CDKeys Affiliate Program
The CDKeys affiliate program pays up to 5% per sale on a 30-day cookie window, on discounted digital game keys and subscriptions.
- Free to join
- No separate CDKeys application
- Decision usually within 2 business days
Last reviewed by the LinkApprove partnerships team
01Overview
About the CDKeys affiliate program
CDKeys sells digital game keys below standard retail, and the price gap is the entire proposition. Readers arrive because they want a specific game cheaper, which is high-intent traffic requiring almost no persuasion, the creator's role is to surface the price, not to sell the game.
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Digital delivery means no shipping friction and effectively no returns, so reversal rates run well below physical retail. Game subscription top-ups also generate genuinely recurring purchases, which is unusual in a category dominated by one-off transactions.
Reversal rates here run below physical gaming retail because digital keys are not returned, so realised earnings track headline more closely than elsewhere in the category.
Program fit score
Weighted against 12 gaming programs
2.5/ 5
| Factor | Weight | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Commission per conversion | 40% | 0.62 |
| Cookie window | 25% | 0.80 |
| Average order value | 20% | 0.38 |
| Region breadth | 15% | 0.75 |
Cookie window
Same as the category median
30days
Most gaming programs give around 30 days, so timing is neither an advantage nor a constraint here. Dots are the 12 programs in gaming; the range is 7–30 days.
02Conversion
Why CDKeys converts
- High-intent traffic arriving for a specific title needs almost no persuasion
- Digital delivery means reversal rates run below physical gaming retail
- Subscription top-ups create recurring rather than one-off purchases
- A 30-day window is generous for a low-value digital purchase
03Audience fit
Which creators this suits
- Gaming deal and value focused creators
- PC and console gaming publishers covering new releases
- Channels with audiences who buy games regularly
04Getting started
How to join the CDKeys affiliate program
- 1Create a free account on LinkApprove and submit your content channels for review.
- 2Get approved, usually within two business days, then find CDKeys in the program directory.
- 3Generate a deep link to any CDKeys product page, adding sub-IDs for the platform or campaign.
- 4Publish and track clicks and validated commission in one balance alongside every other program you run.
LinkApprove already holds the upstream approval, so you don’t submit a separate application to CDKeys.
Create a free account05Attribution
When you get paid on this program
- ClickDay 0
- PurchaseWithin 30 days · cookie
- ValidatedAdvertiser confirms · 30–60 day hold
- PaidNext payout run
- Minimum (wallets)
- $100
- Minimum (wire)
- $1,000
- Schedule
- Monthly → daily
EPC isn't published yet: our sample on this program is too small to mean anything. Full thresholds, rails and schedules are on the payouts page.
Gaming
How CDKeys compares in its category
Gaming splits cleanly into two commission models: digital game keys pay a high percentage on a low order value and validate almost immediately, while hardware pays a low percentage on a high order value and validates slowly. Creators generally do better concentrating on one side than covering both, and launch and sale calendars concentrate demand far more sharply here than in retail verticals.
- CDKeysup to 5%30 days$35
- Corsair5%30 days$150
- Elgatoup to 7%30 days$180
- Fanatical5%30 days$25
- GameStop3%7 days$85
- Green Man Gaming5%30 days$35
- Humble Bundleup to 10%30 days$28
- HyperXup to 6%30 days$105
- Razer6%30 days$135
- Secretlabup to 6%30 days$480
- SteelSeriesup to 8%30 days$125
Showing 11 of 12 programs. Commission and cookie figures are indicative and set by the advertiser.
Compare all 12 programs06FAQ
Common questions
Something else? Contact the partnerships team.
How much does the CDKeys affiliate program pay?
The CDKeys affiliate program pays up to 5% per sale. Average order value on the program is $35, so commission per conversion is calculated against that basket rather than a single item price.
What is the cookie duration for the CDKeys affiliate program?
The CDKeys program has a 30-day cookie window. A purchase made after that window has closed is not attributed to you, which is why content timing matters on this program.
How do I join the CDKeys affiliate program?
You can join the CDKeys affiliate program through LinkApprove without applying to CDKeys directly. LinkApprove already holds the upstream approval, so once your LinkApprove partner account is approved you can generate tracked links to any CDKeys product page immediately.
Which countries does the CDKeys affiliate program accept?
The CDKeys program accepts traffic from UK, EU, US, CA, AU. Traffic from outside these regions may not be attributed even when the click is tracked, so check your audience geography before committing content to it.
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For creators
Creators and publishers
Promote CDKeys and every other program in the directory from one account, with a single payout. Free to join, from 1,000 followers.
- Free to join
- From 1,000 followers
- One payout
For brands
Advertisers
Recruit vetted creators across the UK, EU and US without managing hundreds of individual partner relationships.
Promote CDKeys from today
Join LinkApprove free and generate your first tracked CDKeys link once approved. No separate application, and no advertiser approval queue.