Top 20 Best Subscription Box Affiliate Programs for Affiliates To Earn Money in 2025

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, global subscription box services have seen more demand than ever due to their convenience and time-saving benefits. That means there’s a huge audience for affiliate marketing to target.

As the subscription service industry is so extensive, we’ve collected the top affiliate programs for you to consider. Read through our list of 20 subscription box affiliate programs to find the most suitable one.

Quick Comparison

Program Name	Commission (%)	Cookie Duration (Days)	Niche Suitable	Affiliate’s Rating
BarkBox	10% hoặc $18–20/sale	7 ngày	Pets (Dog subscription box)	8.5/10
Cratejoy	10%	60 ngày	Gift boxes, subscription marketplace	8.8/10
Beer Drop	10%	Không nêu (thường 30 ngày)	Craft beer, beverage subscription	8.3/10
TheraBox	6%	45 ngày	Self-care, women wellness box	8.0/10
WhiskerBox	10%	Không nêu	Cat subscription box	8.4/10
Wickbox	10%	60 ngày	Luxury candles, home decor	8.6/10
Succulents Box	10%	30 ngày	Plants, succulents, gardening	8.4/10
Scent Box	£8 per sale (~10–15%)	30 ngày	Fragrance subscription	8.2/10
BattlBox	7%	7 ngày	Outdoor gear, survival kit	7.8/10
UrbaneBox	10%	45 ngày	Fashion, clothing subscription	8.5/10

20 Best Subscription Box Affiliate Programs

1. BarkBox

BarkBox creates monthly subscription boxes with various toys and treatment products for dogs. Their themed boxes help owners enhance their dogs’ mental and physical stimulation.

BarkBox runs all their affiliate programs via CJ Affiliate. You can select to join a suitable program based on commission tiers for each product:

• Barkbox: $18 commission
• Super Chewer: $20 commission
• Bark Bright Dental: $20 commission
• Bark Food: 10% commission

A 7-day cookie duration is available to all programs, giving you a full week to benefit from customers’ purchases after their first click.

Bark will give dedicated affiliate support anytime you need to boost your marketing efforts. They also send weekly newsletters to keep you updated on new offers and product launches.

2. Cratejoy

Cratejoy helps users find suitable gift boxes for their beloved person on special occasions. Users only need to provide receivers’ interests, then Crate will prepare a full surprise box for them.

Managed by ShareASale, the Cratejoy affiliate program offers affiliates up to 10% commission on all types of gift boxes. With a 60-day cookie duration, you’ll earn credit from every purchase within 2 months of your customer’s first click.

ShareASale will send affiliate payouts through check and deposit. They will process payments on the 15th of each month.

You can access a full collection of authorized images of Cratejoy when joining their program. They will also customize your text links and banners upon your request. Plus, you’ll receive regular newsletters with updates on new launches and exclusive offers.

3. Beer Drop

Beer Drop personalizes subscription boxes monthly for customers to try different beer flavors. With over 1,500 new beers annually, Beer Drop delivers craft beer from small breweries across the US.

Once you join the Beer Drop affiliate program, you can earn a flat 10% commission rate across all successful subscriptions from your link. Their monthly subscription starts at $39, which means you’ll receive around $3.9 per new subscriber.

Beer Drop will update special discounts for you to attract more audiences. Plus, you can update your campaigns with their seasonal promotional deals to drive more conversions.

4. Therabox

Therabox gained the reputation as one of the first monthly self-care box services for women in the US. Their healthcare subscription box includes up to 8 wellness products for aromatherapy, skincare, or enhancing sleeping quality.

After joining their affiliate program, you will earn a 6% commission rate for each subscription to their website. The cookie duration lasts for 45 days, which means you’ll get a commission if your visitor purchases within this period.

Therabox offers vanity codes or offers to all publishers. These exclusive codes can be used to attract more audiences and boost conversions.

5. WhiskerBox

WhiskerBox ships monthly cat subscription boxes with feline-tested premium items. They organize a unique themed box for cats with nutritious products, toys, and cute clothes.

When becoming their affiliate, you can start earning with a solid 10% commission rate across all monthly subscriptions. WhiskerBox will pay you via PayPal only once your account balance reaches at least $50.

You can make use of their banners or logos to gain more trust from customers. They will also give you a wide selection of images to create promotional content for their products.

6. Wickbox

Wickbox is a leading name in delivering luxury candle subscription boxes. Their boxes match each owner’s scent preferences and home decor to reduce stress and anxiety.

Joining the Wickbox affiliate program will give you a chance to earn a 10% commission rate on every successful subscriber. The cookie duration remains active for up to 60 days, which means counting 2 months from the customers’ first click.

The Wickbox dedicated affiliate manager is available anytime you need help with your promotion. You can ask anything about tips, marketing assets, and solutions while promoting.

7. Succulents Box

Succulents Box is where plant lovers get high-quality, hand-picked succulents. The company caters to both beginners and seasoned plant enthusiasts with individual plants, monthly subscription boxes, and thoughtful care tips.

After joining their affiliate program, you can earn a 10% commission for each qualified subscription via the affiliate link. However, you’ll only receive an approved commission if customers subscribe within 30 days of their first click.

Succulents Box pays affiliates their earnings at the end of each month. You should note that PayPal is the only payment option to withdraw your payouts.

You can easily modify promotion campaigns with their content and exclusive deals to attract more audience. Plus, they provide regular coupons to help you encourage more subscriptions.

8. Scent Box

Scent Box supplies over 1,000 designed fragrances to bring unique experiences to customers every month. Their affordable subscription boxes let members enjoy luxurious scents from renowned brands.

Once you join their affiliate program through Awin, you can earn £8 commission per successful monthly subscription. The cookie period remains active for 30 days from the customers’ initial click on your affiliate link.

Scent Box gives various coupon codes for you to use in increasing their conversions. Plus, you can embed their attractive banners on different marketing channels to attract larger visitors.

9. BattlBox

BattlBox prepares needed items for outdoor activities, all in their monthly subscription boxes. They’ll handpick gears based on types of adventure to help customers have the best exploring journey.

Managed by ShareASale, the BattlBox offers a 7% commission rate for Basic to Pro Plus boxes. You can earn around $2.5 to $12 per sale with 4 different boxes ranging from $34.99 to $169.99. The cookie lasts for 7 days, starting from the customer’s first click.

BattBox customizes promotions and builds campaigns for affiliates upon their requests. Moreover, the 15+ years of experience affiliate marketing team will assist you with tips on creating better content to attract a larger audience.

10. UrbaneBox

UrbaneBox offers a customized subscription box for those who struggle with their daily clothes. Their affordable box includes high-quality clothes for both men and women.

You can join their affiliate program and receive a 10% commission rate on each qualified sale. Their average conversion rate reaches up to 6%, offering a strong chance to boost your profits. With a 45-day cookie duration, you’ll earn credit for customers’ purchases within that timeframe.

Different from other affiliate programs, UrbaneBox allows affiliates to use PPC direct links to reach a wider audience. Their dedicated affiliate managers provide personalized support to ensure your promotional campaigns perform at their best.

11. Mysteries in Time

• Commission rate: 8%
• Cookie duration: 30 days

Mysteries in Time offers kid subscription boxes with exciting learning products based on historical events. Their products are made in different forms, such as puzzles, clues, and story-driven adventures for children to solve.

12. Birch Box

• Commission rate: 15%
• Cookie duration: 30 days

Birch Box delivers subscription boxes with beauty samples to help users discover new items. Their monthly sample boxes mainly include skincare items, perfumes, and organic-based products.

13. Monthly Clubs

• Commission rate: 12%
• Cookie duration: 90 days

Monthly Clubs selects qualified and luxury products for their six exceptional subscription services. Their subscription boxes change monthly with wines, microbrewed beers, cheese, chocolate, flowers, and cigarettes.

14. Butcher Box

• Commission rate: 20%
• Cookie duration: 30 days

Butcher Box makes meal-prep more easily with their protein subscription boxes. Their best-selling box has 6 types of high-quality meats and seafood.

15. Curateur

• Commission rate: $50
• Cookie duration: Not mentioned

Curateur sends out subscription boxes based on seasonal trends in fashion, accessories, and other lifestyle niches. These boxes can upgrade owners’ lifestyles and tastes with guidance from top fashion experts.

16. Art of Tea

• Commission rate: 10%
• Cookie duration: Not mentioned

Art of Tea offers a variety of tea blends, from classic favorites to unique seasonal creations, in 3-month subscription boxes. Subscribers can choose from options like caffeine-free, classic, or single-origin teas.

17. The Keto Box

• Commission rate: 15%
• Cookie duration: Not mentioned

The Keto Box can help control users’ diets with their monthly subscription keto boxes.  They include 10+ carefully selected keto-friendly snacks, beverages, and pantry staples from top brands.

18. Pooch Perks

• Commission rate: 10%
• Cookie duration: Not mentioned

Pooch Perks’s special pooch subscription boxes are designed to entertain and pamper dogs. They deliver monthly boxes with toys and treatment products based on the dog’s size.

19. Bean Box

• Commission rate: 10%
• Cookie duration: Not mentioned

Bean Box creates a unique coffee subscription box for each customer after studying their habits and tastes. The brand gives customers free tasting boxes before they commit to a monthly subscription.

20. Kawaii Box

• Commission rate: $5
• Cookie duration: Not mentioned

Kawaii Box spreads Kawaii culture into their monthly subscription boxes. Each box includes cute things like a teddy bear, colorful notebooks, toys, special desserts, and more surprising things.

How Do You Build a Long-Term Subscription Box Affiliate Strategy?

Building a lasting subscription box affiliate strategy takes more than just simple product promotion. It requires a multi-step approach.

You need to create authoritative content hubs around three to five specific categories that fit your niche.

You also need a content calendar that balances evergreen reviews with seasonal gift guides.

To lower your risk, you must diversify across 10 to 15 different programs.

Also, building an email list is key for high conversion rates—often 10–15% compared to the 3–5% typical of cold traffic.

Finally, a system of quarterly updates for top content, along with consistent new posts, will help traffic and commissions grow quickly over a 12 to 24-month period.

Content Hub Strategy

Instead of promoting random subscription boxes, success comes from building authoritative content hubs around three to five categories that fit your niche.

For example, a parenting blog might focus on separate hubs for children’s educational boxes, pregnancy essentials, and family meal kits.

Within each hub, you should create a full web of content, including:

• Category overviews
• Individual reviews
• Seasonal gift guides
• Troubleshooting articles (like cancellation tutorials)

By linking these pieces internally, you show topical authority to Google. This captures various search intents and allows older content to build ranking power over time.

Content Calendar Balance

A strong content calendar balances evergreen material with high-converting seasonal topics. You should aim for a 60/40 split.

Evergreen content should be published year-round to keep traffic steady. This includes: individual box reviews (e.g., “Is BarkBox Worth It?”), full category comparisons, and how-to guides.

This is supported by seasonal content, which should go live two to three months before peak periods.

Such a category should include holiday gift guides and lists for events like Mother’s Day or New Year’s resolutions.

You should focus heavily on creating this content from July to October to get ready for the fourth quarter.

Program Diversification

To protect your income from algorithm changes, program closures, or commission cuts, you must diversify. Do not rely on a single program.

A healthy portfolio spans at least 10 to 15 programs across different categories—such as beauty, food, and pets.

You should also use multiple affiliate networks (like ShareASale or Impact) to avoid technical issues & systematic problems.

Make sure to vary price points, mixing budget-friendly options with premium subscriptions to capture different audiences.

Ideally, no single program should make up more than 25% of your total revenue.

This ensures that if one brand cuts commissions, your overall income remains stable.

Email List Building

Email subscribers are much more valuable than cold traffic because they have already shown interest and trust in your brand.

You can build this list by offering lead magnets, such as comparison checklists, budget guides, and exclusive-deal alerts.

Once subscribers are signed up, keep them interested with a mix of monthly unboxing recaps, exclusive discount codes, and seasonal gift guides.

During the critical fourth quarter, you can send emails weekly.

Generally, however, keep the balance at 70% educational and 30% promotional to avoid tiring your subscribers.

Content Refresh System

Since old content quickly becomes outdated, a quarterly refresh system is often more profitable than creating new posts alone.

• Q1: Audit your top 20 articles to update pricing, refresh promo codes, and check affiliate links.
• Q2: Shift focus to summer content and Father’s Day guides.
• Q3: Prepare holiday content to ensure it ranks in time for the shopping season.
• Q4: Maximize seasonal traffic with last-minute gift ideas and active management of banners and dates.

Growth Metrics and Scaling

Successful scaling requires tracking your growth across specific phases:

1. Foundational Phase (Months 1–6): Focus on creating core reviews and joining programs to reach 50–100 daily visitors.
2. Momentum Phase (Months 7–12): Content growth kicks in. Focus on updates and email growth to drive income toward $1,000–$2,500 monthly.
3. Scaling Phase (Months 13–24): Aged content ranks higher and recurring commissions create a snowball effect. Referring new subscribers while still earning on past referrals can lead to income over $3,000–$10,000 per month.

Wondering why months 4-6 feel so slow? Most affiliates quit during this phase when traffic is growing but income is still low.

Bottom line: Understand these growth phases so you don’t give up right before momentum hits.

We’ve seen UpPromote affiliates reach $6,000+/month by Month 18—but only because they pushed through the slow middle phase.

How Do Subscription Box Affiliate Payments and Taxes Work?

Subscription box affiliate payments usually arrive monthly via direct deposit or PayPal.

These payments typically settle 30 to 60 days after you earn the commission (known as NET+30 or NET+60 terms).

Before funds are released, you generally must meet a minimum payout threshold, usually between $50 and $100.

For U.S. affiliates, earning more than $600 a year from a single program triggers a 1099-MISC tax form. This requires you to make quarterly estimated tax payments.

To offset your taxable income, you must diligently track business expenses, such as:

• Home office costs
• Software subscriptions
• Content creation tools

Payment Schedules and Methods

Most subscription box affiliate programs operate on strict NET+30 or NET+60 terms. This means commissions earned in January will not be deposited until late February or late March.

Direct deposit is the standard method and requires bank account verification.

Some programs offer PayPal, but paper checks are becoming rare because of processing delays.

Payments depend on meeting minimum thresholds—commonly $50 for networks like ShareASale or $100 for direct programs.

If your earnings fall below this amount, the balance rolls over to the next month until you hit the mark.

This structure highlights the importance of strategy. Earning small amounts across many scattered programs can delay payment for months.

However, focusing your efforts within a single network can help you hit payout thresholds faster.

Recurring Commission Tracking

One of the most powerful parts of the subscription box model is the potential for recurring commissions, offered by merchants like FabFitFun and Ipsy. Under this model, you get paid every month. This includes commissions for new subscribers and existing subscribers from past referrals who remain active.

This creates a compounding income effect. For example:

You refer 10 subscribers in Month 1 & 15 new subscribers in Month 2.

If 9 of the original users stay active, you are paid for 15 (M2) + 9 (M1 renewers) = 24 total active subscriptions.

This layering allows consistent affiliates to scale their income significantly over time.

As the base of recurring payments grows larger than the income from new sales alone, monthly income can often reach $5,000 to $10,000.

Chargeback and Refund Policies

Affiliates must also account for refunds and chargebacks.

If a customer cancels within the standard refund window (usually 30 days) or initiates a credit card chargeback, that commission is typically reversed and deducted from your future earnings.

While a chargeback rate of 2–5% is standard, exceeding a 10% rate can be dangerous.

High reversal rates often signal low-quality traffic or misleading promotion, which may result in an account review or termination.

To lower this risk for the merchant, many programs use “commission validation periods.” This locks funds for 30 to 60 days to ensure the customer stays subscribed before you get paid.

Tax Obligations (US Focus)

For affiliates in the United States, tax compliance is a major responsibility.

Any program paying over $600 annually will file a 1099-MISC form with the IRS. However, you are legally required to report all affiliate income, even if you don’t receive a form.

If your net profit exceeds $1,000, the IRS generally requires quarterly estimated tax payments submitted in April, June, September, and January.

These payments usually amount to 25–30% of your net profit.

To lower this tax burden, you should track all valid business expenses, including:

• Home office usage
• Internet costs
• Website hosting
• Subscription boxes purchased for review

Most affiliates start as sole proprietorships, paying both income tax and the 15.3% self-employment tax. Higher earners often switch to an S-Corp structure to optimize their taxes.

International Affiliates

For affiliates outside the US, tax and payment details differ significantly.

Most US-based companies require international partners to file a W-8BEN form. This prevents a mandatory 30% withholding tax on your payments.

Also, affiliates in regions like the European Union may need to register for VAT once earnings hit specific country limits.

Since direct deposit is often restricted to US bank accounts, international creators typically rely on third-party services to receive funds, such as: PayPal, Payoneer, or Wise.

It is important to factor in currency conversion fees, which typically range from 2–4%, when calculating your actual take-home revenue.

Always consult with a local tax professional to handle specific local laws.

What Are Common Mistakes When Promoting Subscription Box Affiliates?

Common mistakes in subscription box affiliate marketing range from promoting products without trying them to skipping the critical “comparison” stage.

Other big errors include missing seasonal sales cycles, ignoring the fear of recurring payments, and letting content sit with outdated pricing. All of these can severely hurt conversion rates.

Promoting Untried Programs

One of the worst mistakes an affiliate can make is writing reviews for boxes they have never tested.

Smart audiences can easily spot generic descriptions taken straight from brand websites. These lack the details of a real user experience.

Authentic content needs to discuss details like:

• Packaging quality
• Scent
• Product sizing
• Actual value versus claimed value

Without this level of detail, conversion rates can drop by 40–60% compared to authentic unboxings.

To stay credible, you should subscribe to the services you promote for a few months or ask for press samples.

If that isn’t possible, partner with other creators for real insights.

This is far better than using stock photos, as readers are looking for visual proof of value before buying.

Single-Program Promotion

Relying only on single-product reviews limits both your audience and your search visibility.

A user searching for “best beauty boxes” wants options and context, not just a sales pitch for one brand like Ipsy.

As a result, comparison articles tend to convert at a much higher rate (6–9%) than single reviews (3–4%). They capture broader searches and make you look like an unbiased advisor.

A better strategy is to build comparisons that review three to five programs side-by-side. Categorize them by budget or specific needs (e.g., “Best for New Parents” vs. “Best for Toddlers”).

This captures high-intent traffic while still letting you promote individual programs.

Ignoring Seasonal Timing

Failing to match your content with seasonal trends is a huge missed opportunity.

The fourth quarter (Q4) often makes up 50–60% of annual sales due to gift-giving.

A common mistake is publishing holiday guides in December.

This is far too late for search engines to rank the content.

To capture this traffic, publish seasonal content two to three months in advance.

For example, release holiday guides in July or August and Mother’s Day content in early spring.

Also, do not create new URLs every year. Instead, update your existing seasonal guides (e.g., changing a “2024 Gift Guide” to “2025”) to keep your ranking power.

Not Addressing Subscription Hesitation

Unlike one-time purchases, subscription boxes carry the weight of a recurring commitment. Ignoring a reader’s fear of being “locked in” can cut conversion rates by nearly half.

To fight this “subscription hesitation,” your reviews should clearly address flexibility. Do not bury it in the fine print. You must highlight features like:

• “Skip a month” options
• Clear billing cycles
• Easy online cancellation methods (no awkward phone calls)

Frame the offer as a low-risk trial.

Suggest they use a discount code for the first box with the freedom to cancel immediately.

You can also promote fixed-term gift subscriptions to make it easier for them to sign up.

Outdated Content

Finally, letting content sit with old pricing, expired codes, or old photos is a silent conversion killer.

If a reader clicks a link expecting one price but finds a higher one at checkout, trust is broken.

The sale is usually lost. Also, search engines tend to lower the rank of articles that look neglected.

To stop this, use a strict quarterly audit system. You should check current pricing, test affiliate links, and refresh images with recent unboxing examples.

Updating the “Last Updated” date shows freshness to algorithms. It can often recover 20–30% of lost conversions with just an hour of work.

Conclusion

To build a successful subscription affiliate program, you need to focus on the core pillars.

It’s important to have a solid strategic foundation, a robust technical setup, proactive recruitment, and continuous engagement.

And, UpPromote can be your great assistant in doing all of these tasks.