Choosing a theme that is both recession-proof and evergreen is a good strategy to start an affiliate site. Both of these criteria are met by the dating niche. Even if they can’t afford to do anything else, people need to build relationships. That’s why the online dating market is currently valued at US$6 billion, with annual growth of 5% expected for the foreseeable future.
Yes, this is a crowded market, and yes, there are numerous free dating sites. You can still make money with dating websites if you’re prepared to put in the effort and promote the top dating affiliate programs.
Let’s have a look at the programs that we found for you.
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eHarmony Dating Affiliate Program
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eHarmony has been operating for over two decades. What sets them apart from other online dating services, however, is the method by which couples are matched – no pun intended.
Members must fill out a lengthy relationship questionnaire, which is then used to pair them up with others who are actually compatible with them. Yes, it employs behavioral matchmaking technologies to assist singles in their search for love. And the intriguing part is that it works: thousands of new marriages are formed each year thanks to this dating service.
So that’s one approach to introduce it to your target market.
CJ Affiliate by Conversant, one of the largest affiliate networks, manages their affiliate program, so you’re in good hands. eHarmony is also one of the top-performing affiliate programs on the aforementioned network, therefore they pay out a lot of money in affiliate commissions each month.
URL: https://www.eharmony.com/about/affiliate-program/
Commission: $10 per lead/30% per sale
Cookie Duration: 45 days
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Cupid Media Sites
Cupid Media is the firm behind OKCupid and any other dating service with the term “Cupid” in the title you’ve seen online. You’re not just dealing with one online dating site; you’re dealing with a whole network of them.
Whatever sub-niche of dating you now operate in, their portfolio of sites should have a match. That covers everything from geo-specific dating sites (UkraineCupid, for example) to BBWCupid, LGBTQ Cupid sites, and even a dating site for single parents.
Cupid Media is unlikely to go out of business anytime soon, which is an extra benefit. You’ll get 75% of what your referrals spend for their Gold or Platinum membership.
URL: https://www.cupidmedia.com/affiliates/
Commission: 75% per sale
Cookie Duration: 45 days
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Silver Singles Dating Affiliate Program
Silver Singles is a dating site for people aged 50 and up. And, while it may not appear to be an active market at first glance, it is. By the age of 30, the average American is divorced, and 60% of them will be divorced again if their second marriage fails.
There are a lot of single 50-somethings looking for love out there. Niche dating sites like Silver Singles allow you to reach out to an older demographic that is active and has a lot of money to spend. The site uses a personality test to ensure that your visitors discover the best potential relationship matches, and it also offers a wealth of resources, such as expert advice on how to create a fantastic profile.
Your visitors can use their free account to try out Silver Singles and then upgrade if they like what they see. Each referral submitted through your affiliate link earns you a flat $7 commission.
URL: https://signup.cj.com/member/signup/publisher/#/
Commission: $7 per sale
Cookie Duration: 30 days
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Elite Singles
Elite Singles is the second online dating site in our roundup. When people join a dating site, they expect to find their ideal mate and then go. Nobody wants to be on a dating website for months at a time.
Elite Singles helps people avoid this by matching them based on their true relationship preferences, geography, an in-depth personality test, and educational background. Although opposites attract, it is much easier to develop a connection with someone with whom you share interests.
Affiliates who promote this offer will receive a flat $7 commission for each lead they create for the Elite Singles dating site.
URL: https://signup.cj.com/member/signup/publisher/#/
Commission: $7 per sale
Cookie Duration: 45 days
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Meet Your Psychic Dating Affiliate Program
Now it’s time to think outside the box when it comes to monetizing a market that is yearning for love and romance – dating-related offers. People who are single, divorced, or separated are often unsure of what the future holds for them. They are, however, willing to pay for an answer to the age-old question, “When will I meet my soulmate?” This includes seeking out spiritual therapy. It’s like delegating your exhaustive relationship research to a higher power.
MeetYourPsychic is a spiritual counseling website that claims to have assisted over 500,000 people with job, grief, life purpose, and relationship issues. Their pricing starts at $1 per minute, and the first three minutes are free for your guests. By compensation, this is the most profitable dating affiliate scheme available — you get $100 for each new customer you refer.
URL: https://ui.awin.com/merchant-profile-terms/24222
Commission: $100 per sale
Cookie Duration: 30 days
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SugarBook
And now, in our roundup of dating affiliate programs, something a little different — one of the more specialized dating services you’ll come across.
Sugarbook is a dating service for sugar daddies and older men looking for younger ladies who want a mix of romance and financial support, as the name suggests. It also takes the concept of a dating site to the next level by allowing users to join a social network without having to complete a personality test. So that your visitors may meet and interact with their potential sugar daddies in real time – this is most likely the way all dating apps will go in the future.
This offer is intended towards a very specialized population, namely, wealthy men and ladies seeking men who enjoy lavishing money on their partners. This means that only qualified traffic should be directed to their landing sites.
URL: https://sugarbook.com/affiliate
Commission: $24 per sale
Cookie Duration: 30 days
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Single Parent Meet Dating Affiliate Program
For a single individual, online dating in the real world (as opposed to Hollywood dreams) might be difficult. However, as a single parent, the work required is multiplied by a factor of ten. SingleParentMeet.com, for example, caters to single parents wishing to meet other single parents.The nice thing about specialty dating sites like these is that they tend to sell themselves – potential members are already aware that they want to meet other single parents in their region. You only need to direct them to the appropriate dating site where they can register.
This dating site’s membership costs $14.99 a month at the time of writing, so you can expect to make around $7 every sale. However, the program’s performance numbers are excellent, indicating that it converts incoming affiliate visitors into paying clients. This is one of the best single parent dating programs you’ll find.
URL: https://www.peoplemedia.com/Affiliates
Commission rate: 50%
Cookie duration: 120 days
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Match.com
Because it has been operating since 1995, Match.com is one of the more well-known mainstream dating sites. Since then, they’ve expanded to become an online dating site with over 9 million paying members and over 20 million total active users. As a result, it is one of the most popular online dating sites in the world.
Match.com is also one of the more classic dating services, which means you can read profiles as well as swipe left or right. They do, however, provide a popular dating app as part of their package. When a new online dater creates an account, you’ll get between $2 and $4, but you can also get 50% off a 1, 3, or 6-month subscription. As a result, each recommendation you send to our dating website might reward you up to $60.
URL: https://signup.cj.com/member/signup/publisher/#/
Commission: $4 per lead or 50% per sale
Cookie Duration: 1 day
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J date
Jdate is another faith-based dating affiliate network in our list, this time with a Jewish singles target audience. Modern living and foreign travel make it impossible for the average Jewish single guy or gal to take advantage of the shidduch, a centuries-old Jewish family matchmaking and dating counseling system.
Jdate picks up the slack by utilizing the Internet and modern technology. The site itself is nothing special — it’s pretty much what you’d expect from most niche dating services. Jdate has a lot of success stories to speak about, so that’s where the social proof comes in. Their standard compensation per sale is $2, so there’s opportunity for improvement.
URL: https://about.jdate.com/affiliate-program-en/
Commission: $2 per sale
Cookie Duration: 30 days
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Christian Café Dating Affiliate Program
Targeting a sub-niche, such as those seeking a god-centered relationship, and then promoting a Christian dating service to them is one method to get past some of the competition. Christian Café is one of the most popular sites in this sector, with millions of users at the time of writing.
There are also millions of other Christian singles who could be possible references for you. They pay their associate partners 40% of every sale, and with memberships costing up to $149, a single recommendation may make you $60. To advertise this deal, you’ll need to join the Pepperjam affiliate network.
URL: https://www.christiancafe.com/affiliates
Commission: 40% per sale
Cookie Duration: 120 days
The Bottom Line
That concludes our ranking of the finest affiliate programs in the dating sector. However, because this is a competitive market, new online dating programs, affiliate networks, and services pop up on a regular basis. Just make sure you do your homework on their affiliate program before signing up. Because the affiliate scheme you choose can make or break your specialty site’s earning potential.This is a lesson I had to learn the hard way.