Stripe affiliate program setup checklist

A practical checklist to launch an affiliate program for your SaaS on Stripe. Answer a few questions and get a clear next-steps list.

Your checklist

  • Connect Stripe via Stripe Connect (OAuth) and confirm events are flowing.
  • Publish an affiliate signup page link on your site ("Become an affiliate").
  • Set commission and cookie duration (start simple).
  • Write a 3–5 line attribution policy (last-click is simplest early on).
  • Publish payout rules: schedule, refund window, threshold, and adjustments.
  • Start with manual affiliate approval to keep quality high.
  • Decide your payout workflow (manual payout review is recommended early).
  • Create a short onboarding message with links + rules for new affiliates.
  • Set a weekly ops reminder: approvals, top affiliates, payouts prep.

Fast start pages

FAQ

Can I launch an affiliate program on Stripe without enterprise tooling?

Yes. Start with a signup page, clear rules, last-click attribution, and manual payout approval. Scale later.

What should I publish before recruiting affiliates?

At minimum: signup page, commission terms, cookie duration, payout schedule, refund rules, and what counts as a conversion.

Should approvals be manual or automatic?

Manual approval is recommended early on to keep quality high. Auto-approval can work later with monitoring.

What’s the biggest mistake founders make?

Launching without clear payout/refund rules. Most disputes are policy disputes, not tracking issues.