The pain
“We pay creators $150 a video for app-install content. There is no cart, no code, installs go through the app store, and a trial converts three weeks later. We cannot tell which video paid for itself.”
Why it happens for apps and software
Software has the margin (about 72 % gross for the system and application software sector in Damodaran’s January 2026 data, NYU Stern) and the repeat purchase: a subscription keeps paying after the video is forgotten. That is why software affiliate programs publish rates physical brands cannot: HubSpot pays 30 % monthly recurring for up to one year with a 180-day cookie (HubSpot); Notion pays 20 % of year-one revenue with a 180-day window on a last-click basis, though its page said it was not accepting new affiliates when checked (Notion); Shopify pays up to $150 per qualified referral with 30-day tracking (Shopify). The problem is attribution, not economics. App stores strip the link, trials delay the paid event, and a flat fee per video hides which creator earned it. App and software brands are also the group that most often pays on Meta-attributed sales rather than on store orders: of 631 with a public program on Trybe, 276 pay a share of Meta-attributed sales, median 10 %, and 179 a share of all sales, median 20 % (our count from TrybeDaily’s brand pages, checked 31 Oct 2026).
The fix
Build the count first, then pay on it. A creator-specific landing page, a code redeemed inside the product, or a referral field at sign-up turns a video into attributed sign-ups. Then pay commission two ways: a share of the subscription revenue for a fixed number of months, or a fixed amount per paid sign-up, plus a share of the Meta ad spend behind the face-plus-screen video, which is the standard software ad and needs no cart at all. A public example: Hector Serrano, who built Wispr Flow’s paid ads program, says its creators get 7 % of ad spend “for as long as the ad spends” (X, 8 Oct 2026).
Example. A $29-a-month app pays $40 per approved video, 30 % of the first 12 months of revenue from each attributed sign-up, and 10 % of ad spend. A creator’s one-task video brings 40 paid sign-ups; at an average of eight paid months each, about $2,780 over the year. The brand runs the video as a Meta ad with $5,000 behind it, $500. The brand’s cost comes out of revenue it would not have had. Example numbers, not a benchmark.
Which pay model fits
- Per video plus a recurring sales share for a fixed number of months.
- Per video plus a fixed amount per paid sign-up when the brand wants a known cost per customer.
- Ad spend share for every video the brand runs as a Meta ad.
- Free access or credits in place of samples; they are a material connection like any free product.
How HourlyUGC runs it
An app or software campaign on HourlyUGC pays a per-video or hourly base and adds commission: 1 to 50 % of each order or a fixed $1 to $500 per order, or 1 to 30 % of the Meta ad spend behind the video. The brand launches Meta Partnership Ads with the creators’ videos from inside HourlyUGC; sales are counted by Meta or by HourlyUGC through a connected Shopify store or its pixel, last touch within 7 days, with creator links and codes, which is the first-party count an app needs on its own landing page.
What to watch for
The FTC’s FAQ says affiliate links need a clear disclosure close to the link; “paid link” placed right next to it is adequate, “affiliate link” or “commissionable link” alone is not (FTC). A free subscription or credits are a material connection too. On attribution, set what counts as a conversion (trial, paid, or paid after the refund window), how long the window is, and what happens when a referred customer upgrades or churns.
Next step: start a campaign on HourlyUGC.