ShopMy vs LTK: commission rates, payouts, and approval compared

On the headline number, ShopMy and LTK are close. ShopMy brands typically pay 10% to 30% on the item price before taxes and shipping. LTK does not set a rate, the retailer does, but in its own guidance to brands LTK calls below 12% low, 13% to 15% reasonable, and 16% to 20% high and competitive, which is the clearest benchmark either platform gives. The real gap is what the rate applies to. LTK credits the shopper's entire cart during the cookie window, so a link tapped for a $28 top can pay on a $300 checkout. ShopMy pays on the item bought. For creators whose audience buys big baskets, cart-wide attribution can matter more than a few points of rate.

ShopMy is the faster and more accessible payout. It pays weekly on Fridays once you clear just $11 in confirmed earnings, via Stripe or PayPal. LTK also moved to weekly payouts in 2024, but creators widely report a $100 balance threshold before a payout releases, so a smaller creator waits far longer to actually see money on LTK than on ShopMy. Both hold commission while returns clear, and both deduct returned items, so neither pays instantly. If cash-flow speed at a modest earnings level matters to you, ShopMy has the edge here.

Neither is open. LTK reviews every application over roughly one to three weeks and rejections are common and often unexplained; there is no published US follower minimum, though applicants outside the US and Canada report a bar around 5,000. ShopMy screens applicants too, but a referral link from an existing ShopMy creator meaningfully improves your odds and can smooth the whole process, and creators report a practical bar around 1,000 followers. So ShopMy is often easier to join if you can find a referral, while LTK is a straight application queue. For the fuller picture, see the ShopMy creator requirements and LTK creator requirements.

Beyond affiliate links, both platforms want to connect you to paid brand work, and this is where ShopMy has pulled ahead. Its Opportunities marketplace is well regarded for surfacing real, paid brand collaborations, and a lot of professional creators join ShopMy specifically for it. LTK has brand-collaboration tooling too, but the marketplace experience is lighter. If sponsored brand deals, not just affiliate commission, are a meaningful part of your income plan, ShopMy's marketplace is a genuine reason to prefer it.

Here is the honest ceiling on this whole comparison. ShopMy and LTK are both built for physical retail, so both pay a one-time commission that resets the moment the sale clears, and neither carries AI tools, developer software, or SaaS subscriptions. If your audience buys serums and sweaters, that is fine and you should pick whichever of the two fits above. But if your audience asks which AI writing tool or analytics stack to subscribe to, the strongest rate in the world applies to a catalog you cannot link. That is the case a software-native storefront with recurring commissions on the tools you recommend is built for.