Two-tier affiliate software, with the recruiter built in
A second tier pays the person who recruited an affiliate. The affiliate earns a commission on the customers they bring; their recruiter earns an override on those same sales, paid by the brand on top of the commission.
ViralPayouts is two-tier affiliate software with no monthly fee. On a $100 sale at 20% plus a 5% override, the partner gets $20, the recruiter $5, and the ViralPayouts fee is $2.50 (10% of the $25 paid out).
- Monthly fee
- $0
- Fee on payouts
- 10% to 3%
- Levels paid
- 2
- Override types
- 3
One $100 sale, split four ways
The default example: 20% to the partner who made the sale, 5% of the sale to the partner who recruited them. The fee is worked out by the same code that charges it.
| Who | Gets | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The partner | $20 | 20% of the sale. They brought the customer. |
| The recruiter | $5 | 5% of the sale. They brought the partner. No recruiter, no override: it is not paid to anyone else. |
| ViralPayouts | $2.50 | 10% of the $25 paid to partners, as the first sale of a month. The rate falls to 3% as the month's payouts reach $10,000. |
| The brand keeps | $72.50 | Nothing was paid before the customer paid. |
Refunded? Every line above is reversed in proportion, the fee included. See pay for performance.
Three ways to set the recruiter override
Every program chooses one. It is never guessed. A percentage override can be 1% to 95%, and partner plus recruiter can never be more than the whole sale.
A share of the partner’s commission
25% of the commission
On a $100 sale with a 20% commission ($20), the recruiter gets $5.
The override grows and shrinks with what the partner earns, including per-product rates and bounties.
A share of the sale
5% of the sale
On a $100 sale with a 20% commission ($20), the recruiter gets $5.
The recruiter earns the same share of revenue whatever the partner’s rate is.
A fixed amount
$5 per approved customer
On a $100 sale with a 20% commission ($20), the recruiter gets $5.
Simple to explain. Good for flat bounties, where a percentage of a percentage gets small.
A program can also stop paying the override after a set number of days from when the partner was recruited, or pay it for as long as the recruit stays active. Per-product rates and app-event bounties change what the partner earns; a share-of-commission override follows them.
Try your own numbers
Move the sliders. The fee is computed from the published schedule, the same one the ledger charges.
$100
20%
Paid to the partner who brought the customer.
5%
Paid to whoever recruited that partner. You can also set it as a share of the commission or a fixed amount.
400
More sales means more paid to partners, which lowers the ViralPayouts rate for the whole month.
You
Partner
One $100 sale.
- You keep$74.25
- The sale, minus what the partner, the recruiter and ViralPayouts get. You paid nothing upfront to win this customer.
- The partner gets$20.00
- 20% of the sale. The person who recommended you to the customer.
- The recruiter gets$5.00
- 5% of the sale. The person who brought that partner into your program. With no recruiter, nobody is paid this.
- ViralPayouts gets$0.75
- 3% on top of the $25.00 you pay the partner and recruiter. The rate is set by how much you pay partners in the month.
Your month at 400 sales
Paid to partners and recruiters
$10,000
ViralPayouts rate this month
3%
ViralPayouts fee this month
$300
The fee starts at 10% on top of what you pay partners, up to $1,000 a month, and slides down to 3% at $10,000 a month. You are at the lowest rate.
Sale refunded? Every share is reversed, including our fee, and you pay nothing.
How ViralPayouts compares with every tool that offers a second tier
ViralPayouts includes the second tier on every program at $0 a month. 114 of the tools in our research say on their own pages that they pay a second tier: 65 on every plan or with no plan named, 49 on higher plans only. Prices are the cheapest published plan that includes it, read from each vendor's pages, checked 12 October 2026.
| Tool | From | Levels | Plan needed | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ViralPayouts | $0 a month + 10% to 3% of payouts | 2 | Every program | Two-tier partner programs |
| AAA Affiliate Marketing App | $0 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Affelios | $0 a month | 3 shown in example (direct, sub-affiliates, sub-affiliates) | Not stated (custom commission plans on all plans) | Creator and checkout platform |
| Affiliate Marketing ReferrLy (formerly Affiliatery) | $0 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Affilitrak | $0 a month | Configurable; MLM settings "define how many levels participate and how rates are… | Free self-sourced plan | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| ClickBank | $0 a month + 7.5% | 2 | None (Joint Venture Program, available to all clients; not for fixed-dollar CPA… | Affiliate network |
| CreatesWowTech Affiliate Program for WooCommerce | $0 a month | Not stated | Not stated | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| Digistore24 | $0 a month + 2.9% | 2 | None (built into vendor account) | Affiliate network |
| JVZoo | $0 a month + 5% | 2 | None (set up via JV Contracts) | Affiliate network |
| Monetrack | $0 a month + 30% | 2 | Merchant opts in by setting a 2-tier reward | Affiliate network |
| PayKickstart | $0 a month + 6% | 2 | No plan named; campaign must allow 2nd-tier affiliates (all features included on all… | Creator and checkout platform |
| Referral Rocket | $0 a month | Multiple (example given: Tier 1 and Tier 2) | Not stated | Customer referral software |
| selecdoo: Affiliate & Feed | $0 a month | Not stated | On request | Affiliate network |
| Systeme.io (affiliate management feature) | $0 a month | 2 | All plans including Free | Other |
| Trackopia | $0 a month | Unlimited (merchant-set) | Free (Starter) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Affiliate Suite (Flintop) | $5.27 a month | Not stated | All (single paid plugin) | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| AffiliatePress | $6.58 a month | configurable (unilevel unlimited width, or forced matrix with set depth) | Professional per pricing table; add-on page also lists Standard (conflict) | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| Affiliate for WooCommerce (StoreApps) | $6.60 a month | unlimited | Included in the single paid plan | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| Ultimate Affiliate Pro | $6.61 a month | configurable depth (unilevel, binary, custom matrix) | Pro (all plans); 'MLM based on product price' needs Full Package | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| Affilia (Affiliate Program with MLM) by RedefiningTheWeb | $8 a month | Unlimited/customisable depth (max not stated) | Premium | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| Unilevel MLM Pro | $8.90 a month | Not stated | Basic Plan (only plan) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Binary MLM System Pro | $9.99 a month | Not stated | Paid Plan ($9.99) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Matrix MLM Pro | $9.99 a month | Up to 10 commission levels (site), forced matrix with spillover | Only plan ($9.99/mo) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Unilevel MLM Plans | $9.99 a month | 10 | Paid Plan ($9.99/mo) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Asteris Affiliates | $149 a year | 2 | Any paid licence (Starter $149/yr and up); not in the free WordPress.org edition | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| Easy Affiliate | $12.47 a month | Unlimited (recommends no more than three; warns of performance issues past 5-10) | Plus or Pro ("This add-on is available with the purchase of the Plus or Pro license") | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| Affiracle | $12.99 a month + 3% | N-level | Not stated | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| Fusion: Affiliate Marketing | $15 a month | Not stated | Premium ($15/mo) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Override: Multi-Tier Affiliate | $19 a month | 2 (Starter), 5 (Growth), 10 (Scale) | Starter (2 tiers) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| SliceWP | $21.58 a month | No maximum stated (create as many levels as needed; example shows 2) | Pro or Pro Plus ("This add-on is available with an active Pro & Pro Plus license") | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| AffiliateWP | $24.96 a month | 5 | Pro (or Growth Bundle) | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| ClickInc | $25 a month | 50 | Not stated | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| Rekomi | $29 a month + 3% | 2 | All plans ("On every plan there is a fourth channel: sub-affiliate recruiting") | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| TrackRev | $29 a month | Unlimited depth until a level's share falls under $1, capped by a total commission pool… | Any paid plan (from $29/month) | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| TrackReward | $29 a month | Not stated | All plans (Starter, Pro, Business ticked) | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| BixGrow Affiliate Marketing | $29.99 a month | Merchant-defined number of levels (docs example shows 2 parent levels: 10% / 5% / 3%) | Pro ($29.99/mo) and above | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Merchcoder Affiliate | $29.99 a month | Not stated | Pro ($29.99/mo) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| SB&R | $31 a month | 10 | Only plan ($31/mo) | Customer referral software |
| Affiliatly | $39 a month | 2 | Professional ($39/mo) and above | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Affilo: Affiliate Marketing | $39 a month | Not stated | Standard ($39) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Siren Affiliates | $499 a year | 5 | Siren Pro ($499/yr) | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| iDevAffiliate | $42 a month | 10 | All plans ("All features included in every plan") | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Commish Affiliates | $49 a month | Not stated | Growth ($49/mo) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| FirstPromoter | $49 a month | 3 | All plans | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| GoAffPro | $49 a month | Unlimited breadth and depth; unilevel, binary or forced matrix (e.g. 3x5) | Premium ($49/mo) and above; level compression on Business | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| GrowthHero | $49 a month | Up to 10 levels implied: 'your affiliates can recruit up to nine other affiliates' (page… | Not stated; pricing says all plans have 'Advanced Features' | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Offer18 | $49 a month | 2 | Not stated (configured by network admin) | Performance marketing platform |
| Refgrow | $49 a month | 2 | Pro ($49) and above per pricing page (docs say Pro and Business) | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| Sprout Affiliate Marketing | $49.99 a month + 1.5% | Not stated | Professional ($49.99/mo + 1.5%) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Metricks | $59 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| Partnero | $59 a month | 5 | Not stated (help article lists no plan gate; requires partner portal on your own domain) | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| Shoutout | $59 a month | "set the commission for each supported level" (number of levels not stated) | Growth ($59/mo) and Pro ($79/mo) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Ontraport | $82.50 a month | 2 | Pro (Partner Programs not on Plus) | Other |
| Post Affiliate Pro | $89 a month | Pricing page says up to 99 tiers; MLM feature page says 'up to 100 tier commissions' and… | All plans include multi-tier commissions; forced matrix and split commissions need… | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| UpPromote | $89.99 a month + 1.5% | Multiple levels (example shows 3); maximum not stated. Upline commission based on… | Professional ($89.99/mo + 1.5%) and above | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Dub Partners (Dub) | $90 a month + 5% | 2 | Help article and launch post: "Advanced plans and above"; pricing table lists 'Basic'… | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| Gigfiliate | $95 a month | Example plan shows Level 0-2 (e.g. Level 0 20-25%, Level 1 5-10%, Level 2 0%) with… | Plus ($95/mo) and above | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| HighLevel (GoHighLevel) - Affiliate Manager | $97 a month | 7 | Not stated | Other |
| Afivio | $99 a month | Not stated | Boost ($99/mo) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Jump: Affiliate Storefronts | $99 a month + 1% | Primary affiliate earns extra commission on sub-affiliate sales; depth not stated | Professional ($99/mo + 1%) per site; Shopify listing lists multi-tier on Growth ($45/mo… | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| RedTrack | $99 a month | Configurable ('Number of steps' with a per-level 'Commission Decrement') | Partnership Portal add-on ($99/mo) plus referral feature "upon request for an additional… | Performance marketing platform |
| Ambassador | $100 a month | Unlimited ("Number of Tiers" setting; 0 = no cap) | Not stated | Customer referral software |
| LeadDyno | $129 a month | 10 | Essential ($129/mo) and above | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| Genius Referrals | $149 a month | Not stated | Platinum (add-on on Starter/Silver/Gold) | Customer referral software |
| Referly (formerly Push Lap Growth) | $149 a month | 2 | Business ($149/month) and above | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| Simplero | $149 a month | 2 | Scale ($149/mo annual) or above, since affiliate programs start on Scale | Creator and checkout platform |
| Tapfiliate | $179 a month | Multiple levels, percentage or fixed per level (max not stated) | Scale ($179/mo) and above; Advanced MLM Sales goals also Scale | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| Affiliate Loop | $199 a month | 2 | Scale ($199/mo) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| Tracknow | $224 a month | Not stated | Enterprise ($224/month yearly) and above; included on Network plans | Performance marketing platform |
| Kartra | $229 a month | 2 | Growth (affiliate management is on Growth, Professional, Enterprise) | Creator and checkout platform |
| ClickFunnels (Affiliate Center) | $297 a month | 2 | Optimize ($297/mo) or Dominate | Creator and checkout platform |
| Trackdesk | $299 a month | Multiple tiers, configurable (example shows 3 levels: 10%, 5%, 2%) | Not stated | Performance marketing platform |
| Trakaff | $300 a month | 2 | 'Affiliate Referral Program' is an add-on on Base, Premium and Pro; included on Agency… | Performance marketing platform |
| EzyCourse | $399 a month | Unlimited chain (no cap stated) | Unlimited ($399/mo, $199/mo yearly) and Elite | Creator and checkout platform |
| MLM Soft Integration App | $499 a month | Not stated | Not stated | Other |
| Kwik 2.0 | $500 a month + 5% | Not stated | All Access | Customer referral software |
| Affise | $625 a month | 2 | Not stated | Performance marketing platform |
| Everflow | $750 a month | 2 | Not stated | Performance marketing platform |
| TUNE (formerly HasOffers) | $899 a month | 2 | Not stated | Performance marketing platform |
| Affnook | $999 a month | Not stated | Not stated | iGaming affiliate platform |
| ZINFI | $1,450 a month | Not stated | Professional (Commissions Management not in Starter) | Enterprise partnership platform |
| ablefy (formerly elopage) | EUR 27 a month | 5 | Sell (EUR 27/month) and above | Creator and checkout platform |
| AFFI - Affiliate Marketing for WooCommerce (VillaTheme) | Not published | Not stated | Pro | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| Affiliates (itthinx) | Not published | Unlimited | Affiliates Enterprise | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| AffiliationSoftware | Not published | 10 | Not stated | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| Affilka | Not published | Unlimited | Not stated | iGaming affiliate platform |
| Affireo - Affiliates for WooCommerce | Not published | 10 | Pro | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| Affonso | Not published | 3 | Growth and above (not on Launch) | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| AllAffiliatePro | Not published | 12 | Not stated | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| ByDesign Technologies | Not published | Unlimited (configurable unilevel, hybrid, binary, matrix, party plans) | All plans include a compensation plan | Other |
| CAKE | Not published | 2 | Not stated (quote-based) | Performance marketing platform |
| Cellxpert | Not published | Not capped on site; finance page example runs Master IB -> sub IB 1 -> sub IB 2 -> sub… | Not stated | iGaming affiliate platform |
| Cloud MLM Software | Not published | Unlimited depth depending on plan (21 plan types: binary, unilevel, matrix, generation… | Included in licence | Other |
| Coupon Affiliates | Not published | as many tiers as you set | Pro | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| iGsuite | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | iGaming affiliate platform |
| Income Access | Not published | Not stated by vendor; Track360 (competitor) claims unlimited tiers | Not stated | iGaming affiliate platform |
| Insert Affiliate | GBP 70 a month | 2 | Growth (GBP 70/month) or Enterprise | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| JROX eCommerce Suite (JAM) | Not published | Not stated | Paid add-on on Hosted and Owned (multi-level commissions and forced matrix) | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| Multilevel Referral Plugin for WooCommerce | Not published | Configurable by store owner | Premium | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| MyAffiliates | Not published | Not stated by vendor; Track360 (competitor) claims unlimited tiers | Not stated | iGaming affiliate platform |
| MYAP by Bormerco | Not published | 2 | Not stated | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| NetRefer | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | iGaming affiliate platform |
| PartnerMatrix (EveryMatrix) | Not published | Not stated ("multi-level structures of agents" in Agent System) | Not stated | iGaming affiliate platform |
| QualityClick | Not published | 2 | All plans (not plan-gated in docs) | Performance marketing platform |
| ReferOn | Not published | Not stated | Not stated | iGaming affiliate platform |
| Refersion | Not published | As many levels as configured (one direct parent per affiliate) | Scale plan only (custom quote) | Affiliate software for e-commerce |
| SamCart | Not published | Not stated | Enterprise | Creator and checkout platform |
| Scaleo | Not published | 2 | Not stated ("Sub-affiliate" appears in plan matrices without plan mapping) | Performance marketing platform |
| The Affiliate Platform (TAP by Smartico) | Not published | Unlimited ("unlimited depth levels") | Not stated | iGaming affiliate platform |
| ThriveCart | Not published | 2 | Pro+ | Creator and checkout platform |
| Traaaction | EUR 49 a month | 3 | Starter (EUR 49/month) and above ('Portal referral (multi-tier)') | Affiliate software for SaaS |
| Track360 | Not published | Not stated ("Unlimited partner tiers" on homepage) | Single all-inclusive plan | iGaming affiliate platform |
| Trackier | Not published | 2 | Not stated | Performance marketing platform |
| WC Affiliate (Codexpert) | Not published | unlimited | Pro (any paid licence) | WordPress affiliate plugin |
| Wynta | Not published | Multiple (configurable) | Not stated | iGaming affiliate platform |
“Not published” means the vendor shows no price for the plan that includes it. A percentage after the price is a fee on sales or payouts. Each name links to a full side-by-side comparison with sources. Names are trademarks of their owners.
What ViralPayouts does differently
Two separate links per program
Each partner gets a customer link and a recruit link. Customers never become recruits by accident. See sub-affiliate tracking.
Nobody is paid for sign-ups
A recruiter earns only when a recruit makes an approved sale, and loses it when that sale is refunded or reversed.
Payouts sent for you
The brand funds the month; ViralPayouts pays both levels and keeps one ledger you can trace line by line.
Why brands choose ViralPayouts
The recruiter is the centre of the product
Every program gets customer links and recruit links, three override types and an override period. A second tier is not an add-on reserved for a higher plan.You pay only for sales that happened
No monthly fee and no setup fee. 10% of what you pay partners, falling to 3%. A refund reverses the commission, the override and the fee.Both levels paid for you
One invoice covers the month. ViralPayouts sends the partner and the recruiter their money, collects tax forms and keeps a ledger you can trace line by line.Rules partners can trust
Every program runs on the same public program terms: approval reasons, hold periods and notice before any cut. Good partners join programs that pay on time.
Questions brands ask before they switch
- Should we pay three or more levels?
- No: every extra level raises your cost per sale or thins what sellers earn, and deep chains read as MLM. Why two levels is the right number.
- Does a percentage cost more than a flat plan as we grow?
- The rate falls as payouts grow, and it includes paying every partner, which a flat plan usually leaves to you. What a flat plan still leaves you to do.
- We are on WordPress or Shopify.
- Shopify order webhooks are supported with nothing to install, and any site with a server can send sales to the signed event API. Stripe Checkout works through a webhook.
- We have a mobile app.
- Report installs, sign-ups or purchases from your own server through the event API and pay a bounty on them. There is no SDK to ship inside your app.
Try it on test money first
Set your commission and recruiter override, see what each sale costs you, and run it on the test network before a real partner joins. No monthly fee.
Related pages
- Sub-affiliate softwareRecruit links kept apart from customer links, per-program overrides and refunds.
- Multi-level affiliate trackingWhy two levels is the right number, and what deeper chains cost a brand.
- Affiliate software with no monthly feeThe fee table, and what a flat-price plan still leaves you to do yourself.
- Pay-for-performance affiliate softwareYou pay on approved sales only, and refunds take the fee back.
- Stripe affiliate softwareThe webhook, the two metadata values, renewals and refunds.
- For recruitersHow recruiter overrides are earned and paid, per program.
- GlossarySub-affiliate, override, hold period, clawback and the rest, each with a worked number.