The Sign Up Bonus Add-on for AffiliateWP lets you automatically award a bonus to new affiliates when they register. It's a simple way to incentivize sign-ups and give new affiliates an immediate stake in promoting your products.
How It Works
When someone registers as an affiliate on your site, the add-on automatically credits a bonus amount to their account. This bonus appears in their affiliate dashboard immediately and is included in their next payout (assuming they meet your minimum payout threshold).
The bonus is a one-time credit per affiliate—they receive it once upon registration, not on subsequent logins or actions.
Configuration Options
The add-on settings are found under AffiliateWP → Settings → Integrations:
- Bonus Amount: Set the dollar value new affiliates receive (e.g., $5, $10, $25)
- Display on Registration: Option to show the bonus amount on your affiliate registration page to encourage sign-ups
That's it—no complex configuration required. Set the amount, optionally display it, and the system handles the rest.
Strategic Considerations
Setting the Right Bonus Amount
Your sign-up bonus should be meaningful enough to attract affiliates but sustainable for your program:
- Too low ($1-2): May not feel worth the effort to sign up
- Sweet spot ($5-25): Attractive without breaking the bank
- Higher amounts ($50+): Consider requiring approval or minimum sales before payout
Preventing Abuse
Sign-up bonuses can attract people who register just to collect the bonus without promoting. Mitigate this by:
- Setting a minimum payout threshold higher than the bonus (e.g., $25 minimum payout for a $10 bonus)
- Using AffiliateWP's affiliate approval feature to manually review new registrations
- Keeping the bonus modest so abuse isn't worth the effort
Tracking Bonuses
Sign-up bonuses appear in AffiliateWP's standard reporting:
- Affiliate dashboard: Affiliates see their bonus in their earnings
- Admin reports: Bonuses are tracked as referrals with a "Signup Bonus" reference
- Payout reports: Included in the affiliate's total when generating payouts
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the bonus amount after affiliates have registered?
Yes. Changing the bonus amount only affects new registrations—affiliates who already received a bonus keep what they were awarded.
Does the bonus count toward the minimum payout threshold?
Yes. If an affiliate has a $10 bonus and your minimum payout is $25, they need to earn an additional $15 in commissions before requesting a payout.
Can I offer different bonuses to different affiliates?
The add-on applies one bonus amount to all new registrations. For tiered or custom bonuses, you'd need to manually adjust individual affiliate accounts or use a more advanced setup.
What if I want to stop offering the bonus?
Set the bonus amount to $0 or deactivate the add-on. Existing bonuses already credited to affiliates remain in their accounts.
Simple to Set Up
The Sign Up Bonus add-on is included with your AffiliateWP installation. Configuration takes about two minutes—just set your bonus amount and decide whether to display it on your registration page.
If you'd like help setting up your affiliate program—configuring bonuses, designing your registration page, or creating promotional materials for affiliates—our Content Operations service can handle that.
Questions? Contact us at support [at] webops [dot] host or submit a support ticket.
