FirstPromoter

Overview

FirstPromoter is an affiliate and referral tracking platform built specifically for subscription-based businesses, with a strong focus on SaaS companies. Founded in 2017 by Igil Webs SRL in Transylvania, Romania, the platform has helped businesses launch and manage performance-based marketing programs with automated tracking, commission management, and payout processing. The platform integrates natively with major billing providers including Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly, and Braintree, making it suitable for businesses that operate on subscription models.

What differentiates FirstPromoter from generic affiliate software is its deep integration with subscription billing systems and its ability to track recurring revenue, not just one-time transactions. The platform automatically adjusts commissions for billing events like upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, and refunds, which is particularly valuable for businesses where customer lifetime value matters more than initial conversion. For newsletter creators who monetize through paid subscriptions, premium memberships, or digital products, FirstPromoter provides the infrastructure to build an affiliate program where partners earn commissions on both initial subscriptions and recurring payments. This makes it possible to incentivize affiliates to promote quality subscribers who stick around, rather than just driving one-time signups.

Best For

FirstPromoter is ideal for newsletter creators and content businesses that operate on subscription models and want to grow through affiliate or referral marketing. The platform works particularly well for paid newsletter publishers, membership communities, online course creators, and digital product sellers who use Stripe or similar payment processors and need to track recurring revenue from affiliate referrals. Newsletter creators who have an engaged audience and want to turn readers, customers, or industry partners into active promoters will find FirstPromoter provides the technical infrastructure to run a professional affiliate program without requiring developers or complex custom implementations.

Key Features

• Subscription Revenue Tracking: FirstPromoter automatically tracks both one-time and recurring charges from affiliate referrals, adjusting commissions for upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, and refunds without manual intervention. This subscription-aware tracking ensures newsletter creators only pay commissions on confirmed payments and can reward affiliates for bringing subscribers who maintain their memberships over time, aligning affiliate incentives with long-term business growth.

• Native Billing Integration: The platform integrates directly with Stripe, Paddle, Chargebee, Recurly, and Braintree, allowing newsletter creators to set up affiliate tracking in under five minutes without writing code or installing complex scripts. These native integrations automatically sync subscription data, making it easy to attribute new subscribers to specific affiliates and track the full customer lifecycle from initial signup through renewal and potential cancellation.

• Customizable Commission Structures: FirstPromoter supports flexible commission models including flat fees, percentage-based rewards, multi-tier structures, and performance bonuses that can be customized for individual affiliates. Newsletter creators can design commission schemes that reward affiliates for bringing annual subscribers more generously than monthly ones, or create special incentive tiers for top performers, allowing sophisticated reward strategies that match business objectives.

• Automated Payout Management: The platform handles mass affiliate payouts through PayPal or Wise with one-click batch processing, eliminating the need to manually calculate and send individual payments. Newsletter creators pay one consolidated invoice to FirstPromoter, and the platform manages the distribution to all affiliates, ensuring compliance and reducing administrative overhead that would otherwise take hours each month.

• Branded Affiliate Dashboard: Affiliates receive access to a customizable dashboard where they can view real-time statistics, track their earnings, access promotional materials, and generate referral links. Newsletter creators can white-label this dashboard with their own domain, logo, and color scheme, creating a professional experience that reinforces their brand rather than looking like a generic third-party tool.

• Multiple Tracking Methods: FirstPromoter supports various tracking approaches including direct referral links, coupon codes, unique URLs assigned to specific affiliates, and sub-ID tracking for A/B testing across different channels. This flexibility allows newsletter creators to let affiliates choose their preferred promotion method, whether sharing links on social media, using discount codes in YouTube videos, or leveraging unique landing pages for their audience.

• Advanced Fraud Protection: The platform includes built-in fraud detection features such as self-referral detection, ad-traffic monitoring, and automatic tracking of chargebacks and refunds. These safeguards protect newsletter creators from paying commissions on fraudulent or low-quality referrals, ensuring the affiliate program remains profitable and attracts legitimate partners who drive real subscriber growth.

• Comprehensive Analytics: FirstPromoter provides detailed reporting across 18 data points including referral revenue, customer churn, conversion rates, and individual affiliate performance, with data exportable in CSV or JSON formats. Newsletter creators can analyze which affiliates drive the highest lifetime value subscribers, identify trends over time, and make data-driven decisions about program optimization and resource allocation.

Pricing

FirstPromoter offers three pricing tiers based on the monthly revenue generated from affiliate programs. The Starter plan costs $49 per month for businesses generating up to $5,000 monthly from affiliates, including up to 1,000 affiliates and 2 campaigns. The Business plan costs $99 per month for up to $15,000 in monthly affiliate revenue, offering unlimited affiliates and campaigns plus advanced features like automated PayPal payouts. The Enterprise plan starts at $149 per month for businesses generating over $30,000 monthly from affiliates, adding custom onboarding fields, bonus incentive structures, and premium support. All plans include a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, allowing newsletter creators to test the platform before committing to a paid subscription.