HighLevel's Two-Tier Affiliate Commissions: Getting Paid on the Affiliates You Recruit
Most HighLevel affiliates focus on one thing: referring agencies and businesses that sign up for HighLevel. That's where the 40% recurring commission comes from. But there's a second layer most people ignore. When you bring other affiliates into the program and they make sales, HighLevel pays you a smaller commission on those too.
This guide explains how HighLevel's two-tier commissions work, what the affiliate agreement actually says and how to recruit other affiliates in a way that helps them instead of spamming them.
Disclosure: I'm a HighLevel affiliate. Links to HighLevel in this post are affiliate links, including a recruitment link for the affiliate program. I may earn a commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you.
TLDR
- A second-tier commission is what you earn when an affiliate you recruited makes a sale.
- The HighLevel affiliate agreement (last updated April 2023) lists a 5% second-tier commission on Single Location, Agency Unlimited, Agency Pro (SaaS) and White Label Mobile App sales.
- The same rules apply as on your first tier: the 45-day good-standing rule, the $50 payout minimum and deductions for refunds and chargebacks.
- You recruit with a separate recruitment link that sends people to the affiliate signup page, not the product page.
- The best recruits are people who already talk to agencies. Help them succeed and the second tier takes care of itself.
Free to join, 40% recurring on your own referrals. Sign up as an affiliate
What Is a Second-Tier Commission?
In a two-tier affiliate program, you earn on two levels:
- Tier one: customers you refer directly with your own affiliate link. With HighLevel, that's the 40% recurring commission.
- Tier two: customers referred by affiliates you recruited. You earn a smaller percentage on their sales, on top of what they earn themselves.
Your recruit's commission isn't reduced. HighLevel pays the second-tier commission separately, so recruiting someone doesn't take anything away from them.
For the basics of the program itself, start with our HighLevel affiliate program guide and the 40% recurring commission, explained honestly.
How Does HighLevel's Two-Tier Setup Work?
The rate
Section 3 of the affiliate agreement lists a 5% second-tier commission, "applicable to all approved Affiliates," on four account types: Single Location, Agency Unlimited, Agency Pro (SaaS) and the White Label Mobile App upgrade.
At list prices, here's what 5% looks like per sale your recruits make:
| Plan | Monthly price | Your 5% second tier |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $97 | $4.85 a month |
| Unlimited | $297 | $14.85 a month |
| Agency Pro | $497 | $24.85 a month |
Small per sale, but it adds up across several active recruits. It's a bonus layer, not a replacement for your own referrals.
How long it lasts
The agreement doesn't spell out whether second-tier commissions recur for the life of the customer, and it says commission rates "may change from time to time." Treat your affiliate dashboard as the source of truth for what you're actually earning, and ask your affiliate manager if you need a firm answer.
The same payout rules apply
Second-tier commissions follow the same conditions as your own, which we covered in HighLevel affiliate payouts explained:
- A commission is only earned once the customer's account stays in good standing for at least 45 days.
- Your combined balance needs to reach $50 before a payout is sent, and balances that don't reach $50 within 120 days are forfeited.
- Refunds and chargebacks are deducted from future payouts.
Which link to use
Recruiting uses a different link from your normal affiliate link. HighLevel's affiliate program runs on FirstPromoter, where the recruitment link works like a referral link but sends visitors to the affiliate signup page instead of the product. When someone joins through it, they're linked to you as your sub-affiliate.
- Customer link: sends people to HighLevel to start a trial. Use it when you're recommending the software.
- Recruitment link: sends people to the affiliate signup. Use it only when you're inviting someone to become an affiliate.
Mixing them up is the most common mistake. A business owner who signs up through your recruitment link becomes an affiliate, not a customer.
One Rule to Know Before You Recruit
The agreement also says: "Unless otherwise agreed upon in writing by HighLevel, you may not promote through a sub-affiliate network." In plain terms, inviting people to join HighLevel's own program through your recruitment link is what the second tier is for. Building your own downline, where you pay other people to push your personal affiliate link, is not.
The usual prohibitions apply to recruiting too: no spam, no misleading claims and no brand bidding, which we covered in the HighLevel brand bidding policy. If you're unsure whether something is allowed, ask your affiliate manager before you do it.
Who Should You Recruit?
The best second-tier recruits already have an audience of agencies or small business owners. They just haven't joined the program yet.
- Agency owners who already use HighLevel and get asked "what do you use?" by other agencies.
- Freelancers and consultants who set up HighLevel for clients and could earn on the accounts they already recommend.
- Course creators and YouTubers in the marketing and agency space.
- Snapshot and template sellers, whose buyers need a HighLevel account anyway.
The worst recruits are people with no audience who join because they heard about "passive income." They rarely make a sale, so they rarely earn you anything either.
How Do You Recruit Without Being Spammy?
Recruiting works when you share what actually works for you. A few approaches that hold up:
- Show your process. Write or record how you promote HighLevel: which content brings signups, which offers convert and what didn't work. Put the recruitment link at the end for people who want to try it themselves.
- Help agencies monetize what they already do. An agency that already sets up HighLevel for clients is leaving commissions on the table. Point that out, once, with the numbers.
- Build tools your recruits can use. Our affiliate revenue calculator and the zero-to-SaaS blueprint are the kind of resources that make it easier for a new affiliate to get their first sale.
- Stay available. Answer questions in a community. Ours is r/highlevelaffiliates.
What not to do: mass DMs, "make money online" pitches or income claims you can't back up. They break the agreement's spam rules and they attract exactly the recruits who never sell.
Tracking Second-Tier Earnings in Your Dashboard
The affiliate dashboard is where you'll see your second-tier activity. In FirstPromoter-based programs, affiliates with multi-tier commissions get a sub-affiliates area where they can find their recruitment link and see the affiliates linked to them. Check it monthly:
- How many affiliates have joined through your recruitment link.
- Which of them have made sales, and the second-tier commissions those sales generated.
- Pending versus approved commissions, since the 45-day rule applies here too.
If a recruit says they signed up through your link but they don't show up, contact affiliate support. Don't assume, and don't promise recruits anything the dashboard doesn't show.
Join free, share the trial with businesses and the program with other affiliates. Become a HighLevel affiliate
More for HighLevel Affiliates
- HighLevel AI Agent Studio: a feature worth showing prospects.
- When the 40% actually gets paid: last Sunday's summary on LinkedIn.
- The 72 hours after a trial class: yesterday's industry edition on beehiiv, a good example of content that brings in customers.
- Agence Vesta on LinkedIn: follow for weekly affiliate notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does HighLevel have a two-tier affiliate program?
Yes. The HighLevel affiliate agreement lists a 5% second-tier commission, applicable to all approved affiliates, on Single Location, Agency Unlimited, Agency Pro (SaaS) and White Label Mobile App upgrade sales made by affiliates you recruit.
How much is HighLevel's second-tier commission?
5%. At list prices, that's $4.85 a month on a Starter account, $14.85 on Unlimited and $24.85 on Agency Pro, for each sale your recruits make.
Does my second-tier commission reduce my recruit's earnings?
No. Your recruit still earns their full commission. The second-tier commission is paid to you separately.
How do I recruit other HighLevel affiliates?
Use your recruitment link, which sends people to the affiliate signup page rather than the product. Anyone who joins through it is linked to you as a sub-affiliate. Keep using your normal affiliate link for customers.
Are HighLevel second-tier commissions recurring?
The affiliate agreement doesn't say how long second-tier commissions last, and rates can change. Check your affiliate dashboard for what you're actually earning, and ask your affiliate manager if you need a firm answer.
Can I build my own sub-affiliate network?
Not without HighLevel's written agreement. The affiliate agreement says you may not promote through a sub-affiliate network unless HighLevel agrees in writing. Recruiting people into HighLevel's own program with your recruitment link is the intended way to earn on the second tier.