Best 2-tier affiliate programs

Ever feel like regular affiliate commissions just aren’t enough to build real wealth?

I get it, I’ve been in the affiliate marketing game for 7 years.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:

The smartest affiliates don’t work for one commission; they build systems that pay them repeatedly, even while they sleep.

That’s where multi-tier affiliate programs come in. These programs reward you for your sales and pay you a commission when your referrals bring in their sales.

It’s like building a little army of mini-affiliates… all working for you.

In this guide, I’ll show you the best 2-tier affiliate programs I’ve found that are worth your time, have solid commission structures, and pay on time.

Let’s get into it.

What is 2-Tier Affiliate Marketing?

Most affiliate programs pay you a commission when you refer a customer. But 2-tier affiliate marketing? That’s next-level.

With a 2-tier affiliate program, you don’t just earn from your referrals — you also earn a commission when your referrals go out and bring in customers.

Think of it like this:

→ You recommend a tool to your friend Sarah.→ Sarah signs up using your link, so you get paid (Tier 1).
→ But then Sarah starts referring other people… and you get a small cut of her commissions too (Tier 2).

It’s like planting a money tree… and then watching it grow new branches.

Most of the time, tier 2 commissions are smaller (maybe 5% to 10%), but here’s the thing: If you recruit 10 smart affiliates who each refer more people, that income can start to accumulate.

This strategy is super popular in SaaS affiliate programs, investment niches, crypto, and even gold IRA affiliate programs.

Why?

Because companies know word-of-mouth marketing works and are willing to pay for it.

Best Multi-Tier Affiliate Programs

Affiliate ProgramTier 1 CommissionTier 2 CommissionBest For
GoHighLevel40% recurring5% recurringSaaS & marketing pros
Colonial Metals Group$200 per qualified lead plus 10% commission for each closed sale1% per sub-affiliate salePrecious metals niche
Augusta Precious MetalsUp to $200 per CPA and 10% revenue share1% per saleGold & silver investing
FanFuel50% recurring10% recurringHealth supplements
Systeme.io60% recurring5% recurringAll-in-one marketing
ClickFunnelsUp to 40% recurring5% recurringFunnel builders
ByBitUp to 30% trading fees10% of sub-affiliate feesCrypto / trading niche
GoldenCrest MetalsUp to 13% commission1% per sub-affiliate salePrecious metals niche
Best 2-Tier Affiliate Programs

1. GoHighLevel Affiliate Program

GoHighLevel Affiliate Program

GoHighLevel is hands-down one of my favorite SaaS affiliate programs—and I say that from experience. I’ve promoted GoHighLevel, and I know firsthand how powerful their platform is (and how good their affiliate program is).

For those who don’t know, GoHighLevel is an all-in-one marketing platform built specifically for agencies, freelancers, and online business owners.

It combines CRM, email marketing, funnels, SMS automation, and reputation management—almost every tool a business needs to increase leads and sales.

The best part? Once a business starts using GoHighLevel, it rarely leaves. That’s why it’s a killer recurring affiliate offer.

This program is a perfect fit for affiliates in:

  • Marketing & agency niches
  • Online business tools blogs
  • SaaS product reviews
  • Digital entrepreneur audiences
  • Local business services
  • Coaching & consulting

Features of the GoHighLevel Affiliate Program

  • Affiliate Signup URL: GoHighLevel Affiliate Program
  • Commission Rate: 40% recurring monthly commissions for tier 1 and 5% recurring from sub-affiliate sales.
  • Cookie Duration: 90 days
  • Payment Method: Tipalti (monthly payouts)
  • Why It’s Great: Fast-growing SaaS product with excellent customer retention, High recurring commissions, and 2nd tier commissions help you earn passively from affiliates you refer

Want to know more about the GoHighLevel Affiliate Program? Read here.

2. Colonial Metals Group Affiliate Program

Colonial Metals Group Affiliate Program

Colonial Metals Group is another solid gold and silver investment player. They specialize in helping customers diversify their portfolios with physical gold and silver through direct purchases or precious metals IRAs.

This affiliate program could be a great fit if you’ve got an audience interested in wealth preservation, protecting their retirement savings, or hedging against inflation.

Gold affiliate programs are especially attractive because of their high ticket potential—some customers invest tens of thousands (or more) in precious metals.

Like Augusta, Colonial Metals Group offers a two-tier commission structure, which gives affiliates an extra stream of passive income from their sub-affiliates.

Ideal for:

  • Finance bloggers
  • Investment YouTubers
  • Retirement planning content creators
  • Gold & silver investing sites

Features of the Colonial Metals Group Affiliate Program

  • Affiliate Signup URL: Colonial Metals Group Affiliate Program
  • Commission Rate: $200 per qualified lead plus 10% commission for each closed sale. It also pays 1% commission on sub-affiliates’ sales.
  • Cookie Duration: 90 days
  • Payment Method: PayPal
  • Why It’s Great: High-ticket offers mean more significant commissions, a trusted brand in the precious metals, and appeal to an audience looking to protect their financial future.

3. Augusta Precious Metals Affiliate Program

Augusta Precious Metals

If you’ve spent time in the finance or investment niche, you’ve probably come across Augusta Precious Metals.

Augusta is among the gold and silver IRA’s most trusted names. Since 2012, it has been helping people protect their retirement savings by investing in physical gold and silver.

This is not your typical affiliate product.

Gold IRA offers usually attract a specific type of buyer — people worried about inflation, market crashes, or long-term wealth protection.

But the best part? These customers often invest large amounts, which makes affiliate commissions very attractive.

If you create content around:

  • Retirement planning
  • Wealth preservation
  • Inflation-proof assets
  • Precious metals investing

…then Augusta Precious Metals is worth promoting.

Features of the Augusta Precious Metals Affiliate Program

  • Affiliate Signup URL: Augusta Precious Metals Affiliate Program
  • Commission Rate: Up to $200 CPA per qualified lead and 10% revenue share for VIP affiliates. Prime affiliates earn up to $200 CPA and 8% revenue share. You also earn 1% on sub-affiliate sales.
  • Cookie Duration: 90 days
  • Payment Method: Bank Transfer
  • Why It’s Great: Excellent brand reputation (trust is huge in this niche) and high-paying lead commissions.

Check out other affiliate programs in the precious metals niche.

4. FanFuel Affiliate Program

Fanfuel Affiliate Program

FanFuel is a unique player in the affiliate space. It’s a platform built specifically for promoting high-converting health and wellness brands.

They work with supplement companies, fitness products, and wellness solutions, often backed by strong marketing, sales pages, and long customer retention. That’s good news for affiliates because it means recurring income potential.

What makes FanFuel especially attractive is that it handles all the backend—tracking, fulfillment, customer support—so affiliates can focus on generating traffic and earning money.

This one is perfect for:

  • Health bloggers
  • Fitness YouTubers or influencers
  • Biohacking, wellness, and weight loss niches
  • Email marketers with health-conscious audiences

And yes — they offer a 2-tier program, so if you build a team under you, you keep earning from their sales too.

Features of the FanFuel Affiliate Program

  • Affiliate Signup URL: FanFuel Affiliate Program
  • Commission Rate: You earn a 50% commission on all sales and a 10% commission on subaffiliates’ sales
  • Cookie Duration: 90 days
  • Payment Method: Bank transfer, PayPal, wire transfer, and Payoneer.
  • Why It’s Great: Recurring commissions on supplement subscriptions, high-converting offers in a profitable niche, and a fully managed backend — no customer service hassles

Check out other affiliate programs in the health and fitness niche.

5. Systeme.io

Systeme.io Affiliate Program

Systeme.io has exploded in popularity over the past few years — for good reason.

It’s an all-in-one marketing platform that helps people build funnels, sell online courses, use email marketing, manage memberships, and more without integrating multiple tools.

I like to think of Systeme.io as the “budget-friendly ClickFunnels” with surprisingly powerful features.

For affiliates, this is a dream offer because:

  • It’s beginner-friendly (easy to sell).
  • It’s affordable (low entry barrier).
  • They offer lifetime recurring commissions (the holy grail of passive income).
  • And yes — their 2-tier program lets you build even more passive income through referrals from other affiliates you recruit.

It’s perfect for:

  • Online business creators
  • Bloggers in the marketing niche
  • Funnel builders
  • Side hustlers and beginners looking for affordable tools

Features of the Systeme.io Affiliate Program

  • Affiliate Signup URL: Systeme.io Affiliate Program
  • Commission Rate: 60% recurring lifetime commissions on all sales and 5% recurring lifetime commissions from sub-affiliate sales
  • Cookie Duration: Lifetime
  • Payment Method: PayPal
  • Why It’s Great: Lifetime recurring commissions and a beginner-friendly SaaS product with wide appeal.

Check out other CRM affiliate programs here.

6. ClickFunnels Affiliate Program

ClickFunnels Affiliate Program

I’ve personally promoted ClickFunnels in the past, and I can tell you — it’s one of those affiliate programs that can pay off if you know your audience.

ClickFunnels has been a giant in the sales funnel builder space since 2014. It’s the tool many online entrepreneurs start with when they want to build landing pages, sales funnels, or membership sites without hiring a developer.

From my experience, people who start using ClickFunnels tend to stick with it—especially because of all the training and community around it (hello, Funnel Hacking Live!)… and that makes recurring commissions so much sweeter.

This program is especially great for affiliates in:

  • Online business coaching
  • Funnel-building tutorials
  • Affiliate marketing education
  • Side hustle and entrepreneurship content

Plus, the multi-tier structure means you can earn from the affiliates you bring into the program, stacking your passive income even further.

Features of the ClickFunnels Affiliate Program

  • Affiliate Signup URL: ClickFunnels Affiliate Program
  • Commission Rate: Up to 40% recurring monthly commissions and 5% recurring from sub-affiliate sales.
  • Cookie Duration: 45 days
  • Payment Method: PayPal or Check
  • Why It’s Great: Legendary affiliate program with proven payouts, recurring commissions from high-retention SaaS, a funnel-focused audience is always looking for this type of tool, and a well-designed back-end for tracking and support.

Want to know more about the ClickFunnels Affiliate Program? Read here.

7. ByBit Affiliate Program

ByBit Affiliate Program

ByBit is one of the fastest-growing cryptocurrency trading platforms in the world. Launched in 2018, it’s become a go-to platform for crypto traders looking for advanced trading tools, leverage, and low fees.

If you create content in the crypto, blockchain, or finance niche, promoting ByBit can be a smart move.

Why?

Because crypto trading platforms don’t just pay affiliates once. They often pay you a percentage of the trading fees your referrals generate, for as long as they keep trading.

Even better, ByBit has a 2-tier affiliate structure, so if you refer other affiliates who sign up and bring in traders, you’ll also earn a portion of their commissions.

Perfect for:

  • Crypto bloggers
  • Trading YouTubers
  • Blockchain content creators
  • Finance & investing websites

Features of the ByBit Affiliate Program

  • Affiliate Signup URL: ByBit Affiliate Program
  • Commission Rate: Up to 30% of trading fees and 10% of sub-affiliates’ trading fees
  • Cookie Duration: 30 days
  • Payment Method: Crypto Wallet (usually USDT or BTC payouts)
  • Why It’s Great: Recurring commissions from trading fees and a growing crypto user base worldwide.

8. GoldenCrest Metals Affiliate Program

GoldenCrest Metals is another standout in the gold and silver investing space — and if you’re looking for high-ticket affiliate programs with a 2-tier twist, this one’s a solid option.

Like other gold IRA providers, GoldenCrest helps customers roll over their retirement savings into physical precious metals. But what sets them apart is their commitment to affiliate partners: they’re generous with commissions and offer personalized support to help you succeed.

This program is ideal for content creators and marketers who speak to:

  • Baby boomers or Gen Xers planning for retirement
  • Conservative investors
  • People worried about inflation or market crashes
  • Anyone looking to hedge their financial future with real assets

With significant investment amounts often in the tens of thousands, a single referral can bring in a fat commission. And if you refer other affiliates? You’ll earn from their sales too.

Features of the GoldenCrest Metals Affiliate Program

  • Affiliate Signup URL: GoldenCrest Metals Affiliate Program
  • Commission Rate: Up to 13% commission rate and 1% commission rate for sub-affiliates’ sales.
  • Cookie Duration: Unknown
  • Payment Method: Bank Transfer
  • Why It’s Great: One of the highest-paying programs in the gold niche and a long cookie window.

Pros and Cons of Multi-Tier Affiliate Programs

Look, 2-tier affiliate marketing isn’t some magic money button. It can be incredibly powerful if you play it right, but like anything in affiliate marketing, it has its ups and downs.

Here’s what I’ve learned over the years:

What I Love About 2-Tier Affiliate Programs

  • Passive Income on Auto-Pilot: You can earn commissions for years without lifting a finger once you refer a good sub-affiliate (someone who knows what they’re doing). It’s like having little affiliate soldiers working for you around the clock.
  • Bigger Earning Potential: You’re no longer limited to what you can sell — now your income scales based on what your network of affiliates can do. It’s a simple way to multiply your results.
  • Community & Relationship Building: Many of the best 2-tier programs have active communities or mastermind groups. When you refer good affiliates, you naturally build relationships, share strategies, and help each other win.
  • Lifetime or Recurring Commissions: Some programs I’ve shared offer lifetime cookies or recurring monthly payouts — meaning you can build long-term, reliable income streams.

A Few Bad Sides About Tier 2 Affiliate Programs

  • You Need to Recruit the Right People: Not all affiliates are created equal. If you’re recruiting not committed beginners, your tier 2 commissions might not amount to much.
  • Smaller Tier 2 Commission Rates: Most programs offer 5% to 10% on tier 2, which is fair, but you need volume or high-ticket offers to see life-changing results.
  • You Still Need Systems & Follow-Up: Passive income still requires setup. You need content, systems, and onboarding emails for your affiliates, and sometimes training resources to help them succeed.

In short?

Multi-tier affiliate programs are an amazing addition to your strategy, but don’t rely on them alone. They work best with great content, a strong audience, and a focus on building relationships with your referrals.

How to Succeed with Multi-Tier Affiliate Programs

Let me be brutally honest — most people who join 2-tier affiliate programs never make serious money.

Why?

Because they treat it like “set it and forget it,” when in reality, building a profitable affiliate downline is more like building a small business.

You need strategy, consistency, and a little bit of leadership.

Here’s exactly how to do it right:

Focus on Recruiting High-Quality Affiliates

This is everything.

You don’t want just anyone clicking your affiliate signup link. Random signups from Facebook groups or low-effort spammers won’t move the needle.

What you want are people who:

  • Already have an audience (blog, email list, YouTube, podcast)
  • Are content creators or educators
  • Have experience with affiliate marketing
  • Are active in your niche (marketing, crypto, investing, health, etc.)

Where do you find them?

  • Look in Facebook Groups related to your niche (see who’s helping others).
  • Check YouTube for smaller creators reviewing affiliate tools — they might be open to join under you.
  • Attend online webinars, summits, or mastermind groups where affiliates hang out.

And here’s the kicker: Don’t just drop your link. Reach out personally. Explain the benefits. Offer to help them get started.

This one step alone will separate you from 95% of lazy affiliates.

Recurring Tier 2 Programs Are the Best

Here’s why I love recurring programs for tier 2 commissions:

Let’s say you sign up an affiliate under you… and they only manage to bring in 10 customers.

If it’s a one-time commission program, you get paid once, and that’s it. But if it’s recurring? You’re earning every single month those customers stay subscribed — possibly for years.

Programs like GoHighLevel and Systeme.io shine here. They have sticky products that businesses need to run daily operations — meaning churn is low, and your recurring commissions keep flowing.

My advice? Prioritize affiliate programs where both tiers offer recurring payouts. It’s the smartest play for long-term income.

Look Out for Offers with Training Resources & Community Support

One of the biggest mistakes affiliates make is assuming their sub-affiliates will “figure it out” on their own.

Most won’t.

That’s why I love programs that provide:

  • Affiliate onboarding videos
  • Email templates
  • Ready-made ad creatives
  • Sales scripts
  • Private affiliate Facebook Groups or Discord servers

This stuff matters.

When your sub-affiliates have access to training and support, they’re way more likely to succeed (and keep earning you money).

A great example is Systeme.io — they have an entire affiliate training hub built into their dashboard.

When scouting programs, always check:

  • Do they have resources for affiliates?
  • Is there a community or support team available?
  • Will your sub-affiliates be set up to win?

Maintain Clear Communication

Here’s the thing, if you want to build a team of affiliates that trusts you, you can’t disappear after they sign up.

Reach out to them regularly. Share tips. Celebrate their wins.

Simple ways to stay connected:

  • Send a welcome email with tips and next steps.
  • Offer a free call or Zoom session to help them get started.
  • Create a private Telegram or Facebook group for your affiliate downline.
  • Check in monthly with updates, new promos, or success stories.

Being that “go-to” person for help will make them stick with you — even if they could have signed up under someone else.

Provide Valuable Resources and Support

If you really want to be next-level? Build your own little affiliate resource hub.

Create things like:

  • A Google Drive folder with graphics, banners, PDFs
  • Video tutorials on how to promote the offer
  • Swipe files for email sequences
  • A Notion page with promo ideas or content calendars
  • Screenshots of your own results (this builds trust fast)

Remember, people are busy. The easier you make it for them to promote, the more sales they’ll generate.

And the more sales they generate? The more passive income you’ll enjoy from tier 2 commissions.

Final Thoughts on Best 2-Tier Affiliate Programs

If there’s one thing I’ve learned after 7 years in affiliate marketing, it’s this:

The affiliates who win big aren’t the ones chasing the next shiny offer…

They’re the ones who build systems — and 2-tier affiliate programs are one of the smartest systems you can set up.

It’s not just about earning commissions from your own hustle. It’s about creating leverage.
When you build a team, support them, and focus on programs that pay recurring commissions, you’re stacking long-term income that keeps showing up month after month.

That’s what freedom looks like in this business.

So whether you’re into SaaS tools, gold IRAs, crypto platforms, or health products, there’s a 2-tier affiliate program out there that fits your niche and your audience.

Start with just one or two that feel right. Promote consistently. And don’t forget to bring others along for the ride.

You’ll be amazed at how far you can go when you stop working alone and start earning from the ecosystem you’ve built.

FAQ — Multi-Tier Affiliate Programs

What are second-tier affiliates?

Second-tier affiliates are people you refer to an affiliate program, and when they start promoting and making sales, you earn a small commission from their efforts. You still earn your normal commissions from your own sales (Tier 1), but now you also get a bonus from the sales your sub-affiliates make (Tier 2).

What is multi-tier affiliate marketing?

Multi-tier affiliate marketing simply means there are multiple levels of commissions. Most common are 2 tiers. Some programs even go beyond two tiers — but in this guide, we focused on the best 2-tier affiliate programs because they offer the best balance of effort and reward.

What are the most profitable multi-tier affiliate programs?

In my experience (and from what’s performing well in the industry), the top multi-tier affiliate programs worth promoting are GoHighLevel Affiliate Program, Systeme.io Affiliate Program, Augusta Precious Metals, and ClickFunnels Affiliate Program.

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