LTK vs Mavely: commission rates, payouts, and getting accepted

This is the split that decides it for most creators. LTK screens every application over roughly one to three weeks, rejections are common and often unexplained, and there is no published US follower minimum (applicants outside the US and Canada report a bar around 5,000). Mavely is the opposite: it states plainly that there is no follower minimum and no application, so you sign up, verify your account, and start. If a follower gate is the only thing between you and affiliate income, Mavely removes it entirely, which is exactly why it became the default recommendation for creators LTK turned down. See the Mavely creator requirements and LTK creator requirements for the full picture.

LTK's rates are retailer-set, and in its guidance to brands it calls 16% to 20% competitive, so most creators see the mid-to-high teens. Its structural advantage is cart-wide attribution: you earn on the shopper's entire basket during the cookie window, not just the linked item. Mavely's rates are set by each brand and vary far more widely, from around 4% at big mass retailers to over 40% at some smaller brands, and it pays on the item bought. Mavely also adds a monthly performance bonus and a 10% referral commission on creators you bring in, which LTK does not have. Neither is simply "higher"; LTK is steadier with cart-wide upside, Mavely is wider-ranging with bonuses on top.

Mavely pays biweekly, 45 days after the purchase date, which is genuinely fast for retail affiliate, where a 120-day wait is normal. LTK moved to weekly payouts in 2024, but with a widely reported $100 balance threshold, so the cadence is faster but the bar to release money is higher for a smaller creator. In practice, an early creator often sees money sooner on Mavely because there is no comparable balance gate, while an established LTK creator clearing $100 easily benefits from the weekly cycle. Both hold earnings while returns clear.

LTK is fashion, beauty, and home; Mavely is mass retail and deals, heavy on Walmart, Target, and everyday consumer goods, and deal-forward content performs best there. So the honest way to choose is by what your audience buys. A creator posting outfit inspiration and home finds belongs on LTK. A creator posting Target hauls and price drops belongs on Mavely. Neither is wrong, they serve different content.

Being fair to both: if the only problem is a follower gate, Mavely solves it, and Favly is not a better answer to that specific problem. The real question is catalog. Both LTK and Mavely sell physical goods, so both pay once per sale and neither carries AI tools, developer software, or SaaS. If your audience takes your advice on subscription tools rather than sweaters or Target hauls, the gate was never your constraint, the catalog was. A storefront built for recurring commissions on the software you recommend pays every month a fan stays subscribed, which physical retail structurally cannot.