# PayKickstart vs SamCart for your affiliates · Vendor Runbook

> Source: https://vendorrunbook.com/compare/paykickstart-vs-samcart

Head-to-head

## PayKickstart or SamCart for affiliates you recruit

PayKickstart is the pick when partner contracts and affiliate tracking sit on the entry subscription and monthly revenue stays inside the cap. SamCart Pro is the pick when Subscription Saver and A/B tests have to share that subscription with affiliate tracking.

By the Vendor Runbook Editorial Desk. Updated 2026-10-23\. Prices taken from each company's own pages.

**Disclosure:**We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never affects our rankings. [How we research](/methodology). 

Quick answer

Pick PayKickstart if you need Partner Contracts, second-tier commissions, and the affiliate center on the $79 subscription while monthly revenue stays inside the $3,000 cap; pick SamCart if you want hosted pages, courses, Subscription Saver, and A/B tests on Pro and you will pay $199 a month for the Affiliate Center.

[Read the PayKickstart review](/reviews/paykickstart)

### Affiliate plans side by side

|                | PayKickstart                                      | SamCart                              |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| Affiliate plan | $79 a month, tools included                       | Pro, $199 a month                    |
| Trial          | 14 days                                           | 7 days                               |
| Fee on a sale  | No platform fee. Connect from 2.3% + $0.20        | SamPay 2.9% + 30¢. Tax 35 bps on Pro |
| Overage        | 5.27% on revenue over $3,000                      | Monthly Pro price                    |
| Launch option  | 6% of revenue, no subscription                    | Monthly Core and Pro                 |
| JV contracts   | Partner Contracts                                 | A rate you set per product           |
| Partner payout | PayPal auto on Growth and Scale. Stripe is manual | A CSV you export and pay             |
| Sale credit    | #aid= on the checkout URL                         | Last referrer                        |

[ ](/reviews/paykickstart) 

PayKickstart home page, where the seller fees and rules are published.

[ ](/reviews/samcart) 

SamCart's homepage, with the headline about conversions and a tablet that shows an order bump.

You already have the affiliates. You want the network hop link out of the checkout. The order form still has to offer a bump, run an upsell, and record which partner sent the buyer. PayKickstart and SamCart both run that checkout through a payment gateway you connect. The choice is which plan includes affiliate tracking, and which charges sit on top of that plan.

Neither company is the merchant of record. You still file taxes and handle customer disputes. The [merchant of record guide](/guides/merchant-of-record-vs-payment-processor) explains those duties for ClickBank, Digistore24, and a processor you connect yourself.

### Affiliate tracking on the plan you would buy

[PayKickstart's price list](https://app.paykickstart.com/pricing) opens with flat tiers and every feature included, and those plans add no PayKickstart fee to a sale. The processor still charges its own rate. The entry row in the table shows that plan after a 14-day trial, and it includes a monthly revenue cap. Instant and delayed commissions, a first tier and a second tier, a marketplace, and Wallet sit on the same feature list as the checkout tools.

[SamCart's pricing table](https://www.samcart.com/pricing) lists Core as the cheaper plan and places the Affiliate Center on Pro, along with one-click upsells, order bumps, A/B testing and Subscription Saver. SamCart offers a 7-day trial on those plans, and PayKickstart's trial lasts 14 days. Core includes a hosted checkout, with affiliate tracking on Pro.

When the people promoting the offer are ones you recruited, compare PayKickstart's entry row with SamCart Pro, which is the plan that includes the Affiliate Center.

### SamCart vs PayKickstart: who gets credit for the sale

PayKickstart can show the credited partner on the checkout itself. The [help article on affiliate credit](https://support.paykickstart.com/articles/9026280-how-to-confirm-correct-affiliate-is-being-credited-for-a) says the buyer will see #aid= in the URL, and that code identifies the affiliate credited for the sale.

SamCart credits the most recent affiliate link. Its [Affiliate Center article](https://help.samcart.com/support/solutions/articles/60000648176-the-affiliate-center) says the last referrer gets the credit when more than one affiliate sends the same customer.

That article also says commission stays at zero until you set a rate on the product. Leave a product untouched and the partner earns nothing on it.

You bring the partners into both programs. PayKickstart lists a marketplace in its feature list, and your partners join from there. You still choose what they earn. SamCart's article describes a private program: you set the commission, and the cart keeps a record of the link that earned the sale.

### Partner contracts, then the payment you send

[PayKickstart's affiliate page](https://paykickstart.com/affiliate-management/) says you create revenue sharing contracts with business partners, and that the account tracks and pays each partner according to the contract. A launch partner who takes a cut is set up under one of those contracts, and the cart tracks their share on each sale.

SamCart's article describes a rate you choose, then a payout step. Clicking Payout produces a CSV with a line for each affiliate being paid. You pay that list yourself. PayPal MassPay is one method the article allows. The sale still settles through the processor on your account.

The [PayKickstart payout article](https://support.paykickstart.com/articles/9851273-how-to-handle-affiliate-commission-payouts) says instant, automated PayPal payouts are available only to Growth and Scale vendors. The public pricing table does not give a monthly price for Growth or for Scale. Those are the plans that include automated PayPal. The entry row does not mention it.

Stripe sales, and sales through gateways other than PayPal, are manual. The article says you send every manual commission yourself. On a Stripe sale, PayKickstart expects you to pay the affiliate yourself. SamCart's payout step gives you a CSV to pay from. On Stripe, both carts leave you a list to pay at the end of the month.

### What a sale costs on top of the plan

On the flat PayKickstart plans the company adds no fee of its own to the sale. Connect's starting rate is in the fee row. Linking a gateway you already run is the other path. You pay the subscription for the software, and the card company bills the transaction at its own rate.

Launch is priced as a share of revenue, with no subscription, and with access to the same features. That share is the Launch row. It takes the place of the monthly subscription. Stripe or PayPal still bills its own rate on top of it.

That first paid tier stops at the monthly revenue cap listed in the overage row. Past that cap, PayKickstart bills the overage percentage shown in that row.

SamPay's rate, and the Pro tax line in basis points, are in the fee row. SamCart describes SamPay as the processor charge and lists no extra SamCart fee on it. Those basis points sit apart from the Pro subscription.

A network's cut is a different bill, because the network also pays the affiliate. The [fee calculator](/compare/affiliate-network-fee-calculator-what-a-vendor-keeps-per-sale) shows what you keep on a $97 sale after that cut. Here you pay for the software, you pay the processor, and you pay the partner the rate you set.

### Bumps and upsells on that same plan

PayKickstart puts the checkout tools on the same feature list as affiliate tracking, so that subscription carries both, up to the revenue cap. SamCart lists one-click upsells and order bumps on Pro, beside the Affiliate Center, the A/B tests and Subscription Saver. Core does not include order bumps or affiliate tracking.

Subscription Saver is a name on the Pro plan. PayKickstart's pricing page highlights the flat subscription and the partner contracts. Subscription Saver is in this matchup because it shares SamCart Pro with affiliate tracking and the A/B tests.

### What you still handle after the cart is connected

You still find the partners and ask them to promote. The marketplace row for PayKickstart, and the center inside SamCart, are where those partners sign up. On JVZoo, affiliates use the launch calendar to request an offer for a specific date. PayKickstart and SamCart sign up affiliates you have already recruited. PayKickstart offers a second-tier commission, so an affiliate can earn from someone they recruited, at a rate you choose.

You also send the commission, except in the Growth and Scale PayPal case above. Your payment gateway handles a refund or a chargeback. If those costs are why you would stay on a network, see [network checkout or your own cart](/compare/affiliate-network-checkout-vs-own-checkout).

### PayKickstart: strengths and drawbacks

##### What works

* Order bumps, one-click upsells, coupons and cart recovery sit on the same plans as the affiliate center.
* Partner Contracts let you split launch earnings with a JV partner inside the platform.
* Commissions can be instant or delayed, on the first tier and a second tier, and checkout can show the affiliate code.
* Customers can update a payment card and manage a subscription in the billing portal.
* You can process the sale through Connect, or link Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Braintree, or Easy Pay Direct.

##### What to watch

* Seller reviews describe a long setup before the cart is ready for a launch.
* G2 reviewers say the sales reports need an overhaul.
* Refunds, tax, fulfillment and affiliate compliance stay with the vendor.
* Software fees are non-refundable after a trial converts, and you must cancel at least three days before renewal.
* Most Trustpilot posts come from buyers disputing a product charge, and the terms keep that dispute with the vendor.

[Read the full PayKickstart review](/reviews/paykickstart) or see [PayKickstart fees](/reviews/paykickstart/pricing).

### SamCart: strengths and drawbacks

##### What works

* The subscription includes sales pages, a hosted checkout, subscriptions, courses and reporting.
* SamPay's published rate is the processor fee, separate from the monthly plan.
* Pro adds one-click upsells, order bumps, A/B tests, Subscription Saver and a private affiliate program you manage.
* Affiliates earn nothing until you set a rate, and the last link the buyer clicks gets the credit.

##### What to watch

* The affiliate program, bumps, upsells and third-party processors are on Pro
* You export a CSV and send affiliate payments by PayPal MassPay, check or another method you choose
* The terms make the vendor responsible for tax, and SamPay runs on Stripe Connect
* Operators say the monthly software subscription no longer pays off for a single business
* A Trustpilot post describes a renewal charge after a low-priced course

[Read the full SamCart review](/reviews/samcart) or see [SamCart fees](/reviews/samcart/pricing).

### A year of the plan that tracks partners

A year on PayKickstart's entry tier, at the monthly price in the table, comes to $948\. A year on SamCart Pro comes to $2,388\. Both totals equal twelve times the monthly list price, and the processor's fee is charged on top of each sale. SamCart's lower plan matches the PayKickstart entry price and leaves affiliate tracking off.

Launch has no monthly charge. Whether that revenue share costs less than the $948 yearly total depends on what the offer sells. Once revenue exceeds the entry cap, the overage percentage in the table applies.

### PayKickstart vs ThriveCart, if a third cart is still open

[PayKickstart or ThriveCart for affiliates you pay yourself](/compare/paykickstart-vs-thrivecart) is the pair when both of these carts are still open. [SamCart or ThriveCart](/compare/samcart-vs-thrivecart) sets Pro+ against SamCart Pro.

### My take

I would start on PayKickstart's entry subscription when the launch needs Partner Contracts and the month stays inside the revenue cap in the table. Affiliate tracking is included on that subscription, and the flat plans add no PayKickstart fee to the sale.

I would buy SamCart Pro when hosted pages, courses, Subscription Saver and A/B tests have to live on the same plan as affiliate tracking, and a CSV at the end of the month is acceptable, since Core stops at the hosted checkout.

A [Capterra review](https://www.capterra.com/p/163329/Paykickstart/reviews/?page=5) of PayKickstart says "It is a bear to configure." Schedule that setup before affiliates expect a live link. That plan still requires the setup time the review describes.

If you need a marketplace that pays the affiliates for you, stay with a network checkout. With PayKickstart and SamCart, you recruit the affiliates yourself.

When partners share the launch revenue

### PayKickstart

Start on the entry plan when Partner Contracts and affiliate tracking have to sit on that subscription, and the month stays inside the revenue cap.

### Frequently asked questions

Can I run affiliates on SamCart Core? 

Affiliate tracking is listed on Pro, with the upsells and the bumps. Core is the hosted checkout without it.

Does PayKickstart replace a network that acts as the merchant of record? 

The buyer is charged through a gateway you connect, or through Connect. Filing the tax and paying the partner from a platform balance is the network's job.

Who sends the affiliate their commission? 

You do, on both. SamCart's payout step builds a file. On PayKickstart, Stripe commissions are payments you send, and automated PayPal is limited to Growth and Scale vendors.

Does the word order in SamCart vs PayKickstart change which plan to buy? 

Either order of the names is the same choice. Affiliate tracking is on PayKickstart's first paid plan or on SamCart Pro.

### Changes to this page

* 2026-10-23 First published. Plan prices from each company's pricing page. Payout rules from each help center.

### What we read

#### From PayKickstart

* <https://paykickstart.com/>
* <https://app.paykickstart.com/pricing> Entry plan at $79 a month
* <https://paykickstart.com/affiliate-management/> Affiliate management
* <https://app.paykickstart.com/pricing> One-click upsells and order bumps
* <https://app.paykickstart.com/pricing> Revenue sharing contracts

#### Other sources

We read 25 discussions and reviews. Quotes are excerpts; open a link to read the original in context. 

1. \[pk-terms-refund\] [Terms of Use ](https://paykickstart.com/terms-of-use/) Blog
2. \[pk-terms-renewal\] [Terms of Use ](https://paykickstart.com/terms-of-use/) Blog
3. \[g2-upsells\] [PayKickstart Reviews ](https://www.g2.com/products/paykickstart/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons) G2
4. \[reddit-not-funnel\] [How good is PayKickstart 2.0? ](https://www.reddit.com/r/ShareAiPrompts/comments/1p2z6ug/how%5Fgood%5Fis%5Fpaykickstart%5F20/) Reddit
5. \[capterra-configure\] [PayKickstart Reviews ](https://www.capterra.com/p/163329/Paykickstart/reviews/?page=5) Capterra
6. \[g2-setup\] [PayKickstart Reviews ](https://www.g2.com/products/paykickstart/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons) G2
7. \[g2-reports\] [PayKickstart Reviews ](https://www.g2.com/products/paykickstart/reviews) G2
8. \[reddit-ui\] [So what is PayKickstart really? ](https://www.reddit.com/r/cryptozonehub/comments/1qkpfdb/so%5Fwhat%5Fis%5Fpaykickstart%5Freally/) Reddit
9. \[g2-affiliate-upsells\] [PayKickstart Pros and Cons ](https://www.g2.com/products/paykickstart/reviews?qs=pros-and-cons) G2
10. \[capterra-funnel\] [PayKickstart Reviews ](https://www.capterra.com/p/163329/Paykickstart/reviews/?page=2) Capterra
11. \[pk-support-aid\] [Affiliate credit on checkout ](https://support.paykickstart.com/articles/9026280-how-to-confirm-correct-affiliate-is-being-credited-for-a) Blog
12. \[pk-terms-mor\] [Terms of Use ](https://paykickstart.com/terms-of-use/) Blog
13. \[trustpilot-buyers\] [PayKickstart Reviews ](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/paykickstart.com) Trustpilot
14. \[capterra-support\] [PayKickstart Reviews ](https://www.capterra.com/p/163329/Paykickstart/reviews/?page=2) Capterra
15. \[r1\] [Thrivecart vs Samcart decisions ](https://www.reddit.com/r/martechstacks/comments/1f64i9g/thrivecart%5Fvs%5Fsamcart%5Fdecisions/) Reddit
16. \[r2\] [Thrivecart vs Samcart decisions ](https://www.reddit.com/r/martechstacks/comments/1f64i9g/thrivecart%5Fvs%5Fsamcart%5Fdecisions/) Reddit
17. \[r3\] [Thrivecart vs Samcart decisions ](https://www.reddit.com/r/martechstacks/comments/1f64i9g/thrivecart%5Fvs%5Fsamcart%5Fdecisions/) Reddit
18. \[r4\] [Thrivecart vs Samcart decisions ](https://www.reddit.com/r/martechstacks/comments/1f64i9g/thrivecart%5Fvs%5Fsamcart%5Fdecisions/) Reddit
19. \[r5\] [Order Upgrades (Thrivecart Alternative?) ](https://www.reddit.com/r/digital%5Fmarketing/comments/1ex2vmu/order%5Fupgrades%5Fthrivecart%5Falternative/) Reddit
20. \[r6\] [Is there better software than Thrivecart? ](https://www.reddit.com/r/marketing/comments/1umrsfh/is%5Fthere%5Fbetter%5Fsoftware%5Fthan%5Fthrivecart/) Reddit
21. \[r7\] [Samcart anyone? ](https://www.reddit.com/r/shopify/comments/nstyit/samcart%5Fanyone/) Reddit
22. \[r8\] [SamCart Trustpilot reviews ](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/samcart.com) Trustpilot
23. \[r9\] [Good Idea with slow customer support ](https://www.capterra.com/p/204117/SamCart/reviews/) Capterra
24. \[r10\] [Order Upgrades (Thrivecart Alternative?) ](https://www.reddit.com/r/digital%5Fmarketing/comments/1ex2vmu/order%5Fupgrades%5Fthrivecart%5Falternative/) Reddit
25. \[r11\] [SamCart vs ThriveCart on G2 ](https://www.g2.com/compare/samcart-vs-thrivecart) G2

[Read the PayKickstart review](/reviews/paykickstart)

### Related

* [Affiliate networks for vendors, ranked](/best)
* [Who handles tax, refunds and chargebacks](/guides/merchant-of-record-vs-payment-processor)
* [SamCart or ThriveCart for affiliates you recruit](/compare/samcart-vs-thrivecart)
* [PayKickstart or ThriveCart for affiliates you pay yourself](/compare/paykickstart-vs-thrivecart)
* [SamCart or Stan Store for affiliates you recruit](/compare/samcart-vs-stan-store)
* [PayKickstart alternatives](/alternatives/paykickstart)
* [SamCart alternatives](/alternatives/samcart)
* [Which affiliate network fits your offer](/compare/which-affiliate-network-fits-your-offer-a-picker-for-vendors)
* [Fee calculator for any other price](/compare/affiliate-network-fee-calculator-what-a-vendor-keeps-per-sale)
* [When a vendor gets paid](/compare/when-does-a-vendor-get-paid-payout-hold-and-reserve-timeline-by-affiliate-networ)
* [Network checkout or your own cart](/compare/affiliate-network-checkout-vs-own-checkout)
* [Refund windows and chargeback fees by network](/compare/affiliate-network-chargeback-fees-and-refund-rules-for-vendors)
* [All head-to-heads](/compare)

Written by

Vendor Runbook Editorial Desk

Editorial desk

The editorial desk at Vendor Runbook. It sets the testing standard the reviews are held to, signs the pages no single writer owns, and publishes the notes and dates behind every ranking. Corrections go to the contact page and are logged on the page they change.

Last checked 2026-10-23

---

[ ](/) 

For product owners selling through affiliate networks like ClickBank, BuyGoods, Digistore24 and JVZoo: approval, funnels, affiliates, payouts and chargebacks.

[Contact the editors](/contact)

### Rankings

* [Best affiliate networks for vendors](/best)
* [Vendor guides](/guides)

### Networks

* [Reviews](/reviews)
* [Head-to-heads](/compare)

### Alternatives

* [All alternatives](/alternatives)

### How we work

* [How we research](/methodology)
* [Editorial policy](/editorial-policy)
* [How we make money](/how-we-make-money)
* [About](/about)

### Legal

* [Terms](/terms)
* [Privacy](/privacy)
* [Contact](/contact)

© 2026 Vendor Runbook

Some links on this site are affiliate links: if you sign up through one, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. [How we make money](/how-we-make-money)