MailChimp Terms Of Service For Affiliate Marketers [LNIM120]

Are you using MailChimp and planning to promote affiliate products through email? That combination might put your entire email list at risk. In this episode, Mark breaks down MailChimp's terms of service and knowledge base articles that are openly hostile to affiliate marketing, explains why the vague language creates unacceptable risk, and shares what alternatives are available for affiliate marketers who need a reliable email platform.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• What MailChimp's knowledge base and terms of use actually say about affiliate marketing
• Why even occasional affiliate link usage could put your MailChimp account at risk
• How MailChimp fits into the history of email marketing disruptions
• Why affiliate marketers should choose a platform that explicitly supports their business model

Episode Summary

Mark was shocked to discover through a discussion in the ConvertKit Facebook group that MailChimp's official position is hostile to affiliate marketing. Their knowledge base article states: “Affiliate marketers are typically rewarded by a third party for recruiting customers. The reason we don't permit this activity is that there's no real obligation to care about subscriber satisfaction or to maintain a healthy ecommerce relationship with them. MailChimp isn't meant for this type of marketing.”

While MailChimp does not always block campaigns containing affiliate links, they reserve the right to stop campaigns with blacklisted URLs and can close accounts for any reason under their terms of use. Mark finds their definition of affiliate marketing incredibly vague, creating a situation where any blogger who recommends products with affiliate links could potentially have their account shut down without warning.

Mark places MailChimp in the context of four major email marketing disruptions: Infusionsoft brought advanced automation at premium pricing, Aweber democratized email marketing for solo entrepreneurs, MailChimp disrupted with a free tier that attracted bootstrap businesses, and ConvertKit combined affordable pricing with powerful automation. MailChimp's free tier made it the default choice for new entrepreneurs, but its anti-affiliate stance makes it fundamentally incompatible with how most online businesses monetize.

Mark's recommendation: if you are considering any form of affiliate marketing, choose a platform that explicitly supports it and migrate away from MailChimp before you build a list that could be taken away.

Key Takeaways

• MailChimp's knowledge base explicitly states affiliate marketing is not permitted on their platform
• Their terms of use allow them to close any account for any reason, making your list vulnerable
• Even bloggers who occasionally include affiliate links in emails face risk under MailChimp's vague policies
• Choose an email platform that explicitly supports affiliate marketing before building your list
• The risk is not just losing your account — it is losing your entire subscriber list and the relationships you built

What's Changed Since This Episode

Mark recorded this episode in December 2016, and the email marketing landscape has shifted substantially.

MailChimp's enforcement has evolved. While MailChimp has become somewhat more tolerant of affiliate links in practice, their terms still give them authority to close accounts. The fundamental risk Mark identifies remains: building a business-critical asset on a platform that does not fully support your business model is dangerous regardless of how enforcement currently works.

Intuit acquired MailChimp in 2021 for approximately $12 billion, making it part of a much larger corporate ecosystem. This acquisition has not fundamentally changed their affiliate marketing stance, but it has shifted their focus toward e-commerce and small business tools rather than creator-focused email marketing.

ConvertKit rebranded to Kit in 2024 and has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of creators. The email marketing space now includes many platforms that explicitly welcome affiliate marketers, including ActiveCampaign, Drip, Beehiiv, MailerLite, and AWeber. The choice Mark recommended — moving to a platform that supports your business model — is easier than ever with more options available.

Email authentication requirements tightened in 2024. Google and Yahoo now require SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication for bulk senders. Choosing a reputable email platform with strong deliverability infrastructure matters more than ever.

Resources Mentioned

• Kit (formerly ConvertKit) — email marketing platform for creators

Related Episodes

If you found this episode helpful, you might also enjoy:

• LNIM120 Transcript — Full MailChimp and Affiliate Marketing Discussion
• LNIM118 — Easy SEO Strategy For More Traffic From Existing Content Keywords

Listen and Subscribe

Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or subscribe at latenightim.com/internet-marketing-podcast/. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.