If you are weighing alternatives to the Hims and Hers affiliate program because you would rather earn a recurring fee than a single one-time payout, here is the short answer. Most telehealth affiliate programs, Hims and Hers among them, are built to pay you once per sale, either a flat bounty or a percentage. MedStands is built the other way. It pays a fixed marketing fee every month for each active referred customer, for as long as that person keeps actively using the platform. This post compares the two models fairly, notes where the Hims and Hers program still makes sense, and shows how the recurring model works so you can decide which structure fits how you want to get paid.
The core difference: one-time payout versus a recurring fee
The cleanest way to compare these programs is at the model level, not on any single number. A traditional affiliate program, which is how the Hims and Hers program is structured, pays when a referral converts. You send someone through your link inside a tracking window, the referral converts, and you get paid once for that sale. It is simple and familiar, and for a lot of publishers it works.
The recurring model answers a different question: what happens after that first sale? With a one-time payout, the answer is nothing more. The relationship, and the income, ends at conversion. With a recurring marketing fee, a single referral can keep paying month after month, because the fee arrives again each month the person stays active.
We are deliberately not quoting a specific Hims and Hers payout amount or tracking window here, because those figures move and deserve a careful, sourced treatment. For the researched numbers and a side by side breakdown, read MedStands vs Hims and Hers.
Where the Hims and Hers affiliate program can still fit
To be fair, a one-time program is not worse, it is different, and for some people it is the better tool. If you drive large volumes of cold traffic, run broad content that touches many product categories, or want the simplest possible payout to reason about, a well known consumer brand with a one-time bounty can be a clean fit. Name recognition helps conversion, and a single payout is easy to forecast per click.
The one-time model tends to suit publishers who optimize for reach and immediate return per visitor rather than for the lifetime value of a relationship. If that describes your traffic, the Hims and Hers program may serve you well, and there is no reason to force a recurring model onto a one-time audience.
How the MedStands recurring model works
MedStands pays a fixed marketing fee for each active referred customer, and it pays that fee every month for as long as the person keeps actively using the platform. The fee is set in advance by medication category and price tier, currently ranging from $36 to $260 per active customer per month. Beyond that published range we keep earnings qualitative on purpose, because your total depends on how many people you refer and how long they stay active.
Two details make this compound rather than reset. First, the fee is recurring, so one referral can pay for many months. Second, attribution is lifetime and account level, so a person you referred stays attributed to you across their time on the platform rather than only inside a short cookie window. To see the recurring approach in context, highest paying recurring telehealth affiliate programs is a useful companion read.
To be clear about what the fee is: it is a fixed marketing fee, not a commission, not a percentage of sales, and not a share of prescription revenue. It is a flat amount agreed up front for referring people to a licensed telehealth service. And it is free to join, with no setup fee, no monthly fee, and nothing to buy.
Partner or affiliate: two ways to earn the recurring fee
MedStands runs the recurring model through two doors, and you can pick the one that matches how you reach people.
If you are a creator, publisher, or individual promoter, the MedStands affiliate program lets you run your own QR codes and links, choose which treatments to promote, and earn the recurring fee on your own conversions. You can also refer businesses and earn on their sales too.
If you run a business with foot traffic or an existing audience, such as a gym, medspa, or clinic, the partner program is built for you. You place a QR code or share a link, and referred customers are attributed to your business. To see how the model maps onto a specific field, browse partner programs by industry.
What you never touch: the clinical side
The reason a recurring marketing fee is possible without you doing clinical work is that the clinical work is handled entirely by licensed professionals. On the MedStands platform, licensed providers do the prescribing and licensed pharmacies handle fulfillment, refills, and shipping. The platform is LegitScript-certified. MedStands is not a medical practice and does not prescribe, and neither do you.
Every request a referred person submits is reviewed by a licensed provider, and not everyone qualifies. You have no role in that decision. You never stock inventory, never handle a medication such as semaglutide or tirzepatide, and do no clinical work of any kind. Your job begins and ends with the introduction.
Common questions
Is the MedStands fee a commission or a percentage?
No. It is a fixed marketing fee set in advance for each active referred customer, paid monthly. It is not a commission, not a percentage of what anyone spends, and not a share of prescription revenue.
Does it really cost nothing to join?
Yes. It is $0 to join, with no setup fee, no monthly fee, and nothing to purchase. You get paid, you never pay.
Who decides if a referred person qualifies?
A licensed provider does. Every request is reviewed by a licensed provider, and not everyone qualifies. That decision is out of your hands, which keeps you clearly on the marketing side.
How is this different from a one-time affiliate payout?
A one-time payout ends at the sale. The MedStands fee recurs every month for as long as your referral stays active, and attribution is lifetime and account level rather than tied to a short tracking window.
Choosing the alternative that fits how you want to get paid
If a one-time payout suits your traffic, the Hims and Hers affiliate program is a reasonable choice, and this comparison is not an argument that recurring always wins. But if you would rather build income that keeps arriving each month from referrals you already made, the recurring model is the alternative worth a serious look. Start with the MedStands affiliate program or the partner program, compare the researched details in MedStands vs Hims and Hers, and see where you fit across partner programs by industry.