# Affiliates
URL: https://openship.io/docs/guides/affiliates.md

Share OpenShip Cloud, track recurring commissions and request reviewed cash payouts.

Open **Affiliates** in your Cloud account to join the available program. You can
create referral links and codes, offer a customer discount, follow verified
payments and request a cash payout.

The right column shows your program's commission budget, reward period and payout
minimum. These are your current terms; individual links can share part of the
commission with customers. On a small screen, this guidance appears below the list.

<img
  src="/docs/affiliates/join.png"
  alt="Affiliate enrollment with an illustrated introduction and program terms in the right column"
  width="1200"
/>

Screenshots in this guide use example customers, links and balances.

## Links and discounts

Select **Create link**. In the first step, use a discount shortcut or enter a
percentage. The preview shows your remaining commission. Choose **Next** to name
the link and review the available plans.
The customer discount comes from your commission budget. For example,
a 20% budget with a 5% customer discount leaves you 15% of the eligible subtotal.
Your program's actual percentage and reward duration appear before creation.

<img
  src="/docs/affiliates/create-discount.png"
  alt="First step of link creation showing discount shortcuts and the remaining commission"
  width="520"
/>

In the second step, **All eligible Cloud plans** includes current and future
eligible plans and intervals. Choose **Selected plans** to limit the link. Check
each monthly or yearly option independently; for example, clear the selection and
check only **Hobby · Yearly** for a yearly Hobby-only link. At least one combination
must be selected. These restrictions are saved and enforced by the checkout service.

Each plan has a card with independently selectable monthly and yearly options.
The whole option is clickable. It separates the customer's monthly or yearly charge
from your commission **per confirmed payment**. Earnings begin with the first payment;
there is no wait for the month or year to end. This is when earnings are credited,
not when a cash payout is sent. Link name and terms sit beside the cards on wider screens.
Yearly amounts cover the **full annual charge**, not a monthly equivalent. The
figures are estimates before refund adjustments; checkout verifies current prices.

Expiration is off by default. Enable **Set an expiration** to choose a future
date and time. This deadline stops new referrals from the link; it does not shorten
existing customers' reward periods. The reward period starts with each customer's
first eligible payment, independently of when you create the link.
Only paid renewals within that reward period earn commission. For example, a
12-month reward period covers the first annual payment; the renewal a year later
falls outside it. The cards show **First payment only** when the next renewal is
outside the program's window, and **First payment + eligible renewals** otherwise.

<img
  src="/docs/affiliates/create-link.png"
  alt="Wide link review with selectable plan cards, monthly and full-year earnings, and link settings beside them"
  width="1440"
/>

Your links appear in the **Links** tab, with their status, terms and copy actions.
If you have no links yet, the illustrated empty state offers **Create link** directly.

<img
  src="/docs/affiliates/empty-links.png"
  alt="Illustrated first-link empty state with Create link and the current program terms"
  width="1200"
/>

<img
  src="/docs/affiliates/dashboard.png"
  alt="Affiliate dashboard with available earnings, referral links and the program sidebar"
  width="1200"
/>

Share the link or code. The referral page shows eligible Cloud plans immediately.
The customer selects a plan and billing interval, then signs in or creates an
account to continue to checkout. The selected plan and referral are preserved;
there is no second plan-selection step. They can remove the referral before paying.
Revoking a link stops new referrals; accepted checkouts and existing referrals
retain their original terms. Create a new link to use different terms.

<img
  src="/docs/affiliates/referral-plans.png"
  alt="Public referral page showing the customer discount and Cloud plan cards with yearly billing selected"
  width="1200"
/>

Only qualifying monthly and annual Cloud compute plans participate, starting at
$10 per month equivalent. Manage, prepaid PAYG and credit top-ups are excluded.
You cannot refer yourself or a workspace you belong to.

## Customers and earnings

The customer list shows anonymized customers, paid periods, next renewal dates,
expiry and payment history. Earnings are recorded only after payment verification
and adjusted for refunds. Renewals earn commissions until the original reward
period ends; changing plans does not restart that period.

<img
  src="/docs/affiliates/customers.png"
  alt="Referred customers with paid cycles, earnings, renewal dates and payment history actions"
  width="1200"
/>

## Cash payouts

The default minimum is **$50**. Your current minimum appears beside your available
earnings; OpenShip may approve individual terms.

Open **Payouts → Add payout account** before requesting a payout. Supported manual
destinations are **PayPal**, **bank transfer**, **Wise**, and **Payoneer**, shown in
the right column. Select a payment method's logo card, then enter the account holder
name and the destination's details beside it.
PayPal accepts an email or a PayPal.Me link. Wise and Payoneer use the account email.
Bank transfers require bank country, bank name, account number or IBAN, routing
number or SWIFT/BIC, and the account holder's address.

<details>
  <summary>Bank transfer account details</summary>
  <img src="/docs/affiliates/bank-account.png" alt="Bank transfer account form with bank country, account and routing details" width="960" />
</details>

<img
  src="/docs/affiliates/payout-methods.png"
  alt="Payout history with a masked saved account and supported payment method logos in the right column"
  width="1200"
/>

<img
  src="/docs/affiliates/payout-account.png"
  alt="Manual payout account setup with the PayPal logo card selected beside recipient fields"
  width="960"
/>

This saves a manual payout destination; it does not sign in to the payment provider
or authorize a payment. Availability depends on the country, destination and
provider. OpenShip may contact you to verify details or arrange a Payoneer payment
request. Bank details are encrypted at rest; account and history views show a
masked summary. Never enter payment card numbers, CVV codes or provider passwords.

Once your available earnings reach the minimum, **Request payout** appears at the
top of the page. Open it, review the amount and submit. Pending requests reserve funds and
can be canceled before review starts. OpenShip reviews each request and contacts
you through your account email to verify payment details. The Payouts tab shows
pending, under review, paid, rejected and canceled requests.

Every request keeps the destination saved when it was submitted. Changing your
saved account affects new requests; it cannot redirect a request already awaiting
review. Legacy requests without a saved destination are resolved with support.

<img
  src="/docs/affiliates/request-payout.png"
  alt="Payout dialog showing available funds, the minimum and an editable cash payout amount"
  width="480"
/>

Available, pending and paid amounts are shown separately. Refunds can reduce the
available balance and prevent a pending payout from being approved. These are cash
requests, not automatic Cloud-credit purchases. Never share banking information
in a referral link or code.