Partner or Affiliate: two ways to earn with AFN
Both programs pay you to connect U.S. and Canadian business owners with funding from the largest business loan referral network in North America. The difference is how involved you want to be — and how you want to get paid.
Become a Partner if you have direct relationships with business owners and can help them through the application. You earn a revenue split on every funded deal.
Become an Affiliate if you have an audience, traffic, or tools that send interested business owners our way. You earn $150+ per qualified lead — no application work required.
* Advance Funds Network does not provide funding for startups.
Read qualification requirements here.
The fastest way to tell them apart
| Partner | Affiliate | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Brokers, ISOs, consultants, advisors, CPA’s | Marketers, publishers, content creators, SaaS/fintech |
| What you refer | A client ready to fund, application complete, financials in hand | Anyone interested in business funding |
| How you get paid | Revenue split on every funded deal | $150+ per qualified lead |
| When you get paid | When the client funds | The Monday after the lead is billable, usually within 48 hours |
| Your role after referral | Hands-on, you stay in the loop through funding | Hands-off, AFN takes over from there |
| Tools provided | White-label resources, partner support, real-time tracking | Tracking portal, landing pages, embeddable forms, lead-submission API, trackable call system |
| Earning ceiling | Unlimited, top partners earn six figures | Unlimited, paid on every qualified lead, no cap |
| Cost to join | Free | Free |
| Where to apply | Become a Partner | Become an Affiliate |
Not sure which path? Here's how to decide.
The choice usually comes down to two questions: do you have a direct relationship with the business owner, and how involved do you want to be in getting them funded? Follow the path below.
You’re not locked in. Plenty of AFN partners run both programs — they take on hands-on deals when the relationship calls for it and send pure-traffic leads through their affiliate link the rest of the time.
A closer look at both workflows
Same network, same funding products, two very different day-to-day experiences. Here’s what each one actually looks like once you’re signed up.
- Sign up and onboard. Apply online. No fees, no setup costs. A partner manager gets you set up with your portal and white-label resources.
- Identify a client. Most partners already work with small and mid-sized business owners — brokers, consultants, ISOs, accountants. Bring them to AFN when funding comes up.
- Submit the deal. Collect the application and financial documents (typically 3 months of business bank statements). Upload through your partner portal.
- AFN funds the client. Our funding advisors handle underwriting, offers, and closing. You stay in the loop on every step. Approved deals can fund the same day.
- Earn commission. When the client funds, you get paid a percentage of the deal. Top partners consistently generate six figures.
- Sign up and get approved. Apply online. No fees, no quotas, no exclusivity.
- Get your tools. Your affiliate dashboard gives you a tracking link, customizable landing pages, embeddable lead forms, UTM parameter support, a lead-submission API, and a trackable call system. Use whichever fits your channels.
- Send qualified traffic. Promote AFN to your audience however works best — blog posts, paid ads, email, embedded forms on your site, integrated calls, programmatic API submissions. We provide conversion-optimized landing pages if you’d rather not build your own.
- AFN validates leads. A submitted lead becomes billable once we verify it meets the criteria: U.S. or Canadian business, $25K+ in monthly bank deposits, 1+ year in business, 500+ credit score. Validation usually happens within 48 hours.
- Get paid weekly. Invoice us for your billable leads, and ACH payouts go out the following Monday. Track every lead, conversion, and payout in real time.
The AFN platform behind both programs
No matter which program fits, you’re plugging into the same infrastructure. Here’s what that means for the businesses you refer:
Funding products that close
Term loans, working capital, lines of credit, merchant cash advances, equipment financing, and debt consolidation — for businesses generating revenue, even ones turned down elsewhere. Approved deals can fund the same day.
18 years of track record
$1B+ funded since 2008. A team that does this every day, with the relationships and underwriting flexibility to get deals approved that other lenders pass on.
Real support, not a portal ticket
Partner managers and dedicated support reps with deep industry experience. Whether you’re a partner working a complex deal or an affiliate troubleshooting a tracking integration, someone picks up the phone.
Yes — you can run both programs
Plenty of people sign up for both. Use the partner program when you’ve got a hands-on relationship with a business owner and you want the bigger commission upside. Use your affiliate link or embedded form for the rest of your audience — the readers, viewers, or app users who aren’t direct clients but might still need funding.
Sign up for both with a single application and one partner manager.
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch from Affiliate to Partner (or vice versa)?
Yes. If you start as an affiliate and one of your leads turns into a relationship where you want to stay more involved, you can convert that deal to the partner side. Same in reverse — partners can use affiliate tools for traffic-driven leads that don’t justify a hands-on workflow. Talk to your partner manager.
Do I have to choose just one?
No. Many people run both. The application is the same; once you’re approved, your portal supports both workflows.
Which one pays more?
It depends on volume and deal size. Partners earn a percentage of every funded deal, which means a single funded client can pay more than dozens of leads. Affiliates earn $150+ per qualified lead, with no cap on volume and no dependence on whether the client ultimately funds. High-traffic affiliates often out-earn mid-volume partners. The right choice is the one that matches how you work.
Is there a quota or minimum?
No quotas, no minimums, no exclusivity. Refer one deal a year or one a day — either works.
What businesses qualify?
For an affiliate lead to be billable, the business needs to be in the U.S. or Canada, generating $25,000+ per month in business bank deposits, 1+ year in business, and have a credit score above 500. For partner deals, qualification is determined by the funding product — flexible across most revenue-generating businesses, even with credit challenges. AFN does not fund startups.
How fast do I get paid?
- Partners: When the client funds. Approved deals can fund the same day.
- Affiliates: Leads become billable within 48 hours of submission. ACH payouts go out the Monday after invoicing.
Is there a cost to join either program?
No. Both programs are free. No setup fees, no monthly costs, no hidden charges.
What if my referral doesn't have everything ready yet?
Send them through the affiliate program. AFN takes over the application work, and you still get paid once the lead qualifies.
What if I already have a client with their financials ready to go?
Run it through the partner program. The bigger payout reflects the work you’ve already done.
Sign up free. Start referring in minutes
Join the largest business loan referral network in the U.S. and Canada. Free to join, no quotas, no exclusivity, real support from a team that’s been doing this since 2008.
Not sure which one? Call (888) 800-9055 and a partner manager will help you pick.
