Most creator platforms pay you to refer other creators, but the terms differ more than the headline rates suggest. Checked on 11 Nov 2026: Skool pays 40% for life, Teachable and Podia pay 30% for the first 12 months, Stan Store pays 20% for as long as the creator stays, Kajabi's help centre now describes tiers set by active referrals, from 100% of the first month at 1 to 4 referrals to 10% to 20% recurring at 5 or more, and Thinkific's programme is closed to new partners. WithMe pays 20% of the subscription for as long as the creator stays, monthly into your Stripe account.
WithMe is $25 per month billed annually (UK £25), with a 14-day trial and 0% WithMe commission. Stripe and PayPal fees still apply. More than 8,000 creators use it.
What is a creator platform referral programme?
It is the platform paying you for bringing it new customers. You share a tracked link, a creator signs up and pays for a plan, and you get a percentage of what they pay the platform. Some platforms call it a partner programme, some an affiliate programme.
It is not the same as the affiliate feature many of these platforms offer for your own products, where your buyers earn a commission for selling your course. This article is only about programmes that pay you for referring creators to the platform itself.
How do the programmes compare?
These terms were checked on 11 Nov 2026 on each platform's own partner pages and help centre. Where a platform's page did not state something, we say so rather than guess.
- Kajabi Partner Program: Kajabi's help centre (Sept 2026) describes tiers set by your number of active referrals: 100% of a referral's first month for 1 to 4, then 10%, 15% and 20% of each subscription payment at 5, 25 and 50 active referrals. Its partner landing page still advertises 30% lifetime commission, and existing partners on that rate keep it. 30-day cookie, a 60-day hold, paid by PayPal on the 25th. You must have an active Kajabi account.
- Teachable: 30% of a referred creator's subscription for their first year on the platform, with a 30-day cookie. Run on PartnerStack, with applications reviewed in 2 to 3 business days. Payout schedule and minimum were not stated on Teachable's own page.
- Thinkific: closed. The affiliate page says it is not accepting new partners. The terms it lists are 30% lifetime recurring commission, a 90-day cookie, a $25 minimum and payouts by PayPal or Stripe on the 13th, via PartnerStack.
- Podia: 30% of sales made through your link, capped at 12 months. Applications are reviewed. Payouts go out between the 1st and 5th of each month for referrals made two months earlier. Cookie window and minimum were not stated on Podia's help page.
- Stan Store: 20% recurring for as long as the referred creator stays subscribed, which Stan's own table puts at $6 a month per Creator plan referral. Paid by Stripe or PayPal 3 to 5 days after each renewal. No application, but you must keep an active Stan subscription, and paid ads are not allowed.
- Skool: 40% of the referred group's subscription for life, which Skool's help page puts at $39 a month per Pro referral and $3.6 per Hobby referral. 14-day last-touch attribution and a 14-day pending period, paid to your bank through Skool's own payouts. No application.
- WithMe: 20% of the referred creator's subscription for as long as they stay, about $5 a month per creator on the $25 plan. A payment counts once it is 30 days old, with a £10 minimum, paid monthly by Stripe transfer. No application: the link is on your Refer page, and your own plan must stay active.
Is a higher percentage always better?
No. What you earn is the rate, times the price of the plan, times how long the commission lasts, times how long the creator stays. A 30% rate for 12 months stops after a year. A 20% lifetime rate on a creator who stays three years pays for all three.
The price matters as much as the rate. Skool's 40% of a $99 Pro plan is far more per referral than 20% of WithMe's $25 plan, and Stan's 20% of its Creator plan is slightly more per month than WithMe's. If money per referral is all you care about, WithMe does not pay the most.
What matters most is whether the creator stays. A cheaper plan that fits them is easier to recommend, and a creator who stays two years on a plan they like earns you more than one who cancels a pricier plan after two months.
How long do the commissions last?
- Lifetime, while the creator stays: Skool, Stan Store and WithMe. Thinkific also lists lifetime commission, but is closed to new partners.
- 12 months: Teachable (the first year) and Podia (capped at 12 months).
- With conditions: Kajabi pays while you and your referral stay active, and its FAQ says partners who go 12 months without a new referral lose commission eligibility. Stan and WithMe both require your own plan to stay active; on WithMe, a reward still unpaid after 180 days lapses.
How and when are you paid?
Payout method and timing decide how soon money reaches you. Kajabi holds each payment for 60 days and pays by PayPal on the 25th. Podia pays between the 1st and 5th for referrals made two months earlier. Stan pays 3 to 5 days after each renewal. Skool holds payments as pending for 14 days and pays to your bank.
WithMe counts a payment once it is 30 days old, pays monthly by Stripe transfer into the account you connect in Payouts, and carries over anything under the £10 minimum. Your Refer page shows the estimated next payout and its date. There is no PayPal option.
Do you have to be a paying customer to join?
Kajabi only accepts partners with an active account, and Stan and WithMe pay only while your own subscription is active. Skool needs a Skool account. Teachable and Podia review applications, and their pages did not say you must be a customer.
On WithMe there is no application: your link is on the Refer page of your dashboard. If you do not want to become a creator yourself, the WithMe referrals page says you can still refer and asks you to contact WithMe.
Which programme should you join?
Join the programme of the platform you actually use and would recommend without the commission. Your audience can tell the difference, and a referral who signs up for a tool you do not use is unlikely to stay.
If you use more than one platform, compare on what a typical referral is worth over two years, not on the headline rate, and check whether you must stay a paying customer to keep earning.
Always say you earn from the link. It is the honest thing to do, and advertising rules in many countries expect it.
What is not included?
WithMe's referral programme pays a single 20% rate, with no tiers, bonuses or prizes for referring more creators. It pays by Stripe only, not PayPal, and there is no separate partner portal or network such as PartnerStack: everything is on your Refer page. The reward is a share of the creator's WithMe subscription, not of their sales.
How much does WithMe cost?
WithMe is $25 per month billed annually (UK £25), with a 14-day trial and 0% WithMe commission. Stripe and PayPal fees still apply. The referral programme is included, and so is the product affiliate programme for your own courses, memberships and other products.
Referral programme questions
Which creator platform pays the highest referral commission?
Of those checked on 11 Nov 2026, Skool pays the highest recurring rate, 40% of the subscription for life. Teachable and Podia pay 30% for 12 months. Stan Store and WithMe pay 20% for as long as the creator stays.
Is the Thinkific affiliate programme still open?
No. On 11 Nov 2026 Thinkific's affiliate page said it was not accepting new partners.
What does the Kajabi Partner Program pay?
Kajabi's help centre describes tiers: 100% of a referral's first month for 1 to 4 active referrals, then 10% to 20% of each payment from 5 active referrals. Its partner landing page still advertises 30% lifetime, so check the current terms when you apply.
How does the WithMe referral programme pay?
20% of each referred creator's subscription for as long as they stay, paid monthly by Stripe transfer to your connected account. A payment counts once it is 30 days old, and the minimum payout is £10.
What does WithMe cost?
$25 per month billed annually (UK £25), with a 14-day trial. WithMe takes 0% commission. Stripe and PayPal fees still apply.
Start your 14-day trial at https://www.withme.so/become-a-creator.
