High-Ticket Affiliate Marketing: 15 Profitable Programs (2024) - Shopify (2024)

There’s no shortage of affiliate marketing programs, but finding high-paying affiliate opportunities can be a challenge. With so many products and commission structures to choose from, it’s easy for marketers to find themselves in unprofitable partnerships.

Even if you’ve been an affiliate for years, you could be missing out on these high-paying opportunities.

What is high-ticket affiliate marketing?

High-ticket affiliate marketing focuses on promoting products and services for a substantial commission, typically $100 or more per sale. This strategy allows marketers to earn more money from fewer sales.

Unlike traditional affiliate marketing, which centers on selling lower-priced items to large audiences via websites or social media, high-ticket affiliate marketing targets smaller, specific audiences that are likely to buy more expensive items.

Examples of products promoted by high-ticket affiliate programs include:

• Software
• Financial investment tools
• Jewelry
• Luxury travel experiences

How much do high-ticket affiliate marketers make?

High-ticket affiliate marketing income varies by product and commission structure. Some high-ticket programs pay a flat rate per sale. For example, Shopify pays up to $500 for each successful POS Pro referral. Others offer a percentage of the sale.

Data from ZipRecruiter indicates the average high-ticket affiliate marketer income is approximately $47,500 per year. In contrast, ZipRecruiter puts the average annual revenue for all types of affiliate marketers at $82,000.

Why might a regular affiliate marketer earn more on average than a high-ticket marketer? It usually comes down to the number of sales. Although each sale in high-ticket affiliate marketing brings in a larger sum, sales are less frequent due to the high cost of the items.

Alongside more cautious consumers, high-ticket affiliate marketers often face increased competition from other marketers. To effectively drive sales, high-ticket marketers need extensive knowledge of their niche, as well as a refined content strategy to engage hesitant buyers.

Examples of successful affiliate marketers, such as Pat Flynn and Ryan Robinson, show that it’s possible to make a significant amount of money from high-ticket programs. Pat reportedly has earned more than $3.5 million in affiliate revenue since 2010, while Ryan earns nearly half of his $35,000 monthly blog income from high-ticket affiliate sales.

15 best high-ticket affiliate marketing programs

1. Shopify
2. WP Engine
3. Liquid Web
4. ClickFunnels
5. HubSpot
6. Amazing Selling Machine
7. Authority Hacker
8. Smartproxy
9. MemberMouse
10. Fiverr
11. Semrush
12. Kinsta
13. Spocket
14. Google Workspace
15. Villiers

1. Shopify

Affiliate niche: Business and entrepreneurship

The Shopify Affiliate Program is a high-ticket affiliate program for educators, influencers, reviewers, and content creators who can reach audiences interested in business and entrepreneurship.

As an affiliate, you’ll make a competitive commission for every merchant who signs up for one of Shopify’s full-price store plans or purchases point-of-sale hardware.

Shopify’s affiliate team helps you create engaging marketing content with a full library of creative assets, educational materials, and lead magnets—as well as performance insights from your personal affiliate dashboard.

Affiliate requirements:

• Own and run an active website
• Have an established audience
• Create original content such as online courses, blog posts, videos, or guides
• Have experience with commerce, entrepreneurship, Shopify, or other ecommerce platforms

Key details:

• Fixed commission that varies by merchant location
• Commission ranges from $25 to $150 for full-priced plan referrals, and up to $500 for POS Pro referrals
• Biweekly payment in USD via bank account or PayPal
• Cookie duration: 30 days

2. WP Engine

Affiliate niche: Website hosting

WP Engine is an ecommerce hosting company that offers WordPress hosting services and website themes for bloggers, businesses, and personal sites.

Affiliates earn high-ticket commissions by selling hosting plans and StudioPress website themes. Payouts range from $200 to $7,500, based on the plan you sell. The program also rewards affiliates for recruiting other marketers, paying $50 every time an affiliate that you refer makes a sale.

Key details:

• Commission rates start at $200 for a WP engine referral or 35% of StudioPress theme sales
• Bonus for every five referrals sent to WP Engine
• Monthly payouts to PayPal or ACH
• Cookie duration: 180 days for WP Engine referrals or 60 days for StudioPress theme sales

3. Liquid Web

Affiliate niche: Website hosting

Liquid Web is another website hosting company with a high-ticket affiliate program. Selling features of Liquid Web’s hosting service include 24/7 customer support, VPS and cloud hosting, as well as dedicated servers.

Liquid Web has one of the highest-paying commission structures of any hosting company. Partners receive up to 200% of the sales amount, up to a maximum of $7,000. Join the program through the affiliate network Impact Radius.

Key details:

• Commission starts at 150% of a single sale and increases to 200% for 20 or more sales, up to a maximum of $7,000
• Commissions are paid by direct deposit 15 days after the lock date
• Cookie duration: 90 days

4. ClickFunnels

Affiliate niche: Marketing tools

ClickFunnels is a landing page builder for entrepreneurs. Founded in 2014, it now has more than 100,000 users. The ClickFunnels affiliate program offers a recurring 30% monthly commission for as long as referred accounts are active, with the opportunity for additional bonuses based on upsells, selling challenges, and add-ons.

Key details:

• 30% monthly recurring commission
• Bi-monthly payment via ACH, direct deposit, PayPal, or wire transfer
• Cookie duration: 45 days

5. HubSpot

Affiliate niche: Marketing tools

HubSpot makes software for marketing, sales, and customer service businesses. Its affiliate program is split into three performance-based tiers:

• HubSpot affiliate: 30% recurring commission for up to one year
• Super affiliate: 30% commission up to one year plus bonus options
• Elite affiliate: custom commissions

Each tier receives access to an affiliate resource center with copy examples, images, and other marketing materials to support content creation.

Key details:

• 30% monthly commission for one year
• Payment via PayPal or direct deposit 30 days after invoicing
• Cookie duration: 180 days

6. Amazing Selling Machine

Affiliate niche: Online courses

Amazing Selling Machine (ASM) is a training program that teaches entrepreneurs how to sell on ecommerce platforms such as Amazon and Shopify. Offers include six-week online courses, private mentorship, and access to a global community of sellers.

As an affiliate, you can promote three main offerings:

• Amazing Selling Machine: the brand’s flagship course
• Membership to the Amazing Academy
• Tickets to SellerCon: the brand’s annual conference

Key details:

• Commission rates of up to 50%
• Recurring commissions for referred subscribers
• Monthly payments via PayPal, check, or wire transfer
• Cookie duration: 60 days

7. Authority Hacker

Affiliate niche: Online course

Authority Hacker is an online marketing education company that teaches people how to build and run successful websites. The company is run by podcasters Gael Breton and Mark Webster.

Their affiliate program pays up to $1,979 per sale promoting courses, with a lifetime commission on other products that referrals buy. Affiliates can track traffic, referrals, and payouts through a personalized dashboard via ThriveChart.

Key details:

• Commissions of up to $1,979 per sale
• Monthly payments via PayPal through ThriveChart
• Cookie duration: 60 days

8. Smartproxy

Affiliate niche: Web services

Smartproxy is a residential proxy network with more than 40 million residential IPs. A proxy is a server between you and a website you’re trying to access. Businesses can use Smaryproxy’s service to target data globally, verify ads, automate social media, and more.

Smartproxy affiliates earn commissions on sales of proxy plans, making up to $2,500 per new customer. Payouts are made 20 days after a 27-day locking period. Most Smartproxy plans go for hundreds of dollars per month, so commissions can quickly add up.

Key details:

• Commissions of up to 50%, up to a maximum of $2,500
• Payment via wire transfer or PayPal 20 days after the lock period
• Cookie duration: 60 days

9. MemberMouse

Affiliate niche: Ecommerce apps

MemberMouse is an enterprise-level WordPress membership plug-in that lets users create gated content (requiring information such as an email to access), accept payments, manage customers, and more.

MemberMouse provides affiliates with unique links and promotional content, so you can start earning fast. Commissions begin at 25% of a referral’s first purchase of any MemberMouse plan, with opportunities to increase that amount through bonus rewards.

Key details:

• 25% commission on all payments for one year
• Payment via PayPal on the first of the month
• Cookie duration: 90 days

10. Fiverr

Affiliate niche: Freelance services

Fiverr is a marketplace for digital freelance services from copywriting to website development. The platform has several products, such as Fiverr Business, Fiverr Pro, and Fiverr Learn.

Fiverr affiliates earn various commissions based on the products they choose to promote. Most products offer a high percentage of the first order, as well as 10% of any additional purchases made in the next 12 months.

Key details:

• Various commission structures: Fixed rate, revenue share, or hybrid
• Monthly payment via PayPal, bank transfer, Fiverr revenue card, or Payoneer
• Cookie duration: 30 days from first click

11. Semrush

Affiliate niche: Marketing tools

Semrush is a search engine optimization tool for online marketers. There are more than 10 million Semrush users, including Fortune 500 companies.

The Semrush Affiliate Program is run through the affiliate network Impact. It uses a last-click marketing attribution model where the last affiliate link that converts the lead gets credit for the sale. The revenue-sharing program offers $200 for every new subscription sale, as well as smaller commissions for leads and free trial sign-ups.

Key details:

• Commission rate of $200 per subscription and $10 per lead
• Payment via PayPal 21 days after the lock period
• Cookie duration: 120 days

12. Kinsta

Affiliate niche: Website hosting

Kinsta offers managed WordPress hosting on cloud servers with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Its high-ticket referral program gives affiliate partners the opportunity to earn up to $500 for successful referrals, plus up to 10% of a referral’s monthly plan fee for as long as they remain a Kinsta customer.

According to Kinsta’s payment calculator, this means affiliates can expect to earn $135 per month for Pro plan referrals—making the program a potentially lucrative source of passive income.

Kinsta also provides marketing resources through its Affiliate Academy, a knowledge base of tips and affiliate guidance.

Key details:

• Initial commissions of up to $500, plus monthly recurring commissions of 5% to 10% of the referral’s plan fee
• Monthly payments via PayPal
• Cookie duration: 60 days

13. Spocket

Affiliate niche: Dropshipping

Spocket is a global dropshipping marketplace that connects sellers with product suppliers across the US, Europe, India, and South America. Shopify merchants can use the Spocket app to list and sell products from Spocket suppliers.

Its high-ticket affiliate program offers a recurring commission of up to 30% of a referral’s monthly fees, allowing affiliates to earn up to $1,080 per customer per year. Spocket also promotes monthly affiliate challenges for extra cash and provides marketing assets to help affiliates advertise.

Key details:

• Recurring monthly commissions for as long as customers use Spocket
• Monthly payments via PayPal or Stripe
• Cookie duration: 90 days

14. Google Workspace

Affiliate niche: SaaS

The Google Workspace affiliate program rewards partners for referring businesses to Gmail, Google Meet, Drive, and other Workspace apps.

Payouts are per user, and with many business accounts including dozens of users, that can mean high-ticket commissions. For example, a Business Plus referral of a US-based customer with 10 users would result in a $270 commission.

Key details:

• Commissions are on a per-user basis and vary by customer location.
• Earn up to $27 per user, up to a maximum of 300 users.
• Cookie duration: 60 days.

15. Villiers

Affiliate niche: Luxury travel

Villiers is a chartered jet network with more than 10,000 private aircraft flying to 40,000 destinations. The platform allows users to compare prices and book flights.

For travel bloggers, partnering with Villiers’ high-ticket affiliate program offers the potential to earn thousands when referrals book flights, plus recurring commissions for future bookings. According to Villiers, successful partners can earn more than $5,000 per month.

Key details:

• 30% commission on every booked flight, including future referral bookings
• Payments made 14 days after a flight’s completion via PayPal or wire transfer
• Cookie duration: 365 days

How to start high-ticket affiliate marketing

Here are the basic steps involved in growing an audience, partnering with brands, and referring customers for high-ticket sales.

1. Grow a relevant, engaged audience

Start by building an online hub to publish content and reach your audience. This might be a blog, a YouTube channel, a podcast, or social media accounts. In high-ticket affiliate marketing, the size of your following isn't as crucial as the quality of your interactions. It's important to engage with a relevant audience who trusts your advice and views you as an authority in your niche.

For example, a podcast about yachts that covers the latest products and news might attract only a few hundred listeners per episode. But contact with this highly relevant audience would make you an attractive partner for high-ticket affiliate programs in the boating industry.

2. Apply to affiliate programs

As you develop an audience within your chosen niche, start exploring high-ticket programs for relevant products. Some marketers may perform this task first, selecting a niche based on the affiliate programs available. The goal is to find a match between your content, your audience's interests, and high-value products.

When selecting affiliate programs, evaluate commission structures carefully. Consider your audience size as well as a product’s expected conversion rate to estimate potential earnings.

Compile a list of affiliate products to feature across your content. Include items directly related to your audience, as well as cross-sells or tangentially related products. For example, if you run a fitness YouTube channel, you might focus on reviewing high-end exercise equipment. Additionally, you could promote nutritional supplements or fitness courses to expand your earnings.

It's worth applying to multiple affiliate programs. This not only gives you a variety of products to promote, but also puts you in a better position to negotiate with affiliates for more favorable commission terms as your influence grows.

As your platform becomes a sought-after space for brands, you may find that companies are willing to offer exclusive deals or increased rates to secure a prime spot for their affiliate links.

3. Create detailed, honest content

When developing affiliate content, focus on clarity and honesty. Whether you're crafting in-depth product reviews or incorporating brief product mentions within broader content, make sure to present your true opinion.

Extensive reviews should feature a product’s cons as well as its pros. For instance, if you’re reviewing a high-end computer, rave about its superior processing power for gaming, but don’t forget to mention if it falls short on portability or battery life.

Always be transparent about your affiliate relationships. Clearly disclose if links in your content are affiliate links, and let your audience know that you may earn a commission from their purchases.

4. Use multiple content formats

By diversifying the way you present affiliate content, you can appeal to a wider range of customers. Not everyone likes to read long articles. Some might prefer watching a video or looking at an infographic.

Posting on multiple marketing channels also expands your audience.

5. Reinvest your early commissions

It may take time before you see steady revenue from affiliate referrals. As your first commissions come in, consider reinvesting initial earnings to help your business grow.

If most of your traffic comes from search engines, think about reinvesting in your website’s SEO. For example, many affiliates set a budget for guest posting. Having your content featured on well-regarded sites can improve your backlink profile and enhance your site's authority.

For those who rely more heavily on social media, budgeting for targeted ads can be a great way to expand your reach. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to direct ads to specific audiences, boosting clicks and conversions.

High-ticket affiliate marketing vs. low-ticket affiliate marketing

High-ticket affiliate marketing differs from low-ticket affiliate marketing in that it involves:

• More expensive items
• Higher earnings potential
• Greater competition
• Selling in a specific business niche
• Gaining a reputation as a subject-matter expert in your niche market

It can be challenging to join some high-ticket affiliate programs due to the level of competition and the difficulty of accessing a relevant consumer market. For example, booking a private jet with Villiers can cost upward of $32,000—a price point that excludes the vast majority of consumers.

High-ticket brands may also have stricter affiliate partner requirements, such as having a certain audience reach or number of followers.

Low-ticket affiliate programs such as the Amazon affiliate marketing program are typically more accessible, and provide access to millions of products that range from $25 to hundreds of dollars.

If you have a loyal following that trusts your product recommendations, it may be easier to make a larger volume of smaller commissions through low-ticket affiliate marketing.

Pros and cons of choosing a high-ticket affiliate program

These pros and cons can help you decide if high-ticket affiliate marketing aligns with your goals:

Advantages

• Higher commissions: Affiliates earn more per sale, which can quickly add up to significant income.
• Fewer sales needed: Due to the higher commission per sale, affiliates don't need to sell as many products to make a good income.
• Focused marketing: Targeted marketing efforts aim at specific audience segments who are likely to buy expensive products.
• Higher customer lifetime value: High-ticket programs often pay affiliates for future sales, creating sustained earnings from a single referral.

Disadvantages

• Higher customer expectations: Buyers spending a lot of money expect higher quality recommendations and marketing materials.
• More customer hesitancy: Higher price points can lead to longer sales cycles and more abandoned carts as customers take time to decide whether to buy.
• Deeper knowledge required: Marketers must understand complex features and benefits to effectively promote high-ticket items.
• Market limitations: The pool of potential customers for expensive products is smaller, which can limit sales opportunities.

Make higher affiliate commissions with fewer sales

Whether you are just starting out in affiliate marketing or have accumulated years of experience, finding the right high-ticket affiliate program can maximize your earnings.

High-ticket items, when relevant to your audience, can significantly boost your income and contribute to the growth of your affiliate marketing business.