Going global is the natural next step once your affiliate program works in your home market. International affiliates give you access to local audiences through local voices — the most effective way to build trust in markets where your brand is unknown.
This guide covers:
- How to choose which markets to prioritise first
- Where to find local affiliates and how to recruit them
- How to handle commission rates and payouts across currencies
- What to prepare before you launch in a new market
Choosing Markets to Expand Into
Prioritise markets based on:
Existing organic demand: Check your analytics for countries that already generate installs without local marketing. Organic interest signals product-market fit before you've spent anything on local acquisition.
Market size and spending power: English-speaking markets (UK, Canada, Australia) are easiest to enter first. Then consider Germany, France, Japan, Brazil, and India based on your app category.
App store availability: Ensure your app is available and functional in target markets before recruiting affiliates there.
Competition level: Markets where competitors haven't established affiliate programs represent an opportunity to move first.
Payment infrastructure: Can you pay affiliates in target markets? Stripe Connect and PayPal cover most countries.
A rough prioritisation framework to test against:
| Market tier | Examples | Why start here? |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — English-speaking | UK, Canada, Australia | Shared language, similar spending power; easy to adapt existing creatives |
| Tier 2 — High-income non-English | Germany, France, Japan, Switzerland | Strong app economies; need localised materials before launch |
| Tier 3 — High-volume emerging | Brazil, India, Indonesia | Large audiences, lower price points; require PPP-adjusted commission rates |
Recruiting Local Affiliates
International affiliate recruitment requires local knowledge:
Search in the local language: Search for blogs, YouTube channels, and social media creators in the target market's language. A Japanese fitness blogger will reach Japanese users more effectively than an English-language one.
Use local platforms: Different markets favour different platforms. LINE in Japan, WeChat in China, VK in Russia. Find where your target audience congregates.
Partner with local agencies: In markets where you lack connections, local affiliate or influencer agencies can recruit partners on your behalf.
Leverage existing affiliates' networks: Some of your current affiliates may have connections in other markets. Ask for introductions.
Commission Adjustments by Market
Not all markets support the same commission economics:
Lower-priced markets: If you use PPP-adjusted pricing (lower subscription prices in lower-income countries), commission rates may need to be higher percentages to maintain attractive absolute payouts. As a starting point to test: if your price in a market is 30–50% lower than your home-market rate, keeping the commission percentage the same (or raising it slightly) tends to keep affiliate payouts competitive in absolute terms.
Higher-priced markets: Markets like Switzerland, Norway, and Australia may support standard or slightly lower percentage rates because the subscription price itself is higher.
Currency considerations: Pay affiliates in their local currency when possible. Absorb currency conversion fees rather than passing them to partners.
Localisation for Affiliate Materials
Provide localised resources for international affiliates:
- Translated product descriptions and key selling points
- Market-specific screenshots showing the app in the local language
- Local pricing information
- Culturally appropriate imagery and messaging
You do not need to localise everything at once. Start with key markets and expand materials based on affiliate feedback and performance.
Before You Launch in a New Market
Before recruiting affiliates in a new country, work through this checklist:
- App is live and functional on the local app store
- You can process payouts to affiliates in that country (Stripe Connect or PayPal)
- Key creative assets are translated or adapted for the market
- Commission rates reflect local pricing (with PPP adjustments if needed)
- Your program terms include country-specific disclosure guidance for affiliates
Handling Multi-Currency Commissions
Insert Affiliate tracks conversions in the currency of the transaction. When calculating commissions:
- Commission is a percentage of the actual transaction amount (in whatever currency the user paid)
- Payouts can be initiated in the affiliate's preferred currency through Stripe Connect
- Currency conversion happens at payout time, not at transaction time
Affiliate Disclosure by Market
Most markets require affiliates to clearly disclose their relationship with your brand when promoting your app. Requirements vary by country — what's expected in the US differs from the UK or Germany. Include country-specific disclosure guidance in your program terms and provide affiliates with template language they can adapt for their market. This keeps your program compliant and builds trust with the audiences your affiliates reach.
Measuring International Performance
Track performance by market:
- Revenue per market
- Active affiliates per market
- Conversion rates by market
- Commission costs as a percentage of revenue per market
- User quality (30-day retention and LTV) by market
As a starting point for what to look for: affiliate-acquired users in a new market should retain at a similar rate to your home-market baseline. If 30-day retention is running 20–30% below that baseline, that typically points to a localisation gap or the wrong affiliate partners — worth investigating before scaling spend. Markets showing strong affiliate economics deserve more investment; markets with poor unit economics usually need pricing or commission adjustments before you push further.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I manage affiliates across multiple countries from one dashboard? With Insert Affiliate, each affiliate gets their own referral link and commission rate regardless of where they're based. You set rates per affiliate to reflect local market conditions, and payouts go to each affiliate through their preferred payment method.
Should I use the same commission rate globally? Not necessarily. Markets with lower subscription prices typically need a higher commission percentage to keep absolute payouts attractive for affiliates. Use your home-market rate as a baseline, then adjust per market based on local price points.
How do I pay international affiliates? Through Stripe Connect or PayPal, which cover most countries. When you're ready to pay, it's one click per affiliate — payouts are not automatic, so you review and approve each one before it goes out.
What's the fastest way to test a new market? Recruit 2–3 local affiliates, give them 60–90 days, and compare conversion rates and retention against your home-market benchmarks. Treat the first cohort as a test, not a commitment. Scale only once the unit economics are confirmed.
When should I invest in localising my marketing materials? Start with the minimum — a translated product description or one-pager. Once a market shows real performance (affiliates converting and users retaining), invest in fuller localisation. Localising before you've validated the market risks spending resources on something that hasn't proven out yet.
👉 See Insert Affiliate's docs for how to set per-affiliate commission rates and manage multi-market programs, or book a call to walk through your international expansion plan.