Which plans include it
The pricing page lists an affiliate program among the features every plan includes, and the Free plan line shows 1 affiliate program. systeme.io's affiliate management page says Free supports up to 1 product with up to 2,000 contacts, and Startup ($17 a month) and higher remove those limits. [1][2]
The same page says there is no per-affiliate fee and no percentage of affiliate revenue; only your processor, Stripe or PayPal, charges fees. This guide is about your own program for your products, not about anyone earning commissions from systeme.io itself. [2]
The four required settings
Open profile picture, Settings, Affiliate program. The help article says all four fields must be filled in to set up the program. These are the defaults it describes; change them to suit your offer. [3]
| Setting | Default | Scope | What to decide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default commission | 40% of sales | Program default; can be changed per order form | What margin you can share |
| Minimum payout | $30 or local equivalent | Applies immediately to all order forms | Smallest balance worth paying out |
| Second-tier commission | 0% | Applies immediately to all order forms | Whether affiliates earn on affiliates they recruit |
| Payout delay | 30 days | Program default; can be changed per order form | At least as long as your refund window |
Set the commission on each offer
Commissions are set per offer in the sales funnel's order form configuration. The help article warns that new order forms start at 0% affiliate commission, so a funnel launched without this step pays affiliates nothing. [3]
Its own example: a $22.50 product, excluding VAT, at 40% pays $9.00 per sale. On a $199 course at 30%, the same arithmetic gives $59.70 per sale. [3]
Attribution is lifetime: contacts an affiliate refers are tagged with the affiliate's ID, so later purchases by that contact also pay the affiliate. The article gives no cookie duration. For links on systeme.io domains, leave out www; on your own domain, include www so tracking parameters survive redirects. [3]
How payouts run each month
Commissions are invoiced on the 10th of each month. A sale becomes payable only after the payout delay has passed and the affiliate's pending balance reaches the minimum. On our reading, a sale on 5 March with a 30-day delay becomes eligible on 4 April and appears on the 10 April invoice run if the minimum is met. [3]
The affiliate management page says affiliates choose wire transfer or PayPal in their dashboard, and you can connect Wise to pay everyone at once or send individual transfers. [2]
PayPal automation has conditions: at least 25 affiliate invoices with PayPal as the payout method, a PayPal Developer live app for the Client ID and Secret, and Payouts activated by PayPal support. Invoices are generated as Pending between 05:00 and 14:00 UTC on the 10th, sent to PayPal around 22:00 UTC, and then you click Pay invoices to start the batch. With fewer than 25 PayPal invoices, this automated route is not available, so pay by Wise or individual transfers. [4]
Records and tax checks
The systeme.io articles we read do not cover tax forms, VAT on commissions or what details to collect from affiliates. Treat that as your job and settle it before the first payout date.
Invoices stuck on Pending after the 10th can point to invalid bank details, a currency conflict or a misconfigured PayPal account, according to the PayPal article, so the checklist below starts with payout details. [4]
- Collect each affiliate's legal name, country and payout details before their first invoice.
- Ask an accountant which tax forms or reporting your country requires for payments to affiliates.
- Export or save the monthly invoices systeme.io generates and match them to the money that left your account.
- Set the payout delay at least as long as your refund policy so refunded sales are not paid out.
- Decide whether affiliates may see referred leads' email addresses; affiliates see them only if you tick the program setting that allows it. Buyer emails may still appear in sale details.
- Publish clear affiliate terms: commission rate, payout schedule, refund handling and disclosure rules for promoters.
Launch checklist
- All four program settings filled in.
- Commission percentage set on every order form you want promoted.
- Affiliate sign-up page shared with promoters; they get their link and dashboard on free registration. [3]
- Links tested on your custom domain with www included.
- Payout method agreed: PayPal batch (25+ invoices), Wise or individual transfers. [2][4]
- Calendar reminder for the 10th of each month to review and pay invoices.
Questions before you decide
Can I run an affiliate program on systeme.io's free plan?
Yes. systeme.io lists the affiliate program on all plans; Free covers 1 program, and its feature page says up to 1 product and 2,000 contacts.
What commission does systeme.io set by default?
The help article lists a 40% default commission, a $30 minimum payout, 0% second tier and a 30-day payout delay, but new order forms start at 0%.
When are affiliates paid?
Invoices are generated on the 10th of each month for commissions past the payout delay and above the minimum; you then pay by PayPal, Wise or transfer.
Does systeme.io take a cut of affiliate commissions?
Its affiliate management page says there is no per-affiliate fee and no percentage of affiliate revenue; only your payment processor charges fees.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- systeme.io pricing and plan FAQ Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io affiliate management feature page Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io help: How to create and configure your own affiliate program Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io help: How to automate affiliate payouts with PayPal Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.