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Set Up Your Stripe Affiliate Program

Connect Stripe, create a campaign, choose a checkout path, and verify your first affiliate referral and commission in AffiliateBase.

Table of Contents

Follow this checklist to connect your Stripe checkout to an affiliate program. Setup configuration and verified payment attribution are separate milestones; complete the test before sharing links with partners.

Before you begin

  • Stripe account access (test mode is recommended for setup validation)
  • Your AffiliateBase account ID from setup
  • An affiliate link for link tracking, or a Stripe promo code assigned to an affiliate for code-only tracking
  • A Stripe checkout path: Payment Link, Buy Button, Pricing Table, or backend-created Checkout Session

Step 1: Connect Stripe

In Setup step 1, connect Stripe from the install link.

Step 2: Configure Account Settings

In Setup step 2, set:

  • Payout method: PayPal or Wise export-assisted payouts, or Stripe Global Payouts beta when beta onboarding is available. Stripe execution has separate platform, merchant-acknowledgment, connection, funding, and recipient-eligibility gates; choosing the method or completing onboarding does not execute a payout or mark it paid.
  • Display currency
  • Affiliate portal subdomain
  • Self-referral detection on/off

Step 3: Create Your First Campaign

In Setup step 3, start with one public campaign:

  • Campaign name
  • Website
  • Commission percentage

Advanced attribution, windows, private campaigns, and Stripe discount settings can be tuned after launch.

Step 4: Complete the Integration Checklist

In Setup step 4, work through four short phases: Choose checkout, Add tracking, Run a test, and Confirm tracking. Only the phase that needs your attention is expanded; developer code stays inside View developer steps.

  • Stripe Payment Link: paste the tracking script site-wide and keep the Payment Link on the same published page.
  • Buy Button or Pricing Table: paste the tracking script site-wide and keep the Stripe element on that same published page.
  • Custom Checkout Session: submit referral_id from the browser and set Stripe client_reference_id server-side.
  • Promo codes only: choose an available Stripe coupon during setup for campaign-generated codes, or use Affiliates → select an affiliate → Manage promo codes to assign an existing code or create an individual code. Individual codes do not require a campaign discount default. Neither path needs a site script. See Assign Stripe Promo Codes to Affiliates.

If someone else edits your site, choose the checkout path they will install and copy the handoff note from that path. This keeps verification tied to the real Payment Link, Stripe component, or custom Checkout behavior.

The setup screen keeps an Integration status summary beside the checklist on larger screens and above it on mobile. AffiliateBase checks automatically, names the exact missing proof, and gives one next action. There is no manual “check install” step.

After AffiliateBase receives the setup-test click, Continue to next step becomes available even if checkout verification is still pending. This saves the configuration without claiming that Stripe attribution is verified.

Step 5: Verify Checkout Attribution

For link tracking: run a test with an affiliate link using ?via=TOKEN, then start a Stripe checkout. AffiliateBase marks checkout attribution verified after it receives the test click and Stripe returns the generated AffiliateBase referral ID as client_reference_id or supported referral metadata. If Stripe returns the public ?via token instead, setup identifies the mismatch and points you to the selected checkout path.

For individually assigned codes: verify a qualifying checkout that redeems the code after assignment, then confirm its referral, sale and commission in AffiliateBase. A saved assignment or a copied code alone does not verify payment attribution. You do not need a test click or client_reference_id for this path.

Setup displays whether Stripe is connected in test or live mode. Use a test payment with a test-mode connection. With a live-mode connection, do not create a live charge only to finish onboarding; continue with verification pending and verify during the next appropriate live checkout.

After setup, activation health keeps watching for the first real conversion and commission.

Step 6: Prepare First Payout Operations

Once commissions become due, create a payout run and reconcile it with the selected payout method.

  • paypal: generate a PayPal export, process transfers externally, then mark/reconcile paid.
  • wise: generate a Wise export, process transfers externally, then mark/reconcile paid.

Step 7: Confirm Operational Readiness

Before launch, confirm:

  • API key authentication works with X-Account-Id
  • Stripe webhooks are delivering successfully
  • Troubleshooting playbooks are ready for your team

Launch success checklist

  • A referral is created through the selected link or promo-code attribution path
  • A test conversion appears in your dashboard
  • A commission is created and visible in reporting
  • Affiliates can see referral/commission data in the portal
  • A payout run can be created and reconciled

Next steps