto. And many more are considering investing each day.

This is why the Coinbase affiliate program is so lucrative.

Coinbase allows users to purchase and sell cryptocurrency. They list all the major currencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, and BNB.

If you often mention crypto or offer investing tips in your content, then you can earn commissions by mentioning Coinbase too. You’ll earn 50% of your referrals’ trading fees for the first three months that they trade on Coinbase.

How Backlinko Can Help You

To truly succeed as a finance affiliate marketer, you’ll need to master some key digital marketing skills – especially search engine optimization (SEO).

That’s why we’ve created in-depth guides to help you, including:

Implementing what you learn can help your finance website or blog rank higher and drive more qualified traffic. This means more bookings and commissions earned.

4 Best Financial Affiliate Networks

Okay, so we’ve covered the best financial affiliate programs, and we’ve mentioned a couple of the networks that host these programs. But, let’s double down and closely look at the best financial affiliate networks where you can sign up for various programs in one spot.

1. Impact

Impact
  • Payment date: Customizable
  • Payment method: BACs, PayPal, direct bank transfer
  • Affiliate support: Yes

Impact is one of the newer affiliate networks, but they’ve already hooked some major brands, including Robinhood and Quicken, which are featured on the list above. You can easily join both of these programs and more once you’ve applied for the Impact Network.

There is plenty of support for affiliate marketers, in terms of resources to get started and guidance on how to create content that converts.

2. CJ

CJ
  • Payment date: Either the 20th or 28th of each month, depending on currency
  • Payment method: Payoneer, check, or direct deposit
  • Affiliate support: Yes, plenty of resources for new affiliates

CJ is one of the biggest affiliate networks around, with more than 3,000 major brands joining the network.

Joining this network requires some effort and completing a couple of questionnaires, but it is well worth it. CJ has several financial programs, including NerdWallet, but also covers a wide range of other niches, like travel and health.

CJ has a developer portal for API, which allows webmasters and publishers to customize offers, access credit card info, and conduct targeted keyword searches.

3. AWIN

AWIN
  • Payment date: 1st and 15th of each month
  • Payment method: SEPA, BACS, ACH, Payoneer, international wire transfer
  • Affiliate support: Yes, excellent customer support

AWIN, previously called Affiliate Window, is one of the best cost-per-sale (CPS) networks in America. There are more than 25,000 brands signed up to this network, offering affiliates an incredible range of options.

They have brilliant customer service and easy-to-use tools.

The only downside is a small $1 verification fee when you sign up to join the network. But that’s not a big deal when you consider how much money you can make by joining a network of this caliber.

4. FlexOffers

FlexOffers
  • Payment date: After a 60-day processing timeframe, on the 1st – 7th of the next month
  • Payment method: Direct bank transfer, international wire transfer, PayPal, check
  • Affiliate support: Yes

FlexOffers has several financial services programs on its network. Some of the bigger names include Redi, Emburse, and Western Union.

FlexOffers also has partnerships with other affiliate networks, like ShareASale and AWIN.

Sub-niches Within the Financial Affiliate Niche

As you can tell from the variety of financial affiliate marketing programs I listed above, this niche is BROAD.

There are several sub-niches that you can target instead to increase your odds of conversions and to make the products you offer more targeted to your audience.

Here are some niches to consider, as well as examples of programs within each niche.

Investing and trading

Banking and Finance

  • Banks and credit unions (e.g. CitiBank)
  • Credit cards (e.g. Mastercard)
  • Payment processors (e.g. Stripe)
  • Small business financing (e.g. Fundbox)
  • Student loan refinancing (e.g. SoFi)

Insurance

Loans and credit

Accounting and taxes

  • Small business accounting software (e.g. QuickBooks)
  • Personal finance apps (e.g. Quicken)
  • Tax prep services (e.g. TurboTax)
  • Payroll providers (e.g. Gusto)

Retirement and estate planning

How to Choose the Right Financial Affiliate Program

Sure, you can join the first financial affiliate program you come across. It may seem like a quick way to start earning commissions. But, I’d recommend you take your time, do your research, and compare different financial affiliate programs. This will ensure you’re set up for long-term success.

Here’s my guide to choosing the best financial affiliate programs to increase your chances of conversions. And, it’s not just my opinion – I turned to Sammie Ellard-King from Up The Gains to gather his valuable insights on affiliate marketing within the financial niche.

Sammie explained his initial involvement in the UK financial market as follows:

“I spotted a gap for young people in the UK. There were fantastic influencers and writers and blogs in the American space, but in the UK it was quite sparse… So I really wanted to take on the Olympic torch for young people. And we do that via the website, podcast, YouTube channel, social media… basically a full 360-degree brand play.”

So, it is all about assessing the market and figuring out where you fit in.

Match programs to your niche and audience

This seems obvious, but it bears repeating.

You’ll see the best returns if you partner with merchants that your brand and audience align with.

For example, a travel blog audience won’t care about student loan refinancing offers – unless they plan to stop repaying their loans and flee the country instead!

Ask yourself these questions:

  • What financial topics would my audience care about the most?
  • What problems are my readers trying to solve?
  • What are the pain points of my audience?

Once you have the answers, you can find affiliate programs that can meet their needs.

For example, say you run a personal finance blog. You can connect your readers to tools by helping them:

  • Budget
  • Track their savings
  • Pay off debt
  • Plan for retirement
  • File taxes

However, if your audience is more interested in starting their own businesses, you can share programs for:

  • Getting small business loans
  • Building business credit
  • Managing payroll

It is all about relevancy.

And, you’re going to have to be prepared to spend some money.

As Sammie explains it:

“If you want to start making money from affiliates in the finance space, you will have to be required to have some authority in the space. And to do that, you need to spend money before you make money, on authority links, PR and branding.”

Weigh Commission Structures

One big mistake that beginner affiliate marketers make is looking at the commission rate and going “Wow, 50% sounds perfect, I’ll pick this one!”. But, what they don’t do is consider the payout thresholds or average order values.

Before picking a financial affiliate program, evaluate:

  • Flat earnings/ fixed commissions
  • Revenue share percentages
  • Minimum payment thresholds
  • Payment frequencies
  • Different commission tiers for different products

For example, a 50% commission sounds amazing. But, if the average order value is $10, you’ll only get $5. Now, compare it to a 20% commission for a product with an average order value of $500. Suddenly you get $100 instead.

Check the Cookie Duration

Financial products and services are not quick buys (compared to, say, some socks on Amazon). People tend to ponder, research, and compare.

So, you ideally want to join a financial affiliate program that offers a longer cookie duration.

Consider Application Requirements

Financial programs tend to have stricter application requirements. “Some brands will be extremely strict with compliance and you will need to submit reviews and any changes that you make at any point to your articles,” explains Sammie. Of course, this is brand-dependent.

And, according to the brand’s T&Cs, you’ll also have to include a risk warning and follow regulatory standards, especially when dishing out financial advice.

He continues: “Some brands, like eToros, have three, four lines of text, which you have to have under every single CTA.”

So, even if an affiliate program seems lucrative, make sure to read the fine print and include the required risk warnings!

Vet Financial Merchants

I feel like this goes without saying – but I’m just going to emphasize it anyway: vet each merchant before promoting them to your audience.

If you don’t you risk your own reputation.

Consider the following factors for each merchant you’re considering:

  • Amount of years in business
  • Ethics
  • Who their leaders are
  • Consumer reviews/complaints (Sammie: “Make sure to check out Trustpilot.”)
  • Partnerships with other brands
  • Security and data protection measures
  • Compliance with regulatory measures

Please, no matter how attractive the commission, DON’T promote sketchy, get-rich-quick schemes.

Sammie puts it into perspective:

“You’re playing with people’s livelihoods. There’s a difference between buying a vacuum cleaner and investing ten grand into an index fund. If the Hoover is rubbish, they send it back. You can’t send back the money once you’ve lost it on the stock market.”

Diversify your content

Having a blog can be beneficial as an affiliate marketer. But, if you want to outperform the other marketers in this competitive niche, you have to have a kind of “omnipresence” in the financial space.

This means having a podcast, YouTube channel, TikTok, and social media presence.

Final Thoughts

The world of financial affiliate marketing presents a myriad of opportunities for savvy marketers to make a substantial income. The lucrative commission structures offered by top financial affiliate programs can be a game-changer for those who strategically leverage them.

However, it’s essential to acknowledge that the financial niche comes with its set of challenges. The intricacies of financial products and services demand a deep understanding, making it imperative for affiliates to stay well-informed and continually educate themselves.

Additionally, the stringent regulations and compliance standards in the financial sector add an extra layer of complexity.

Building trust with your audience is paramount in the financial realm, considering the sensitive nature of the topics involved. As an affiliate, establishing credibility takes time and consistent effort.

Balancing the need for informative content with the promotional aspect requires finesse. Users in the financial niche often seek valuable insights rather than overt sales pitches.

Despite the challenges, the financial affiliate niche remains a rewarding venture for those who invest the time and effort to navigate its nuances. Success in this domain is not just about promoting products but about becoming a reliable source of information and guidance for your audience.

Which financial affiliate programs have you had success (or failure) with?

And are there any other programs you consider to be one of the best that I missed?

Drop me a comment and share your experience!

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