NordVPN pays 100% of a one-month plan, 40% on longer plans, and 30% on every renewal. That renewal line is what makes it the strongest VPN affiliate program available, because almost every competitor pays you once and stops.
The product
NordVPN is the category leader by brand recognition and marketing spend. Independently audited no-logs policy, servers in around 110 countries, and a wide feature set including Threat Protection and Meshnet. It's the VPN people name when asked to name a VPN, which does an enormous amount of the selling for you.
Nord Security also owns NordPass and NordLocker, and absorbed Atlas VPN before shutting it down in 2024.
The commission structure in detail
A one-month signup pays 100% of what the customer paid. That sounds absurd until you realise monthly plans are the most expensive per month and the least likely to renew, so Nord is effectively buying the acquisition.
Six-month, one-year and two-year plans pay 40%. Since most buyers take a long plan billed upfront, this is where the volume sits and where the larger absolute commissions come from.
Then 30% on renewals, indefinitely. A referral who stays three years pays you three times. Over any reasonable horizon this beats Surfshark's one-time 40% and ExpressVPN's flat CPA comfortably.
The cookie is 30 days.
Who converts
Broad consumer traffic. NordVPN converts on audiences that would ignore a more technical brand, because the name is already familiar. Streaming guides, travel content, public wifi safety posts and general "best VPN" pages all work.
Where it's harder: privacy-purist audiences who prefer smaller providers, and readers hunting the absolute lowest price, where Surfshark undercuts it.
NordVPN vs Surfshark for affiliates
NordVPN
Surfshark
First sale
100% monthly, 40% longer plans
40% of first payment
Renewals
30%, ongoing
Nothing
Cookie
30 days
30 days
Brand pull
Category leader
Growing
Price point
Higher
Lower
Both are owned by Nord Security, which makes the comparison unusually clean: same infrastructure quality, different positioning. NordVPN's renewal commission is the deciding factor. Unless your audience is buying purely on price, NordVPN is the better program to build around.
Getting approved
NordVPN runs its program across several networks including Impact and CJ, plus a direct option. Approval is straightforward for content sites. Brand bidding is prohibited and incentive traffic is rejected.
Verdict
The best VPN affiliate program for anyone building a long-term asset, because the 30% renewal stream keeps paying on work you did years ago. Push the annual and two-year plans rather than chasing the 100% monthly headline, since those customers actually renew and the monthly ones rarely do.
How much does NordVPN pay?
100% of a one-month plan, 40% on six-month, one-year and two-year plans, and 30% on every renewal thereafter with no cap.
Why does NordVPN pay 100% on monthly plans?
Monthly plans cost the most per month and renew least often, so Nord is effectively buying the acquisition. Push annual and two-year plans instead, because those customers actually renew.
How does it compare to Surfshark?
Both are owned by Nord Security, so the infrastructure is comparable. NordVPN pays 30% on renewals and Surfshark pays nothing after the first sale, which decides it over any long horizon.
Add a review