If you’ve been researching affiliate marketing as someone living outside the US or Europe, you’ve probably run into the same frustrating wall I did early on: most affiliate income guides are written by and for people with US bank accounts, US addresses, and zero complications at the border.
I’m an African engineer living in Mexico. And yes, ClickBank and Digistore24 both work for me. Not perfectly, not without a few workarounds, but well enough that they’re a real part of how I earn online income alongside my engineering career.
This article breaks down exactly how I use both platforms, what I’ve learned about navigating them as an international affiliate, and which one I actually prefer.
Why ClickBank and Digistore24 in the First Place?
Before I explain the how, let me explain the why.
Most of my affiliate income comes from digital products, ebooks, online courses, supplements, and software.
Physical products through Amazon Associates are fine, but commissions cap out at 3–10%. With digital products on ClickBank and Digistore24, commissions routinely hit 50–75%, sometimes higher.
For someone building a content and affiliate site business part-time while working a full-time engineering job, that commission difference is massive.
One sale of a $97 ClickBank product at 75% is $72.75. That’s the same as roughly 20–25 Amazon Associates commissions on a typical purchase.
The math made the decision easy.
ClickBank: My Experience as an International Affiliate
Signing Up from Mexico
ClickBank is one of the most internationally accessible affiliate networks out there. Signing up is straightforward.
You don’t need a US address or bank account to create an account and start generating affiliate links.
What you do need to think about as an international affiliate is how you’ll get paid.
Payment Options for International Affiliates
ClickBank offers several payment methods, and not all of them are equally accessible depending on where you live. Here’s what’s worked for me.
Wire Transfer (International Wire)
This is my primary payout method. ClickBank supports international wire transfers to bank accounts outside the US.
The minimum payout threshold for wire is typically $100, and there’s a wire fee that varies by bank. For Mexico, this has worked reliably.
Payoneer
If your local banking situation makes international wires complicated, Payoneer is an excellent alternative.
You connect a Payoneer account and receive payouts there, then move the funds to your local account. Many international affiliates I know use this setup.
Check
Technically available internationally, but painfully slow and impractical. I’d skip this.
My recommendation
Set up Payoneer early if you don’t already have it. It gives you flexibility across multiple platforms, not just ClickBank.
Navigating the ClickBank Marketplace
The ClickBank marketplace is massive, with thousands of products across dozens of niches. That’s both a strength and a weakness.
For my weight loss content site (weightlossdossier.com), I look for products that.
- Have a Gravity score above 20 (indicates active sales).
- Offer recurring billing or upsell sequences (higher average order value = higher commission).
- Have a legitimate-looking sales page that won’t embarrass me with my audience.
- Offer tools like email swipe copy and banners in the affiliate center.
Read how to promote Clickbank affiliate products here.
A word of caution
Not every high-Gravity product is worth promoting. Some ClickBank products, particularly in the health niche, have aggressive sales pages that can hurt your credibility. I always go through the entire sales funnel before I promote anything.
ClickBank’s International Tax Considerations
ClickBank will ask for tax information during setup. As a non-US affiliate, you’ll typically fill out a W-8BEN form (Certificate of Foreign Status).
This form tells ClickBank you’re not a US taxpayer and establishes whether any withholding applies to your earnings.
Mexico has a tax treaty with the United States that affects this. I’m not a tax attorney, so get proper advice for your specific situation, but the W-8BEN process itself is straightforward and handled within the ClickBank account setup.
Digistore24: A Solid European Alternative
Why I Added Digistore24 to the Mix
ClickBank has dominated the digital affiliate space for years, but Digistore24 has quietly become a strong alternative, especially for affiliates targeting European audiences or promoting products in niches where ClickBank has less inventory.
Digistore24 is German-based, which means it operates under EU payment regulations. For affiliates outside the US, this can actually be an advantage: European payment infrastructure is often more internationally friendly.
Signing Up from Mexico
Like ClickBank, Digistore24 allows international affiliate registration. The signup process is clean and relatively fast.
Payment options include bank transfer, PayPal, and wire transfer. PayPal availability for your country is a big factor here. If you have a functional PayPal account in Mexico, Digistore24 becomes very accessible.
I use bank transfer for Digistore24 payouts, which connects to my Payoneer account.
The Digistore24 Marketplace
Digistore24’s product library is smaller than ClickBank’s, but the quality is often more consistent. You’ll find a strong selection in.
- Health and fitness.
- Personal development.
- Online business and marketing.
- Language learning.
- Spirituality and relationships.
For my sites, I use Digistore24, particularly when I find a product that aligns well with my content but isn’t available on ClickBank, or when a Digistore24 vendor offers better commission terms.
One feature I appreciate
Digistore24 shows conversion rates and earnings per click (EPC) more transparently than ClickBank in many cases, which makes it easier to evaluate whether a product is worth promoting before you drive traffic to it.
Digistore24 Commission Structure
Commissions on Digistore24 vary by product but can run 40–70%+ on digital products. Some vendors offer recurring commissions on subscription products, which is worth prioritizing if you’re building a content business designed for passive income.
How I Actually Integrate Both Platforms Into My Sites
Here’s my practical workflow.
Content first, affiliate second
Every article I write is designed to rank on Google and genuinely help the reader. The affiliate link is the monetization layer, not the purpose of the article. This isn’t just an ethical stance; it’s also what Google rewards.
I match the platform to the niche and audience
For weightlossdossier.com, I lean more on ClickBank because the health and fitness digital product inventory is deeper.
If I ever expand into a more European-facing audience or certain personal development niches, Digistore24 gets more rotation.
I disclose clearly
Both platforms require FTC-compliant disclosure, and I include affiliate disclaimers on every page where I use affiliate links.
Beyond compliance, this builds trust with readers, and trust is the only real asset in content marketing.
I track what converts
Both ClickBank and Digistore24 have built-in tracking, and I use tracking IDs/sub-IDs to know which articles and which placements are actually generating commissions. This data shapes what I write next and where I place links.
The Honest Challenges of Being an International Affiliate
I’d be doing you a disservice if I made this sound effortless. Here are the real friction points.
Currency and transfer fees
Every time money moves across borders, someone takes a cut. Payoneer helps minimize this, but it’s never zero. Build this into your income expectations.
Payment thresholds and delays
ClickBank has a net-60 delay on initial payouts and a minimum threshold before you get paid. When you’re starting, this means your first commission might take two months to reach your account.
Product quality control
Both platforms have products that are low-quality or downright misleading. As an affiliate, your reputation is on the line. Do the research before you promote.
Not all products accept international traffic
Some vendors on both platforms restrict which countries their offers accept. Always check geo-restrictions before building out content targeting a specific offer.
ClickBank vs. Digistore24: Which Is Better for International Affiliates?
Here’s my honest take.
| Factor | ClickBank | Digistore24 |
|---|---|---|
| Product variety | Massive | Moderate but growing |
| International signup | Easy | Easy |
| Payment options | Wire, Payoneer, check | Bank transfer, PayPal, wire |
| Market focus | US-heavy | Europe + international |
| Data transparency | Good | Very good |
| Best for | Health, finance, self-help | Health, personal dev, online biz |
For most international affiliates starting, ClickBank is the better first platform, with more products, more community resources, and more case studies to learn from. Add Digistore24 once you’re comfortable with the fundamentals.
The Bigger Picture: Building Income as an International Affiliate
Being based in Mexico or anywhere outside the US doesn’t disqualify you from building a real online income through affiliate marketing.
If anything, the lower cost of living in many international markets means the income bar for financial freedom is lower.
I built this affiliate business alongside a full-time career as an industrial safety engineer. The system’s content sites, email lists, and affiliate partnerships compound over time. ClickBank and Digistore24 are just two of the tools in that system.
If you’re reading this and you’re also an immigrant, an expat, or someone building income from a “non-standard” location, the platforms are available to you. The opportunity is real. It just takes a different map than the one most guides hand you.
That’s what I’m building here at sekihudson.com, the map for people like us.
Ready to Start?
If you’re new to affiliate marketing or want to build the foundation properly before diving into platforms like ClickBank and Digistore24, here is a free training on building your first online income system.
And if you have questions about navigating affiliate platforms as an international marketer, drop them in the comments. I read everyone.
Seki Hudson is an industrial safety engineer and online business builder based in Mexico. He writes about building income systems, affiliate marketing, and financial independence for engineers and expats at sekihudson.com.
