How to Set Up an ApeX Affiliate Code and Sub-Affiliate Chain

An ApeX affiliate isn’t limited to earning a cut of their own direct referrals’ fees, they can also recruit sub-affiliates, who become affiliates in their own right, and still earn an additional percentage on top of what those sub-affiliates generate.

This guide is part of TradeOnDEX’s ApeX Protocol how-to series within Perpetual Futures.

Disclosure: TradeOnDEX may earn a commission from links to ApeX on this page, at no extra cost to you. Full details at the end of this article.

How the two-tier structure works

A primary affiliate earns commission, reported as up to 40% of the trading fees generated by traders they refer directly. Some of those referred traders can themselves become sub-affiliates, building their own referral community and earning their own commission on it. The affiliate who originally recruited that sub-affiliate then earns an additional 10% of the commissions their sub-affiliate generates, on top of their own direct-referral earnings.

This means for you, concretely: your total earnings as an affiliate aren’t capped at your own direct referrals, recruiting active sub-affiliates who build their own referral network adds a second, ongoing income stream layered on top.

How to get an affiliate code, step by step

1. Register on ApeX’s affiliate portal to create your affiliate account.
2. Generate your unique invite link (for web referrals) and affiliate invite code (for mobile app users, since app installs need the code specifically to pair a referred trader to the correct affiliate).
3. Share your link or code with your community, anyone who signs up and trades through it is tracked as your referral.
4. If you want to formally apply for the broader affiliate program beyond self-serve registration, ApeX has directed prospective affiliates to reach out through their Discord’s dedicated Affiliates channel.

How to build a sub-affiliate chain

1. Identify active referred traders in your community who have their own audience or following.
2. Encourage them to register for their own affiliate account and generate their own invite link or code.
3. Once they’re onboarded as a sub-affiliate under you, their referral activity generates commission for them directly, and an additional 10% for you on top of your own direct-referral earnings.
4. Track your combined direct and sub-affiliate earnings through the affiliate portal’s dashboard, since the two income streams are reported separately.

Risk: what to understand before building an affiliate chain

Mobile and web referral tracking use different mechanisms, and mixing them up breaks attribution. Web referrals are tracked through your invite link, while mobile app installs require the affiliate invite code specifically for pairing, sharing the wrong one for a given channel can mean a referral doesn’t get correctly attributed to you at all.

A sub-affiliate’s earnings depend on their own referral activity, not yours. Recruiting a sub-affiliate who never actively builds their own referral community adds little to your earnings, the 10% override only applies to commissions your sub-affiliate actually generates, so this structure rewards active recruiting, not just headcount.

Affiliate program terms and commission tiers can change. As with any affiliate program, the specific percentages and structure described here reflect the program as currently documented. Confirm current terms directly on ApeX’s affiliate portal before making long-term plans around a specific commission rate.

This is a marketing relationship, not a trading recommendation. Building an affiliate or sub-affiliate chain is about referring other traders to the platform, it says nothing about whether ApeX or perpetual futures trading generally is suitable for any specific referred trader, who should independently evaluate the platform and its risks.

Direct affiliate vs. sub-affiliate earnings

See it for yourself

Before building out a sub-affiliate chain, confirm the current commission tiers and terms directly on ApeX’s affiliate portal, since program structures can be updated over time. You can review the current affiliate program at apex.exchange.

Frequently asked questions

Can I earn from referrals beyond the traders I refer directly?

Yes, if a trader you referred becomes a sub-affiliate and builds their own referral community, you earn an additional percentage (reported as 10%) of their commissions, on top of your own direct-referral earnings.

Do I need a different code for mobile versus web referrals?

Yes, web referrals use your invite link, while mobile app installs require your specific affiliate invite code to correctly pair the referred trader to you.

How do I formally apply to the affiliate program?

Beyond self-serve registration on the affiliate portal, ApeX has directed prospective affiliates to reach out through the Affiliates channel on its Discord.

Is the sub-affiliate override rate fixed at 10% permanently?

Confirm the current rate directly on ApeX’s affiliate portal, program terms and commission tiers can be updated over time.

Affiliate disclosure

TradeOnDEX may earn a commission if you sign up or trade through a link on this page, at no extra cost to you. ApeX’s own affiliate/referral terms are still being confirmed for this site, so links here are direct and untracked for now. This article is educational and is not financial advice. See our disclaimer for the full risk warning.