Earnings in affiliate marketing – how much can you earn? From a few zlotys to several tens of thousands per month!

People are increasingly asking the same question: “How much can you really earn from affiliation?” It’s one thing to know how the system works, and another to see if you can realistically make a living from it. The internet is full of stories about five-figure transfers from affiliate programs, but also tales of those who made only 15 PLN in six months. The difference? It’s usually not about luck, but strategy. This post was created to give you a real picture of what affiliate marketing earnings look like, what influences them, and what you can expect if you really want to take this seriously.

From a few cents to tens of thousands – what really influences earnings in affiliation?

How much you earn depends on so many factors that it’s impossible to provide a single concrete number. But you can talk about a certain range and the variables that shape it. Affiliate earnings are directly linked to the niche you’re in, the type of products you’re promoting, and the scale of your reach. 

• By promoting inexpensive items with low margins (e.g., books, small gadgets), you can expect 2–5% of the transaction value, which, without significant traffic, results in rather symbolic amounts. 
• On the other hand, there are affiliates who, by operating in the B2B sector, software or online courses, can pull 30–50% from a single sale worth several thousand PLN. 

Earnings from affiliate links can range from a few dozen PLN per month to tens of thousands – and it’s not an exaggeration, it’s a matter of scale, strategy, and topic.

Earnings in affiliate marketing – not all commissions are the same. How much can you earn promoting a course, credit, or blender?

Here, details make a difference. If you promote, for example, business software, where one recommendation means the sale of a tool for 1000–2000 PLN and you get 30–50% commission – you don’t need hundreds of clicks to see tangible money. Comparatively: if you recommend a book for 40 PLN and earn 5%, you pneed dozens or even hundreds of sales to make anything substantial. 

In the CPL model (cost per lead), you can get 50–200 PLN for one registration in a bank, financial comparison site, or subscription service. Major affiliate platforms operating in Poland – like Ceneo, Convertiser, or Admitad – have various models, but you decide what to promote and how. Affiliate earnings can thus range from 2 PLN to 3000 PLN per recommendation, depending on the product and compensation model. You just need to know what to choose.

10,000 PLN monthly from affiliation? Yes, but only if you know how to generate traffic

For affiliation to start bringing in significant money, having a good product and commission is not enough. The key is traffic – the number of people who see your content and click the link. Organic traffic from SEO accounts for up to 60–80% of top affiliates’ earnings. If your website generates 50,000 unique visits per month, you can expect revenues of about 10,000–30,000 PLN per month, with a conversion rate of 2–5%. For YouTube or TikTok, conversions can be even higher – reaching up to 7%, because people trust “live” recommendations more. Sure, it doesn’t happen overnight. But if someone truly wants to work seriously with affiliation, it’s building traffic and conversions that’s the most important task. Because that’s what determines your  earnings in affiliate marketing, regardless of the industry.

Does the compensation model matter? Differences between CPS, CPL, and hybrid, which impact your wallet

Not every settlement model works the same.  CPS – or commission per sale – is the most classic and common model. It works well if you’re promoting things people actually want to buy and you have good content. But if you’re operating in a sector where sales don’t happen right away (e.g., insurance, credits), CPL works better, i.e., payment for a “lead”, or customer data. There are also hybrids, like RevShare – mainly used in casinos and SaaS applications – where you receive a percentage of the company’s profit from the referred user for the entire duration of their activity. This model can be slower initially but more stable in the long term.  Choosing a model directly affects your earnings from affiliate links, so before picking a program – consider which type best fits your target audience and promotion method.

How much do the best affiliates earn? Real examples, numbers, and strategies from the Polish market

In Poland, there are many people who treat affiliation as a regular business – and they make concrete money from it.  According to data from Amazon Associates, the average annual income of active partners in Poland is 323,144 PLN, and the best surpass a million annually. In the Ceneo program, it’s possible to earn  up to 65% commission on sales, which on a large scale results in substantial amounts – we’re talking about 30–50 thousand PLN monthly, mainly in the electronics industry. In online courses, affiliates earn even  3,500 PLN from one sale, if they wisely promote more expensive training and operate in a well-established niche. These are not legends – these are specifics from partnership program reports and case studies available online. Sure, not everyone will earn that much. But if  affiliate marketing earnings are to be more than just a supplement,  you need to act like an entrepreneur, not a random “linker.”

Want more than “a few hundreds”? Here’s what people who live off affiliation full-time do

There is money in affiliation, but only where there’s  strategy, diversification, and data analysis.  People who regularly pull 10-50 thousand PLN monthly don’t operate in one channel.  They combine a blog, YouTube channel, mailings, collaborations with other creators, and sometimes paid campaigns.  They introduce automation – for example, with tools like Senuto for SEO analysis, or platforms for automatic newsletters. Many operate in niches where few venture – like specialized software, tools for businesses, or start-up financing. But it’s not just about the niche.  Affiliate earnings grow when you treat it like a business – testing, optimizing, learning, and adapting to changes.  Then this work truly pays off – and provides the independence many people seek.

RefSpace – if you want to earn like in affiliation, but without losses on commissions

Earning from affiliation can bring real money, but many creators lose even 30-50% of commissions due to expired cookies, adblockers, and lack of full control over tracking sales. That’s why more people are choosing RefSpace – the platform that works similarly to affiliation  (you earn by recommending other people’s products), but offers much greater transparency and capabilities.

Instead of posting links, you create your own Space  – a profile + free online shop, where you can add ready-made products from other brands (or your own) and connect them with video.  All sales are tracked directly in your panel – they don’t disappear due to browser blocks or cookies. What’s more, you can add a buy now button directly under your video, and if you operate on YouTube – products from your Space will automatically appear under your content.

Example? See how Leszkomoto TV does it:
Shop: refspace.com/leszkomototv/shop
YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@leszkomototv

RefSpace combines video and your own store – with greater control, better results, and a space you fully build under your brand.

🔍 Affiliation vs RefSpace – which gives you more?

✅ Function / Feature	💸 Affiliation	🚀 RefSpace
Earning without own products	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Commission for each sale	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Online store with products	❌ None	✅ Ready, hassle-free store
Transaction visibility in panel	❌ Limited, dependent on cookies	✅ Full – every sale tracked
No issues with adbl🍏ocks/cookies	❌ Often lose 30–50% commission	✅ Nothing lost – full tracking
Possibility to add video and description	🟡 Sometimes – depending on platform	✅ Yes – videos + „Buy” button
YouTube integration	❌ None	✅ Products visible under video
Building a personal brand	🟡 Limited	✅ Own Space – Your style and offer
Possibility to sell own services (e.g., consultations)	❌ No	✅ Yes – through product MeetMe
Ready tools and automation	🟡 Depends on program	✅ Everything in one place