Of 7,831 sponsorship signals IU read in public video descriptions in the last 90 days, 71.8% were affiliate links, 25.5% discount codes and 2.6% disclosed paid promotions. Affiliate and code deals pay per sale; ask for a flat fee as well, or at least a guaranteed minimum, when the brand wants a dedicated segment.
| Niche | Affiliate link | Discount code | Disclosed paid promotion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance | 74.1% | 24.5% | 1.4% |
| Entertainment | 75.5% | 20.5% | 4% |
| Gaming | 65.5% | 30.7% | 3.7% |
| Education & Commentary | 41.5% | 32.1% | 26.4% |
| Fitness & Health | 93.9% | 6.1% | 0% |
| Home & Lifestyle | 26.1% | 70.5% | 3.4% |
| Food & Drink | 14.6% | 68.8% | 16.7% |
| Travel | 55.1% | 34.8% | 10.1% |
| Tech | 82.2% | 10.6% | 7.2% |
| Auto | 46.5% | 45% | 8.5% |
| B2B & SaaS | 38.5% | 53.8% | 7.7% |
| Beauty | 85.4% | 9.8% | 4.9% |
A flat fee leaves no trace in the description unless the creator writes “sponsored by”, so flat-fee deals are undercounted here. "Paid" means IU saw an affiliate link, a discount code or a disclosed paid promotion in a public video description in the last 90 days (82,407 videos read, 7,831 sponsorship signals). A plain link to a brand does not count, and sponsorships that leave no trace in the description are not seen — so these shares are a floor, not the full picture.
Method
InfluencerUnion reads the public descriptions of recent videos from the YouTube channels it indexes (10K+ subscribers) and records affiliate links, discount codes and disclosed paid promotions. Rates use IU’s published rate method. Figures refresh daily. Not legal or financial advice.
Cite as: InfluencerUnion, “How brands pay YouTubers: affiliate links, codes and paid promotions”, influencerunion.com/answers/how-do-brands-pay-youtubers (2026).