If you are comparing these two GLP-1 referral programs, start with the honest part: both pay you every month, not once. MedStands 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 keeps using the platform. UrgentCare.com runs an in-house "Agent" referral program that, on the brand's own agent page, states it pays $15 per month per active member (up to $180 per year per referral) for as long as that member stays active. This is not a "recurring versus one-time" story. It is two recurring programs, and the real differences are the size of the fee, how attribution is tracked, and what it takes to join.
Because both keep paying month after month, this is a genuine apples-to-apples comparison. Here is the factual side-by-side.
At a glance
| MedStands | UrgentCare.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Payment model | Recurring fixed marketing fee by medication category (a flat per-category dollar amount, not a commission, percentage, or share of sales) | Recurring monthly per active referred member, through an in-house "Agent" referral program (approval-gated, with a custom link and promo code) |
| When you are paid | Every month a referral stays active, to your bank via Stripe Connect | Each month the referred member stays active, per the brand's own agent page |
| How much per referral | $36 to $260 per active customer per month, by category | $15 per month per active member, which the brand's own page frames as up to $180 per year per referral over 12 months of retention |
| Attribution window | None to expire; attribution is stored on the account at signup and bound to you for life | Not disclosed; the brand does not publish a cookie or attribution window, and the definition of an "active member" is not stated |
| Cost to join | $0, no setup fee, no monthly fee, no participation fee. You get paid, you never pay | Not disclosed |
| Sign-up requirements | Self-serve, live the same day, admin reviews the account; no follower or audience-size minimum | Application and approval required; you receive a custom referral link and promo code. Aimed at licensed agents, influencers, and healthcare professionals |
| Referral cap | No cap on referrals or earnings | Not disclosed |
| Who handles the clinical side | Licensed providers prescribe; licensed pharmacies handle fulfillment, refills, and shipping (LegitScript-certified platform). MedStands is not a medical practice and does not prescribe | Not detailed in the published program terms |
Two notes on the UrgentCare.com figures. First, the program is branded as an "Agent" program rather than an "affiliate" program, with sign-up on the brand's own /agent path, so it may not surface if you only search for the word "affiliate." Second, the $180 per year figure assumes a full 12 months of retention. The page itself frames retention as roughly 6 to 12+ months, so the annual amount per referral can land lower than $180 if a member stays active for fewer months.
The math: recurring monthly, fee by fee
Since both programs pay monthly, the math is about the size and structure of each recurring fee, not recurring versus one-time.
UrgentCare.com's agent page states a flat $15 per month per active member, which it frames as up to $180 per year per referral if the member stays active for a full year. It is a single, easy-to-read number: every active member you refer is worth the same $15 a month while they remain enrolled.
MedStands ties its fee to the medication category instead of using one flat rate. The fixed marketing fee runs from $36 to $260 per active referred customer per month, and it is paid to your bank every month for as long as that customer keeps using the platform. Because the fee is set by category rather than a single figure, the per-customer amount depends on which category a referral falls into, and it is paid again each month that person stays active.
Both models reward retention: a customer who stays active longer is paid on more times under either program. The honest framing is that the MedStands stated per-customer fee range sits above a flat $15 a month, but that is a fee schedule, not a promise of a total. Actual MedStands earnings depend on the medication category of each referral and on how many referred people qualify and stay active, since every request is provider-reviewed and not everyone qualifies. The $36 to $260 range is the per-customer monthly fee by category, never a guaranteed sum, and it is a fixed marketing fee, never a percentage or a share of sales. For a plain-English breakdown of how the recurring model adds up, see how much you can earn referring businesses to telehealth.
Attribution: lifetime binding vs an undisclosed window
Attribution decides who gets credit for a customer, and for how long. With MedStands, a referred customer or business is bound to the referrer for life. That link is stored on the account at signup rather than in a browser cookie that expires, so it does not lapse if the customer clears cookies, switches devices, or comes back weeks later. The monthly fee then follows that account for as long as the customer stays active.
UrgentCare.com does not disclose its attribution mechanics. The brand's page does not publish a cookie or attribution window, and it does not spell out exactly how long a referred member must stay enrolled to keep paying, since the definition of an "active member" is not stated. Because those details are not published, we will not invent them. What we can say factually is that an account-level lifetime binding and an undisclosed window are different mechanisms, and the difference matters most for a category like GLP-1 weight loss, where people often research for weeks before starting. For a walkthrough of how non-expiring, account-level attribution works, see telehealth referral attribution and lifetime tracking.
Where UrgentCare.com may be a fit
UrgentCare.com's Agent program is a real recurring referral program, and for the right person it is a reasonable option. If you are a licensed agent, an influencer, or a healthcare professional (the audiences the program names), and you are comfortable with an application and approval step, the flat $15 per month per active member is simple to reason about and keeps paying while the member stays enrolled. If you already work with that brand or reach an audience that fits its services, running the offer inside its own in-house program can be convenient, and a single flat monthly figure is easy to model. A recurring per-member fee is a fundamentally sound structure, which is exactly why it is worth comparing on the details rather than the headline.
Common questions
Is UrgentCare.com's program recurring or one-time?
Recurring. On the brand's own agent page, it states it pays $15 per month per active member (up to $180 per year per referral) for as long as that member stays active. MedStands is also recurring, paying a fixed marketing fee of $36 to $260 per active customer per month, set by medication category, for as long as that customer keeps using the platform.
How much does each program pay per referral?
UrgentCare.com lists $15 per month per active member, framed as up to $180 per year over a full 12 months of retention, and potentially less if a member stays active for fewer months. MedStands pays $36 to $260 per active customer per month, set by the medication category. Both are recurring monthly amounts, not one-time payouts.
How long does a referral stay credited to me?
With MedStands, for life. Attribution is stored on the account at signup, not in an expiring cookie, so you keep earning the monthly fee for as long as the customer stays active. UrgentCare.com does not disclose an attribution window or the exact definition of an "active member," so how long a referral keeps paying there is not published.
What does it cost to join MedStands, and who can join?
Nothing. There is no setup fee, no monthly fee, and no participation fee, and your link is live the same day you sign up. MedStands runs the MedStands affiliate program for individuals and the partner program for businesses, both paid the same recurring monthly fee for the life of each active customer. If you are weighing the two, partner vs affiliate: which program fits breaks it down, and you can browse partner programs by industry to see how it maps to your field.
Ready to compare on the details?
Both programs pay recurring monthly, so the decision comes down to the details: the size of the fee, whether attribution is bound to the account for life or left undisclosed, and whether you can start free and self-serve or need to clear an approval gate. MedStands is $0 to join, live the same day, and pays a fixed monthly marketing fee for the life of every active referral, with no cap on referrals or earnings. Learn how it works on the MedStands affiliate program page, or see the full lineup of GLP-1 programs compared in MedStands vs the top GLP-1 affiliate programs.
Competitor program terms are as of July 2026 and come from each brand's published affiliate information. Programs change, so check their current terms.