Launch Your Affiliate Program with Rewardful in Under 15 Minutes — A Step-by-Step Guide

Launching an affiliate marketing program doesn't have to be complex or time-consuming.

In this guide, we'll show you how to get your affiliate program live with Rewardful in under 15 minutes.

Plus, we provide pre- and post-launch optimization checklists to maximize the potential of your affiliates and revenue growth.

How to Start Your Affiliate Program with Rewardful

Rewardful stands out from other affiliate management tools with its quick and straightforward setup process. We understand that building an affiliate marketing program from scratch can be daunting. Therefore, we designed Rewardful to alleviate that burden from you. Follow these steps to launch your Rewardful affiliate program.

Step 1: Start a free trial and fill in your details

Sign up with Rewardful to start your affiliate program. Complete the signup form, and confirm your email address.

Once you’re registered, start your 14-day free trial by selecting your preferred plan and securely adding your payment card. If you’re unsure what plan to choose, you can see how the plans compare here. 

Then, set up affiliate tracking and configure your affiliate campaign settings.

Step 2: Connect your payment merchants

After setting up your account, you will be directed to the following page where you'll need to connect either your Stripe or Paddle account. Follow the prompts to connect to your preferred payment methods securely.

Step 3: Configure the settings

Once your payment merchant is connected, it's time to configure your platform settings:

• First, choose the currency in which the program will pay out commissions. Select the currency that aligns with your payout preferences. 
• Next, decide how your affiliates will receive their earnings (commission payouts): through PayPal or Wise. Both platforms are eligible for mass payouts.

Step 4: Create your first campaign

Within the campaign settings, you can:

• Group affiliates by commission rate
• Configure campaign details, such as campaign descriptions, welcome text and website URL (please note, affiliate links will be generated using this URL)
• Enable double-sided incentives for automatic discounts to customers using affiliate links 
• Set limits on affiliate earnings per referred customer, either based on payments or time
• Define the tracking cookie duration and specify the waiting period before commission payouts become available
• Establish a minimum payout threshold and control affiliate access to sale details, customer names, and attribution settings in private campaigns and links

Pro Tip: Unsure how to calculate your affiliate commissions? This article will tell you how much you should pay your affiliates.

Step 5: Add Rewardful to your website

Now, let's dive into the integration process, where we connect Rewardful to your website and Stripe checkout. 

When a referred customer lands on your site through an affiliate link, we begin tracking their interactions. The Stripe integration is essential for passing tracking data from your website to your Stripe account. We've streamlined this process to work seamlessly with various platforms.

For platforms like Uscreen, for example, it's as simple as adding your Rewardful API key to your Uscreen dashboard. Other platforms provide straightforward copy-paste codes, making integration easier. 

However, there are instances where a custom-coded Stripe checkout is not in place. In such cases, we offer two integration methods:

• Client-side conversion code: involves placing a tracking script on your website
• Server-side attribution: your developers handle passing tracking data to Stripe

Contact our support team if you face any challenges integrating Rewardful with your website.

Step 6: Complete the setup

Once you've completed the integration process, you'll be directed to the 'Setup Complete' page, indicating that your Rewardful integration is up and running. You’ve successfully connected your affiliates, website, and payment processing for your affiliate program seamlessly. You’re all set!

Here is a high-level walk-through of the Rewardful platform.

Pre- and Post-Launch Affiliate Program Checklists

Have you done everything to set yourself (and your affiliates) up for success? These checklists help you stay on track and not miss a beat.

Pre-Launch Affiliate Checklist

Before you launch your affiliate program, ask yourself:‍

1. Is the affiliate management software easy to use? You want a simple tool that can be set up easily and doesn't require a tech team to manage.
2. Does it have everything you need? Make sure you have tested the affiliate software through a free trial and that it has all the features you're looking for.
3. Can it work with other tools you use? Check whether it seamlessly integrates with your favorite tools, such as payment platforms and email campaign services.
4. Will it keep your data safe? Look for signs that it implements top-rated security measures, like encryption and secure storage.
5. Can you customize the affiliate program to match your needs? Find out if you can tweak it to fit your brand's look and feel.
6. Will it grow with you? See if you can easily upgrade or change your plan without breaking the bank.
7. Are there any hidden costs? Know what you’re paying now and potentially later.

Post-Launch Affiliate Checklist

After the affiliate program launch, here's what you need to do:

1. Get your affiliates on board smoothly. Streamline the signup process and provide guides to help them start converting.
2. Stay in touch. Use built-in tools to communicate updates and feedback.
3. Pay them on time, every time. Set up a variety of payout options and automated payments.
4. Be there when they need you. Ensure you've got a responsive support system in place.
5. Keep an eye on things. Regularly check how your affiliates are doing and find ways to boost their performance.

For the detailed steps of each task, refer to this before and after affiliate launch checklist guide.

How to Choose the Right Affiliate Software for Your Business?

If you're still undecided about whether Rewardful is the right choice for you, let's consider what features should be on your wishlist when choosing an excellent affiliate marketing tool:

• Simplicity: check if the tool is easy to use with a short learning curve.
• Customer support: see if it offers onboarding guides and troubleshooting documents and whether customer support is included in your chosen plan.
• Features: confirm with a free trial and dig into plan details. When in doubt, ask. Better safe than sorry.
• Starting up: ensure a friendly signup process and supporting resources.
• Communication: look for built-in messaging or email tools.
• Payouts: explore various automated and multi-currency payout options.
• Scalability: ensure the tool can adapt to your expanding needs.
• Integrations: it should sync seamlessly with your existing tech stack.
• Security: provide top-notch security standards, including self-fraud referral alerts.
• Customization: look for customizable looks and messaging.

If you can find software that ticks all these boxes, you’ve found the gem!

Why Choose Rewardful Affiliate Software?

Renowned for its user-friendly features, Rewardful is one of the best SaaS affiliate program management software. Our tool is designed to help companies set up and manage affiliate and referral programs effortlessly. This is demonstrated in our intuitive affiliate onboarding, automated commission payout, and customizable cookies, among others.

More than 2,600 customers are using Rewardful to grow their business with affiliate marketing. Some even have yielded amazing results, earning $700,000 in referral sales.

That said, those are not everything you’ll get from adopting Rewardful. Here are 10 more reasons why you should choose Rewardful for your affiliate management software:

1. We offer transparent and scalable pricing with no hidden fees, adjusting as your business grows.
2. Affiliates love us for our exceptional 24/7 customer support, backed by a team of SaaS affiliate marketing experts.
3. We offer seamless no-code integrations, effortlessly connecting with over 30+ popular tools.
4. You can set up your affiliate program in under 15 minutes with our efficient, five-step setup process.
5. We are specially built for SaaS, offering specialized tools for rapid growth and marketing success.
6. Affiliates adore us for our reliable payments and intuitive, user-friendly portal.
7. We make managing your affiliates easy thanks to comprehensive commission structures and segmentation.
8. Our platform is packed with useful, actionable features focusing on what SaaS businesses need most.
9. We provide a unified system for affiliate and referral programs, simplifying management.
10. We have a proven track record of measurable success, with countless SaaS businesses thriving through our software.

What are Rewardful Pricing Plans?

Our powerful features are packaged with affordable pricing plans and world-class customer service. Here is what you’ll get:

• Starting off is easy with our 14-day free trial. No credit card details are needed, just sign up and dive in. 
• Our plans are built to accommodate businesses at any stage of their journey, from startups just getting started to scaling enterprises looking to expand their reach. 
• There are no hidden fees or sneaky transaction costs. What you see is what you pay, allowing for straightforward budgeting and financial planning.

Start your SaaS Affiliate Marketing with Rewardful

Congratulations! You've successfully launched your affiliate program with Rewardful. Make the best of Rewardful's features and support to maximize your affiliate marketing efforts and drive growth for your business. 

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How to Launch an Affiliate Program with Rewardful - FAQs 

What Do I Need to Start My Trial With Rewardful?

Fill in your details, and confirm your email. Then, choose a plan that suits your needs, and your 14-day free trial will begin automatically.

Can I Connect Rewardful With My Existing Payment Merchants?

Yes, Rewardful seamlessly integrates with Stripe and Paddle, allowing you to connect your preferred payment platform effortlessly.

How Does Rewardful Ensure Accurate Affiliate Tracking?

Rewardful uses advanced tracking technologies, including customizable cookie durations and precise tracking links. These ensure that every referral is accurately attributed to the correct affiliate.

Can I Set Different Commission Rates for Different Affiliates with Rewardful?

Absolutely. Rewardful enables you to customize commission structures to better incentivize your affiliates. This includes setting different rates and types (fixed amount, percentage-based, one-time payment, or recurring commissions).