ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is one of the best-known names in email marketing and marketing automation, and its affiliate program is an appealing option for creators, bloggers, and consultants in the martech and small-business space. The program pays a 30% recurring commission on the subscription value of every new customer you refer, and ActiveCampaign advertises an average of roughly $1,350 earned per referral. It is run through the PartnerStack partner network, so tracking, reporting, and payouts are handled in a mature third-party portal.

About ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is a marketing automation, email marketing, and CRM platform used by businesses in more than 170 countries and available in 15 languages. The product unites email campaigns, automation workflows, sales CRM, and increasingly AI-driven "autonomous marketing" features into a single platform aimed at small and mid-sized businesses. It is consistently rated highly on review sites such as G2, where it holds a 4.5-star rating across 14,000+ reviews.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Chicago, ActiveCampaign has grown into one of the largest independent players in the marketing automation category, serving well over 100,000 customers. Its positioning has shifted over time from "email marketing" toward a broader "customer experience automation" and, most recently, AI-powered autonomous marketing — meaning the product now competes with a wide range of tools from simple email senders up to full CRM suites. For affiliates, this breadth is useful: you can angle content toward email marketing, automation, sales CRM, or e-commerce marketing depending on your audience.

Pricing is tiered across Starter, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans, and scales with the number of contacts and the feature set a customer needs. Because subscriptions can run from modest monthly plans up to several thousand dollars per year for larger accounts, referred customers can carry meaningful lifetime value — which is what makes the recurring commission structure attractive to affiliates.

How the ActiveCampaign affiliate program works

The program is powered by PartnerStack. You apply through the PartnerStack signup page, get approved, and receive a unique referral link that becomes active as soon as you're approved. You do not need to be an ActiveCampaign customer to join, which makes it open to content creators, influencers, and publishers.

• Commission: 30% recurring commission on the subscription price paid by each new eligible referral. ActiveCampaign notes that commission tiers can start at 20% and climb up to 30% based on new business and retention.
• Commission duration: Commissions are paid for up to 12 months per referred account — this is recurring but capped at one year, not a lifetime payout.
• Cookie window: Purchases are tracked for 90 days after your affiliate link is clicked, and the first link clicked gets credit.
• Payouts: Paid monthly through PartnerStack, with global payment options such as PayPal, bank transfer, and Stripe. Commissions are held for 60 days before being paid.
• Payout eligibility: You must have at least two active referred accounts, and your "Due Next Payment" balance must meet PartnerStack's minimum threshold.

You sign up at the ActiveCampaign affiliate PartnerStack portal, and approved affiliates log in through the ActiveCampaign affiliate login page to access creatives, banners, copy templates, and performance tracking.

Who should promote ActiveCampaign

This program fits marketers and creators whose audiences are small-business owners, e-commerce operators, coaches, agencies, and anyone shopping for email marketing or CRM software. Bloggers who publish software comparisons and "best email marketing tool" roundups, YouTubers covering marketing automation, course creators, and marketing consultants who implement ActiveCampaign for clients are all natural fits. Because the commission is recurring for up to a year and average deal sizes are healthy, affiliates who can drive qualified business buyers (rather than one-off consumer purchases) will benefit most.

Pros and cons

• Pro: 30% recurring commission with a high stated average of ~$1,350 per referral.
• Pro: Generous 90-day cookie window — well above the 30-day norm.
• Pro: Managed through PartnerStack with flexible global payout methods.
• Pro: Open to non-customers; strong, well-known brand with high review scores.
• Con: Commissions are capped at 12 months, not lifetime.
• Con: 60-day commission hold before payout, so cash flow is delayed.
• Con: You need at least two active referred accounts before you can be paid.
• Con: Commission tier can start at 20% and only reaches 30% based on performance and retention.

Before committing, it's worth reviewing PartnerStack's current minimum payout threshold and confirming the commission tier you'll qualify for, since the headline 30% rate is the top of a range that starts at 20%. If ActiveCampaign's terms don't fit your audience, comparable recurring SaaS email/automation programs worth comparing include GetResponse, Brevo, ConvertKit (Kit), and Moosend.

Overall, ActiveCampaign offers one of the more attractive SaaS affiliate setups thanks to recurring commissions, a long cookie window, and a trusted brand. The main trade-offs are the 12-month commission cap, the 60-day payout hold, and the two-referral minimum before you get paid. For affiliates with an audience of business buyers, it's a solid program to promote.