If you are shopping for alternatives to the GoodRx affiliate program to build telehealth referral income, the shortest useful answer is this: look for a program that pays you every month a referral stays active, not just once. Most programs in this category, GoodRx included, are reported to pay a one-time CPA or a percentage per sale. MedStands is built the other way. It pays a recurring fixed marketing fee of $36 to $260 per active referred customer per month, set by medication category, to your bank for as long as that customer stays active, with lifetime attribution and $0 to join. That fixed fee is agreed in advance: not a commission, a percentage, or a cut of sales.
For the researched, brand-by-brand figures on GoodRx specifically, see the full head-to-head at MedStands vs GoodRx. This piece is about the alternatives and how to choose one.
Why people look for a GoodRx alternative
GoodRx is a prescription discount and coupon platform, so its affiliate payout is tied to people using its coupons at the pharmacy. That is a fine job for the right audience, but it shapes how you earn. Like most programs in this space, GoodRx is reported to pay a one-time CPA, a single bounty run through third-party networks rather than in-house. One-time means the earning relationship ends at the fill: whether that person keeps filling for two months or two years, the program pays once.
We are not quoting GoodRx's specific rate or cookie length here, because those figures are aggregator-reported and inconsistent; the researched detail lives in the MedStands vs GoodRx comparison. What matters for choosing an alternative is the model, not the exact number.
The alternative that pays every month
MedStands is a B2B telehealth partner and affiliate platform built around recurring income. When someone signs up through your QR code or personal link and becomes an active customer, you are paid a fixed marketing fee tied to the medication category, between $36 and $260 per active customer, every month for as long as that person stays active.
That fee is the same for the businesses in the partner program and the individuals in the MedStands affiliate program: both are paid the recurring monthly fee for the life of each active customer. There is no cost to join, no follower or audience-size minimum, and no cap on referrals or earnings.
One honest note: this is a fee schedule, not a promise of a total. Every request is reviewed by a licensed provider, not everyone qualifies, and your earnings depend on the medication category and how many referred people stay active.
Recurring monthly vs one-time: the math
This is the difference that compounds. It is structural, not a matter of one number being bigger. A one-time CPA rewards the moment of the fill, once. A recurring fee rewards retention: the same referral is paid on again each month the person stays active.
Line the two up over a year. A one-time payout credits a long-term customer once, while a recurring monthly fee is paid on that same retained customer across the months they stay in care, turning a small base of active referrals into a steady monthly line rather than a scattering of one-off bounties. For a wider look at this side of the market, see the highest-paying recurring telehealth affiliate programs.
Lifetime attribution vs a cookie window
Attribution decides who keeps getting credit, and for how long. Coupon and CPA programs generally use a browser cookie that expires after a set window, so the referral has to convert inside that period, and credit can be lost if the cookie is cleared or the device changes.
MedStands does not use an expiring cookie. When someone signs up through your QR code or personal link, they are bound to your account for life, stored at signup rather than in a browser. It does not lapse after a set number of days, so a person who finds a program through you today but acts weeks later is still credited to you. For a plain-English walkthrough, see how telehealth referral attribution works with lifetime tracking.
Partner or affiliate: two ways to earn
A GoodRx alternative does not have to be a solo affiliate link. MedStands runs two tracks on the same recurring fee. Individuals, creators, and staff earn through the MedStands affiliate program with a personal link and QR code. Businesses bring a location on board through the partner program and earn on the customers that location refers. Because a referred business still earns its own fee in full, nobody earns less because you referred them.
To see how different business types run the same model, browse partner programs by industry, and if you are weighing the two tracks, Partner vs Affiliate: which MedStands program fits you breaks down both paths. Across both, MedStands is not a medical practice and does not prescribe: independent licensed providers handle prescribing, and licensed pharmacies handle fulfillment, refills, and shipping on a LegitScript-certified platform. You do no clinical work and hold no inventory.
Where GoodRx may still be a fit
To be fair, GoodRx is a large, recognizable name, and its affiliate program can suit a job a telehealth referral program does not. If your audience is primarily looking to save on prescriptions they already fill at the pharmacy, promoting a familiar discount and coupon platform is a natural match, and a one-time CPA is simple to reason about because it pays on the fill itself. MedStands is built for the opposite goal: ongoing income from customers who stay in care.
Common questions
What is the best alternative to the GoodRx affiliate program for recurring income?
If your goal is recurring income, MedStands is the direct alternative: a fixed marketing fee of $36 to $260 per active referred customer per month, by medication category, paid for as long as that customer stays active, with lifetime attribution and $0 to join.
Is the MedStands fee a commission or a percentage?
No. It is a fixed marketing fee set by the medication category, a flat per-category dollar amount between $36 and $260 per active customer per month. It is not a commission, a percentage, or a share of sales, and it is agreed in advance.
Do I need a big audience or a medical background to join?
No. There is no follower or audience-size minimum and no clinical requirement. Sign-up is self-serve, your QR code and personal link are live the same day, and an admin reviews the account. You do no clinical work and hold no inventory, because licensed providers prescribe and licensed pharmacies fulfill, refill, and ship. If you are new to the model, what a telehealth partner program is explains how it works.
See the recurring alternative side by side
If you want an alternative to GoodRx that keeps paying every month instead of once on the fill, that is the whole point of MedStands. Individuals can start with the MedStands affiliate program, and businesses can bring a location on board through the partner program. See how different business types run the same model in partner programs by industry, and for the researched, brand-by-brand numbers, read MedStands vs GoodRx.
Competitor program terms are as of July 2026 and come from each brand's published affiliate information. Programs change, so check their current terms.