Using AffiliateWP to Create Affiliate Program for Membership Sites

Last Updated on August 6, 2025

Would you like to start an affiliate program for your WordPress membership site? An affiliate program can help turn satisfied members into active promoters who attract new customers.

In this article, you will learn how to create an affiliate program for your membership website using AffiliateWP and our ProfilePress integration, a WordPress affiliate plugin to create and run an affiliate program directly from your site.

AffiliateWP offers front-end affiliate registration, reliable referral link and coupon tracking, a custom-branded affiliate dashboard, and smart commission rules for one-time, recurring, tiered, or lifetime payouts.

ProfilePress integrates with AffiliateWP, enabling you to launch an affiliate program for your e-commerce and membership website. In this article, you will learn how the integration works.

Setting Up Affiliate Program for ProfilePress using AffiliateWP

Before we get started, ensure you have the AffiliateWP plugin installed and activated on your website.

Next, activate the AffiliateWP addon in ProfilePress by navigating to ProfilePress >> Addons and enabling it.

Make sure that ProfilePress is activated as an integration in AffiliateWP. You can do this by going to AffiliateWP >> Settings >> Integrations.

Follow the getting started guide to complete the affiliate program setup for your WordPress membership site, including setting up commission rates, currency, tracking cookie duration, and payout service.

Membership Plan Specific Settings

If you want to prevent specific membership plans in ProfilePress from generating commissions or if you wish to assign specific commission rates to them, navigate to ProfilePress >> Membership Plans. Click on the membership plan you want to edit to open the edit screen. Then, locate the “Downloads & Integrations” metabox and expand the AffiliateWP section.

Benefits of Adding an Affiliate Program to Your Membership Site

Before we dive into the setup, here’s why affiliate marketing works so well for membership sites:

• Cost-effective growth – You only pay when you get new members
• Trust factor – People trust recommendations from friends and peers
• Passive income for members – Give your community a way to earn
• Scalable marketing – Your promotional reach grows with each new affiliate

With AffiliateWP and ProfilePress, you can launch an affiliate program tailored for your WordPress membership site in minutes. It is ideal for site owners who want a smooth and scalable affiliate system within WordPress.

By offering clear affiliate dashboards, automated tracking, and flexible payouts, AffiliateWP enables small business owners to grow through affiliate marketing without complexity or high costs.