Kajabi

Kajabi restructured its partner program in late 2025 and the terms most guides quote are gone. New partners now earn a 100% first-month bounty on their first four referrals, then 10% to 20% recurring from the fifth active referral onward. The old flat 30% survives only for grandfathered partners.

What the new structure actually means

The first four referrals pay generously. Kajabi plans start around $149 a month and run well past $399, so a 100% first-month bounty on a mid-tier plan is a few hundred dollars from one signup. That's a strong start and it's clearly designed to be one.

After that the rate drops hard. From your fifth active referral you're on 10% to 20% recurring, so the long-term economics are noticeably worse than the 30% that older partners still enjoy. Plan on the new numbers.

The cookie is 30 days. Payouts are monthly with a $100 minimum, reviewed between the 19th and 23rd and generally issued by the 25th.

Who converts

Established creators and coaches with an audience already, not beginners. Kajabi is expensive and unapologetic about it, so the reader who converts is someone whose course revenue already justifies the price. Content about scaling a course business, migrating off cheaper platforms, and running a membership converts well.

First-time course creators bounce at the price. Send those readers to Teachable or Podia instead. Recommending Kajabi to somebody with no audience costs you trust and earns you nothing.

Kajabi vs Teachable for affiliates

Kajabi front-loads and Teachable spreads. If you can produce four good referrals, Kajabi pays more up front than almost any course platform. Beyond that the rate cut bites, and Teachable's 30% on a wider audience often wins on total earnings.

Getting approved

Apply through the Kajabi partner program. Approval favours people with a genuine creator audience, and Kajabi does look at whether you understand the product. Being a customer helps more here than in most programs.

Verdict

Worth joining for the first four referrals alone, which are unusually well paid. Be clear-eyed that the recurring rate afterwards is half what the internet still tells you it is. Aim it at established creators, use Teachable or Podia for everyone else, and don't build a long-term income model on 10%.