MedStands pays a recurring fixed marketing fee of $36 to $260 per active referred customer every month, set by the medication category, and it keeps paying for as long as that customer stays active. Zealthy's affiliate program, by contrast, is publicly reported as a one-time CPA (cost per action) accessed through the Katalys affiliate network, so a referral is paid once at the qualifying conversion rather than every month afterward. That single difference, recurring monthly versus paid once, is the whole story, so this post lays out the facts and lets you decide.
Both are real ways to earn from GLP-1 telehealth referrals. They simply pay on different timelines, and that changes what one referral is worth to you over a year. Where Zealthy's numbers come from a third-party network rather than a Zealthy-owned page, we hedge them and say so.
At a glance
| MedStands | Zealthy | |
|---|---|---|
| Payment model | A recurring fixed marketing fee by medication category (a flat per-category dollar amount, not a commission, percentage, or share of sales) | A one-time CPA per conversion, accessed through the Katalys affiliate network (publicly reported; not officially confirmed by Zealthy) |
| When you are paid | Every month a referral stays active | Once, at the qualifying conversion |
| How much per referral | $36 to $260 per active customer per month, by category | Listed by the Katalys network at roughly $50 to $400 CPA per conversion (a network-reported range, not confirmed on Zealthy's own site) |
| Attribution window | None that expires; tied to you for life, stored on the account at signup | Not disclosed for Zealthy specifically; Katalys notes a roughly 30-day cookie for "most programs" on its weight-loss listing, which is a general statement, not a Zealthy-confirmed figure |
| Cost to join | $0, free to join, no setup or monthly fee | Not disclosed; access is through a Katalys publisher account |
| Sign-up requirements | Self-serve, live the same day, admin review, no follower or audience minimum | Create and get approved for a Katalys publisher/affiliate account; no separate Zealthy-owned application found |
| Referral cap | No cap on referrals or earnings | Not disclosed |
| Who handles the clinical side | Licensed providers prescribe; licensed pharmacies fulfill, refill, and ship on a LegitScript-certified platform; you do no clinical work and hold no inventory | Zealthy operates as a telehealth provider running its own clinical operation |
One clarification up front: the $50 to $400 figure comes solely from the Katalys aggregator listing, which names Zealthy specifically. It is not published on any Zealthy-owned page, so treat it as a network-reported range rather than an official Zealthy rate. We also do not count occasional customer promo or discount codes as a referral payout, because those are shopper incentives, not an affiliate program.
The math: recurring monthly vs one-time
The structural difference is easiest to see over a year with a single referred customer.
A one-time CPA pays you a single amount when the referral converts, and then it is done. Zealthy's program is listed by affiliate directories at roughly $50 to $400 CPA per conversion, so a referral pays that reported amount one time, no matter how long the person stays a customer afterward. That range is wide and, again, is the network's number, not Zealthy's own published rate.
MedStands pays its fixed marketing fee every month that same customer stays active. The fee is set by the medication category and falls between $36 and $260 per active customer per month, so a customer who stays active for a year is paid on up to twelve times, not once. Put a single active customer on a timeline: under a one-time CPA that customer is paid on once, while under the MedStands model the same customer generates the category fee in month one, again in month two, and again every month they remain active. Across a full year at the MedStands range, that is roughly $432 to $3,120 in fees on that one referral, spread over the months they stay active.
To be clear and honest about it: that is a fee schedule, not a promised total. Your actual MedStands earnings depend on which medication category applies (a semaglutide referral and a tirzepatide referral can sit in different category tiers) and on how many referred people qualify and stay active. Every request is reviewed by a licensed provider, and not everyone qualifies, so no one should read the range as a guaranteed payout. The point is structural: a recurring fee is paid repeatedly on a customer who stays, while a one-time CPA is not. There is also no cap on either side of the MedStands model, so recurring fees stack as your active base grows. For a fuller walkthrough, see how much you can earn referring businesses to telehealth.
Attribution: lifetime binding vs a cookie
Attribution decides whether a referral still counts to you weeks or months later, and the two programs handle it very differently.
With MedStands, a referred customer or business is bound to you for life. The link is stored on the account at signup, not in a browser cookie that expires. It does not matter when the person comes back or what device they use; the account stays tied to you, and you keep earning the monthly fee for as long as they are active.
Zealthy does not disclose a brand-specific cookie window. The Katalys listing notes that "most programs" in its weight-loss category use a roughly 30-day cookie, but that is a general statement across the listing, not a figure Zealthy confirms for its own program, so we will not present it as a Zealthy fact. Whatever a cookie window turns out to be, it is a fundamentally different mechanism from attribution that lives on the account and does not lapse. That difference matters most for GLP-1 weight loss, where people often research for weeks before starting. Lifetime binding removes the clock from the equation entirely. For the mechanics, see how telehealth referral attribution and lifetime tracking work.
Where Zealthy may be a fit
Zealthy is a recognizable telehealth brand with a broad service line, and that recognition can help conversion for some audiences. If your goal is a simple one-time CPA and you would rather be paid a lump sum at conversion than manage a recurring relationship, a CPA model like the one listed through Katalys is straightforward and predictable per conversion. If you already run traffic through the Katalys network (formerly branded RevOffers) and want your telehealth offers on the same dashboards and payment rails you already use, keeping a program there is convenient. Those are reasonable reasons to consider it, especially when you are optimizing for a single upfront payout rather than long-term recurring income.
Common questions
Is the MedStands fee a commission or a percentage of sales?
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 or revenue. The amount is tied to the category, not to how much the customer spends.
How much does Zealthy pay per referral?
Zealthy does not publish an official affiliate rate on its own site. The Katalys affiliate network lists Zealthy at roughly $50 to $400 CPA per conversion, a one-time payment. Treat that as a network-reported range rather than a confirmed Zealthy figure, and note that other brands on the same Katalys page carry different ranges, so it is not a single uniform network-wide rate.
How is MedStands different from a one-time CPA like Zealthy's?
A CPA pays once, at conversion. MedStands pays every month a referral stays active. Over a year, the same active referral is paid on repeatedly under the MedStands model, versus a single payment under a CPA. If you are weighing the two structures, our MedStands vs Ro comparison walks through the same recurring-versus-one-time tradeoff with another brand.
Can a business join, or only individuals?
Both. MedStands runs the partner program for businesses and an affiliate track for individuals, and both are paid the same recurring monthly fee for the life of each active customer. You can also browse partner programs by industry to see how it fits your niche, or read Partner vs Affiliate: which program fits you.
Ready to earn recurring fees?
If recurring income beats a one-time payout for you, the MedStands affiliate program is free to join, live the same day, and pays a fixed monthly marketing fee for the life of every active referral. You get paid, you never pay. Zealthy's CPA, reported through Katalys, is a fine fit if you want a single payment at conversion; MedStands is built for the opposite, a fee that keeps arriving every month a referral stays active.
Competitor program terms are as of July 2026 and come from each brand's published affiliate information. Programs change, so check their current terms.