ActiveACB Affiliate Program
For Canadian investing creators who already teach readers to check their own ACB.
How it works
Approved affiliates get a private link. Readers get $10 off their first Standard or Pro season (not Accountant licenses, not combined with another discount), and the affiliate earns 25% of the amount received when that reader makes a first purchase.
Commissions become payable after the 7-day guarantee window. Refunds and chargebacks reverse the commission, and any paid reversal is netted from the next payout.
Payouts are sent by e-transfer after the season closes. The minimum payout is $50, with any smaller balance carried forward.
What a commission is worth
The commission is 25% of the amount actually received for the purchase, which is the price after your reader's $10 discount has been applied. Standard is $34.99 for the season, so a reader using the discount pays $24.99 and the commission is $6.25. Pro is $69.99, so the reader pays $59.99 and the commission is $15.00.
The discount applies to Standard and Pro. The commission is earned on your reader's first purchase whichever tier they choose, including an Accountant licence at $199.
Rates are set per affiliate. 25% is the standard rate, and a different rate can be agreed before you start publishing.
How you get paid
Each commission is held for a 7-day window, matching the refund guarantee your reader gets. After that window the commission vests and becomes payable.
Payouts go out by Interac e-transfer once the season closes in June. The minimum payout is $50. A balance below that is not lost, it carries forward to the next payout.
If a reader refunds or charges back after you have already been paid, that reversal is netted out of your next payout rather than invoiced back to you.
Commissions are income and you are responsible for reporting them. A T4A is issued for any affiliate paid $500 or more in a calendar year.
What does not earn a commission
- Purchases already carrying another discount. The reader discount is not combined with other offers.
- Your own purchases, and purchases made on the same payment card as your own account. Both are rejected automatically.
- Renewals and later seasons. The commission is on a reader's first purchase.
Who it is for
The program is for newsletter writers, forum contributors, educators, and creators whose audience needs Canadian adjusted cost base help. It works best where you are already answering questions about T5008 slips, superficial losses, or tracking cost base across accounts, because the product is only useful to someone who has that problem.
Affiliate links must be disclosed wherever they are shared, and the disclosure has to be prominent. Under the Competition Act a material connection that is not clearly disclosed can be treated as misleading, and posting a link or a discount code is not by itself a disclosure. Ad Standards guidance says the same: a note buried at the end of a long caption, hidden behind a read-more cut, or left in a profile bio does not count. Both the affiliate and ActiveACB are accountable for this, so it is worth getting right.
Apply by email to support@activeacb.ca with where you publish. Approved affiliates get a private link and a page showing readers joined, paid conversions, commission still pending, the amount available for payout, and the total paid to date.
Frequently asked questions
How long does my link stay attributed to a reader?
Your link is bound to the reader's account when they claim it, and it then stays with that account through their first purchase. The claim has to happen within 30 days of the account being created, and the account must not already be a paying customer. A reader who signs up, thinks it over, and buys weeks later still counts.
Do I earn on a reader's second season?
No. The commission is paid on a reader's first purchase. ActiveACB is sold as a one-time seasonal purchase rather than a subscription, so there is no recurring commission to pay.
What happens if my reader upgrades from Standard to Pro?
The commission is calculated on the amount received for the purchase that converted. Contact support if a reader upgrades afterwards and you think the commission does not reflect it.
I prepare returns for clients. Is this the right program?
Probably not. Tax preparers have a separate path built around the Accountant tier and preparer-to-preparer referrals. See the accountants page.