- Refersion launched a Free Marketplace Listing that lets ecommerce brands publish affiliate offers at no cost.
- Brands can test affiliate demand and gain visibility before committing to affiliate software.
- The update lowers the barrier to entry for new programs while creating a clear upgrade path.
A new plan lets brands publish percent-of-sale offers without committing to affiliate software upfront.
Refersion is opening its affiliate marketplace to eCommerce brands without requiring an upfront subscription. The company announced a new Free Marketplace Listing plan that allows brands to publish a percentage of sale commission offer and appear in the Refersion Marketplace, where affiliates actively search for new partnerships.
The move targets a persistent friction point in affiliate marketing. While many brands understand the value of performance-based partnerships, discovering relevant affiliates remains one of the hardest steps. Programs often fail to gain traction not because of weak incentives, but because affiliates never see the offer in the first place.
Refersion’s new plan reframes the marketplace as an entry point. Brands can now test affiliate interest and visibility without committing to full affiliate management software from day one.
Get your Free Marketplace Listing
Affiliate Discovery Without Upfront Commitment
Under the Free Marketplace Listing plan, eCommerce brands can publish a single affiliate offer that includes a percent-of-sale commission on total order value. Once listed, the offer becomes visible to Refersion’s network of affiliates, including creators, publishers, influencers, and brand advocates across categories such as beauty, wellness, food, apparel, and home goods.
Affiliates browsing the marketplace can review commission rates, attribution windows, and brand details, then apply directly to work with the brand. The process is designed to take minutes, allowing merchants to move from signup to live offer quickly.
Brands already running affiliate programs on other platforms can also use the marketplace as a discovery channel. The free listing acts as an additional distribution layer, exposing offers to affiliates who may not be active on other networks.
What the Free Plan Includes and What It Does Not
The Free Marketplace Listing focuses entirely on visibility and inbound interest. Brands receive affiliate applications without paying software fees, but management tools remain behind a paid plan.
With the free plan, brands can publish one live offer and collect applications. To review applicants, approve partners, track performance, and manage affiliate-driven sales inside Refersion, brands must upgrade to a paid subscription. Refersion positions this as a natural transition once discovery turns into a measurable opportunity.
This structure allows brands to validate whether affiliate marketing is a viable channel before investing in tooling. It also reduces risk for smaller or newer merchants that may not yet have the resources to run a fully managed program.
Why Discovery Has Become the Bottleneck
Affiliate marketing has expanded well beyond coupon sites and deal blogs. Today’s ecosystem includes social creators, niche publishers, review platforms, and community-driven media. As the partner landscape grows, discovery becomes less predictable and more competitive.
Many brands struggle to answer basic questions early on. Are affiliates interested in this category? Is the commission competitive? Will the offer resonate with creators or publishers in this niche?
By removing the paywall, Refersion turns its marketplace into a testing ground. Brands can observe application volume, partner profiles, and early interest signals before committing operational resources.
A Marketplace-First Approach
The launch reflects a broader shift in how affiliate platforms position their marketplaces. Rather than treating discovery as a premium feature, Refersion is positioning it as the starting point of the affiliate journey.
Ryan Hilliard, CEO of Refersion, framed the update around visibility rather than tooling. He said:
For many eCommerce brands, affiliate discovery is the hardest part. This free marketplace listing helps brands increase visibility with an active affiliate network.
This approach also benefits affiliates. A wider range of free-to-list offers increases marketplace diversity, giving partners more options across commission structures, product categories, and brand sizes.
What This Signals for Affiliate Platforms
Refersion’s Free Marketplace Listing suggests that affiliate platforms are increasingly competing on access rather than features alone. As affiliate marketing becomes more creator-driven and less centralized, marketplaces act as the connective tissue between brands and partners.
Lowering the barrier to entry expands the top of the funnel. Brands that succeed at discovery are more likely to upgrade once they need performance tracking, payouts, and relationship management. For Refersion, the marketplace becomes both a growth channel and a qualification layer.
The Free Marketplace Listing is available now to ecommerce brands signing up on Refersion. For merchants curious about affiliate marketing but hesitant to commit, the message is clear. You can now start with discovery and decide on infrastructure later.
