Every affiliate doesn't just earn from their own customers. They also earn from affiliates they bring into the program, and from affiliates those people bring in. Three levels deep.
This article explains exactly how the network works, when bonuses unlock, and what happens in edge cases.
What a network actually is
When someone joins the Upcomers Affiliate Program, they can optionally enter another affiliate's code as their parent code. If they do, they become a Sub-Affiliate under that person.
From that moment on:
The new affiliate still earns their own direct commissions from their own customers
The parent affiliate earns a network bonus on top, from the customers their sub-affiliate brings in
This structure continues down three levels.
The three levels explained
Think of it as a tree.
You are at the top.
Level 1 (L1) - The affiliates who joined directly under you using your code as their parent code. Their customers generate L1 network bonuses for you.
Level 2 (L2) - The affiliates who joined under your L1 affiliates. Their customers generate L2 network bonuses for you.
Level 3 (L3) - The affiliates who joined under your L2 affiliates. Their customers generate L3 network bonuses for you.
Anything beyond Level 3 doesn't generate bonuses for you. The network caps at three levels deep.
Network bonus rates
Level | Who | Your bonus |
L1 | Your direct sub-affiliate's customer | 8% |
L2 | Their sub-affiliate's customer | 5% |
L3 | One level deeper | 3% |
Bonuses are calculated on the total order value in USD, same as direct commissions.
A concrete example
Let's say you recruit Alex into the program. Alex recruits Maria. Maria recruits David.
Now David gets a customer who buys a $200 Thunderbolt challenge.
Here's what happens:
David earns 50% direct commission → $100
Maria earns 8% L1 network bonus (from her direct sub-affiliate David) → $16
Alex earns 5% L2 network bonus → $10
You earn 3% L3 network bonus → $6
David's customer pays $200 once. The commission system pays out $132 total across four affiliates. Upcomers covers all of it from our side, never from the customer's pocket.
When network bonuses unlock
Network bonuses don't activate automatically. You need to hit both of these thresholds at the same time:
At least 50 completed orders from Eligible Customers (your own direct customers)
At least 30 unique Eligible Customers
Both conditions must be met simultaneously. Meeting only one doesn't unlock anything.
Once you unlock network bonuses, they stay unlocked. They don't expire as long as your account is in good standing.
Before you unlock: what still works
Even before you meet the unlock threshold, your direct commissions work normally. Every order from a customer using your code still pays you 50% / 35% / 20% / 10% / 5% depending on their order count.
Your sub-affiliates' commissions also work. If you recruit Alex and Alex brings in customers, Alex earns their full direct commissions from day one. The network unlock only affects your bonus on Alex's customers, not Alex's own earnings.
Network position is permanent
Once someone joins under you as a sub-affiliate, that relationship cannot be changed, transferred, or reassigned later.
This means:
You don't need to worry about someone switching to a different parent affiliate
Sub-affiliates can't be moved around to optimize bonus flow
If you recruit someone, they stay in your network permanently
The same applies in reverse. If you joined under a parent affiliate, you stay under them forever. Even if you later outgrow them by a massive margin, your original position is locked.
What happens if a sub-affiliate leaves or gets suspended
If one of your sub-affiliates voluntarily leaves the program, gets suspended, or gets terminated, their technical position in the network structure remains preserved, but they stop generating new commissions and bonuses.
Their customers still count toward their historical records, but no new activity flows through their account. This doesn't affect you directly, other than that specific branch of your network going quiet.
Your position is not affected by what happens below you.
Recruitment bonus: $500 per unlocked sub-affiliate
Separate from network bonuses, there's also a one-time $500 recruitment bonus you receive every time one of your direct L1 sub-affiliates unlocks their own network bonuses (meaning they hit the 50 orders / 30 customers threshold themselves).
This is on top of the ongoing L1 network bonuses you'll earn from their customers going forward. It rewards you for bringing serious affiliates into the program, not just casual referrals.
Key things to know
Three levels deep, 8% / 5% / 3%
Unlock requires 50 orders and 30 unique customers, both conditions at once
Direct commissions work from day one regardless of network unlock status
Network position is permanent, no transfers or reassignments
$500 recruitment bonus for every direct sub-affiliate who unlocks their network
Where to see your network
Inside your Upcomers dashboard, go to Tools & Services → Affiliate Portal → Network Tree. You'll see a visual map of your entire network across all three levels, with performance data for each node.
Questions? [email protected]