# How creators make money from discount codes

Canonical: https://usecode.sh/guides/make-money-from-discount-codes
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13

A discount code pays a creator in one of four ways: a commission per redemption when the code is commissionable, commission through the link it travels with, a flat campaign fee where the code mostly measures your impact, or indirectly, as the performance evidence that gets you the next, better deal. Knowing which mode a deal is in tells you what to negotiate and what to measure.

## The four modes

| Mode | You are paid | Watch out for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Commissionable code | Per redemption, click or not; platforms like ShopMy and Shopify Collabs support this natively, with creator rates on ShopMy commonly 10 to 30% | Confirm redemption-based attribution in writing; ask how coupon-site leakage is handled |
| Code plus affiliate link | Commission on the link; the code is the buyer's discount | Buyers who type the code without clicking earn you nothing in this mode; push to upgrade the code itself |
| Flat-fee campaign | Fixed amount for content; the code measures performance | Your redemption numbers set your next rate, so track your side of them |
| Reputation | Not directly; strong code performance is your pitch material | Only works if you can show numbers; see [reporting engagement to brands](/guides/report-code-engagement-to-brands) |

## Getting from mode 2 to mode 1

The most common upgrade conversation: you have a code-plus-link deal, your audience types codes rather than clicking, and the brand's click data undercounts you. The ask is specific: make the code commissionable so redemptions credit me directly. Brands on ShopMy or Shopify can flip that setting; direct brands can usually mirror it in their store. Your evidence is your copy counts against their redemption counts, which is exactly the gap described in [copies vs clicks](/guides/code-copies-vs-link-clicks).

## Honest expectations

- Nothing here promises income; rates and results vary by niche, audience, and deal, and any guide claiming otherwise is selling something.
- Every paid or free-product relationship behind a code you share requires disclosure; the rules are in [how to disclose affiliate codes](/guides/disclose-affiliate-codes).
- Codes expire and leak; management is part of the job, covered in [managing expired codes](/guides/manage-expired-creator-codes).

## Related guides

- [How influencer promo codes actually work](https://usecode.sh/guides/how-influencer-promo-codes-work)
  Who creates the code, how the discount and the commission are configured, how attribution happens, and where the creator fits in the chain.
- [Do creators earn commission when someone uses the code without clicking?](https://usecode.sh/guides/code-commission-without-click)
  It depends entirely on how the deal attributes: commissionable codes pay on redemption with no click; link-only deals pay nothing for typed codes. How to tell which you have.
- [Promo code vs affiliate link: how each one pays you](https://usecode.sh/guides/promo-code-vs-affiliate-link)
  Codes and links attribute differently, pay differently, and fail differently. What creators should know before leaning on either one.
- [How to report promo-code engagement to brands](https://usecode.sh/guides/report-code-engagement-to-brands)
  A reporting format that makes brands trust your numbers: views, taps, and copies clearly labeled as engagement, lined up against their redemptions.
- [How to disclose affiliate codes and commissions](https://usecode.sh/guides/disclose-affiliate-codes)
  The FTC says a personalized discount code is not, by itself, adequate disclosure. What US creators must disclose, where, and in what words, sourced to the rules.
- [How usecode.sh works alongside ShopMy](https://usecode.sh/compare/shopmy)
  ShopMy issues commissionable discount codes; a code page is where followers actually see them. The division of labor between the two.

## Sources

- [ShopMy for creators (commission ranges)](https://shopmy.us/home/creators) (verified 2026-08-13)
- [Shopify Help: Collabs programs (merchant-set commission and codes)](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/promoting-marketing/collabs/merchants/collabs-programs) (verified 2026-08-13)