eSIM Affiliate Programs Compared (2026): Rates, Cookies, and Which Ones Pay When Your Followers Use a Code

Summary

Most travel eSIM affiliate programs pay 10% of the sale; 15% is the top of the market on the brands' own pages, and networks like Travelpayouts list a few points higher for the same brands. The number that actually separates them for a creator is quieter: does the program pay when a follower types your code instead of clicking your link? On TikTok, Reels and Shorts the caption link isn't clickable, so for most short-form creators the code is the program. Below: thirteen programs side by side, checked against their own pages on 15 October 2026, and an honest note on where we fit.

The question most comparisons skip: code or click?

Affiliate programs were built for blogs. A reader clicks your link, a cookie is set, and if they buy within the window you get paid. That model breaks on short-form video. A TikTok caption can't carry a clickable link, a Reel sends people to your bio, and most viewers who decide to buy just open the brand's site later and type the code they remember from the video.

If that code isn't wired to commission, the sale is yours in every sense except the one that pays. Airalo — the biggest name in travel eSIM — says in its own affiliate FAQ that coupon codes don't track commission. Several smaller programs do the opposite: the code is attached to you, and an order that uses it is credited whether or not anyone clicked anything.

So before you compare 10% against 15%, ask the program one thing: "If someone uses my code without clicking my link, do I get paid?" For a blogger the answer barely matters. For a TikToker it decides whether you earn anything at all.

eSIM affiliate programs side by side (October 2026)

Rates and terms are taken from each brand's own affiliate page first, then from the affiliate network's offer page, and only where neither exists from third-party directories (marked as such). "Not stated" means we could not find it published — it is not a criticism, and it is worth asking. Programs change their terms often; check the live page before you sign up.

Program	Commission	Which orders	Cookie	Code for followers	Getting in
YonoSIM	10%	Every order with your code; link orders within 30 days	30 days	Yes — 10% off, pays without a click	Instant, no minimum
Airalo	10% (12% via Travelpayouts)	Not stated	30 days	Coupons don't track commission (Airalo FAQ)	Impact application
Holafly	Not published	Not stated	Not published	Yes, personal code	Contact form
Saily	15% per new user (10% on some networks)	New users	30 days	Not stated	Network approval
Nomad	From 10%, tiered	First purchase	30 days	Yes	No minimum; separate creator track
Ubigi	10%	First purchase	60 days	No	Impact; creators via Roamer
aloSIM	$5 flat per new sale	Not stated	Not published	Yes	No minimum
GigSky	15% (20% via Travelpayouts)	Not stated	30 days	Yes	Approval within 24h
Yesim	10% (18% via Travelpayouts)	Lifetime, incl. top-ups	90 days via Travelpayouts	Yes, new users	No minimum; €100 payout min
Jetpac	Up to 15%	Not stated	~30 days (third-party)	Not stated	Network
Truely	10% (audience discount comes out of it)	Not stated	30 days	Yes	Self-serve
MobiMatter	10%	Not stated	Not published	Not stated	Manager review; $100 payout min
Klook (eSIM)	20% listed on Involve Asia	Not stated	30 days	Not stated	Kreator program reportedly 1,000+ followers

Sources: each brand's affiliate or partner page; Travelpayouts, Impact and Involve Asia offer pages; Jetpac cookie and Klook follower threshold from third-party directories. Maya Mobile and BNESIM are left out because we could only find third-party figures for them.

How to read the numbers

Network rates are often higher than direct

The same brand can pay more through an affiliate network than through its own page — Travelpayouts lists Airalo at 12% against Airalo's 10%, Yesim at 18% against 10%, GigSky at 20% against 15%. If you already use a network for hotels and flights, check its eSIM offers before going direct.

"First purchase" vs "every purchase"

Travellers buy an eSIM per trip. A program that pays on the first order only (Nomad, Ubigi) is worth less over a year than one that pays on repeat orders (Yesim states lifetime, including top-ups). Most programs don't say either way — ask.

The cookie window matters less than you think

A 60- or 90-day cookie sounds generous, but it only counts if the follower clicked, on the same device, without clearing cookies. For video creators a code that is always attributed is worth more than any cookie.

Do the per-sale maths honestly

A travel eSIM is usually a $10–40 order, so 10% is $1–4 a sale. That makes eSIM a good recurring mention — a pinned comment, a link-in-bio entry, the "what's in my travel kit" video you update every year — and a poor fit for a one-off sponsored post priced per view.

Which program fits which creator

Travel blog with Google traffic: clicks work for you, so rate and cookie dominate. Compare the network offers (Travelpayouts' GigSky and Yesim listings are the highest we found) against going direct.
TikTok, Reels, Shorts: pick a program whose code pays without a click. Rate is secondary to that.
YouTube long-form: description links are clickable, so either model works; a code still catches viewers who watch on a TV.
Larger creators wanting paid deals: look at the dedicated creator tracks (Nomad's Creator Partner program, Ubigi Roamer, Klook Kreator, Jetpac's free data and trips) — those are sponsorship conversations, not self-serve affiliate links.
Smaller creators and community admins: look for no follower minimum and instant approval, so you can start before you've built a media kit.

Where YonoSIM fits — honestly

We are a small, independent travel eSIM store, and our program is built for the case the big programs handle worst: short-form creators whose followers type a code.

Your code pays without a click. When anyone enters your code at checkout, the order is credited to you — whether or not they ever touched your link.
10% commission, 10% off for your followers. Commission is 10% of what your follower actually pays; we fund the discount, it is not deducted from your rate.
Instant, no follower minimum. You get your code and tracked link on screen and by email, with three ready-to-post captions and the disclosure wording, the moment you sign up.
You hear about every sale. An email when an order lands on your code, and a weekly summary.
Monthly payouts by PayPal, Wise, bank transfer or Payoneer.

What we are not: the highest headline rate (Saily, GigSky and the network listings above pay more per sale), or a household name your followers already know. If your audience mostly clicks from a blog, a higher-rate network offer may earn you more. If they watch a video and type a code, we'd like to be the code.

Five questions to ask any eSIM affiliate program

If a follower uses my code without clicking my link, am I paid?
Is commission on the first order only, or on every order?
Does the follower discount come out of my commission?
What is the payout minimum, and how often do you pay?
Are app purchases tracked, or only website orders?

Frequently asked questions

QWhich eSIM affiliate program pays the highest commission?

AOn the brands' own pages, 15% is the top of the market (Saily per new user, GigSky, Jetpac 'up to'), and 10% is the norm (Airalo, Nomad, Ubigi, Truely, MobiMatter, Yesim, YonoSIM). Affiliate networks often list higher numbers for the same brands — Travelpayouts shows Airalo at 12%, Yesim at 18% and GigSky at 20% — so check the network offer page before you join direct. Rates checked 15 October 2026; they change.

QDo eSIM affiliate programs pay when a follower uses my discount code instead of my link?

AIt depends on the program, and it matters more than the headline rate if you post on TikTok, Reels or Shorts, where caption links are not clickable. Airalo's own affiliate FAQ says coupon codes do not track commission. Holafly, Nomad, aloSIM, GigSky and Yesim offer creator codes. YonoSIM credits the order to you whenever your code is used at checkout, with or without a click on your link.

QDo I need a minimum number of followers to join an eSIM affiliate program?

AMostly no. Nomad, aloSIM, Yesim and YonoSIM state no minimum, and most network programs approve on the quality of your site or channel rather than a follower count. Klook's creator program has been reported to ask for 1,000+ followers. Separate 'creator partner' tracks (Nomad, Ubigi's Roamer program) ask for a media kit and are closer to paid sponsorships.

QDoes any eSIM affiliate program pay on repeat purchases?

AYesim states lifetime commission including top-ups. Nomad and Ubigi say first purchase only. Most other programs do not say — ask before you join, because a traveller who buys three times in a year is worth three commissions on one and one on the other.

QHow much can a travel creator realistically earn from eSIM affiliate links?

AA travel eSIM order is typically $10–40, so 10% is $1–4 per sale. That is small per order, which is why eSIM works best as a recurring mention — a pinned comment, a link-in-bio page, a 'what's in my travel kit' video — rather than a one-off sponsored post. Treat any program that promises large monthly earnings without asking about your audience with suspicion.

QHow do I join the YonoSIM creator program?

AFill in the form at yonosim.com/en/partners — name, email, where you post and your handle. You get a discount code (10% off for your followers) and a tracked link on screen immediately, and the same details plus ready-to-post captions by email. There is no follower minimum and no approval queue.

Originally published on www.yonosim.com/en/blog/esim-affiliate-programs-compared-2026 · YonoSIM — You Only Need One SIM