Earn Newsletter Revenue With Paid Recommendations in beehiiv

This article was updated on July 12th, 2026 for accuracy and relevancy

Paid recommendations let independent creators earn real revenue by recommending other newsletters to their audience. It's the paid side of beehiiv's Recommendations Network, previously known as Boosts.

The idea is simple. One publisher pays to grow. You get paid to introduce your readers to a newsletter they'll genuinely like. beehiiv manages it in the background, so there are no invoices to chase and the data stays transparent in the app.

In this guide, we'll walk through turning paid recommendations on, applying to paid offers, and positioning your newsletter to earn, step by step.

• What Are beehiiv Paid Recommendations?

• Step 1: Enable Boosts and Connect Your Stripe Account

• Step 2: Explore the Boosts Marketplace for the Right Offers

• Step 3: Apply to Boost Offers and Secure Partnerships

• Step 4: Set Up Your Recommendation Slots

• Step 5: Track Your Earnings and Optimize Performance

• Ready To Boost Your Newsletter Income?

What Are beehiiv Paid Recommendations?

Paid recommendations are co-registrations. Unlike free recommendations, they let you earn revenue for every verified subscriber you refer to another publication. One creator pays to gain subscribers, and you get paid to introduce your audience to a relevant newsletter, all managed by beehiiv. For publishers focused on growth and monetization, it becomes a reliable income stream without chasing traditional ads or sponsors.

Step 1: Turn On Paid Recommendations and Verify With Stripe

• Go to Grow, Recommendations, Outgoing. This is where you recommend other publications, for free or for pay.

• Complete Stripe identity verification. It's how you get paid, and it helps keep the network secure. You'll be prompted the first time you recommend for pay.

• Confirm your beehiiv Wallet is ready. Verified earnings land there, labeled "paid recommendations

Step 2: Find Paid Offers That Fit Your Audience

From Outgoing, Overview, click Discover publications. Search and filter by category, language, size, last posted, subscriber country, and CPA. Each paid offer shows what you earn per verified subscriber and the audience it's looking for. Prioritize relevance over payout: the closer the fit, the more of your readers subscribe, and the stronger your quality score.

Step 3: Apply To Recommend a Publication for Pay

Click Recommend for pay on a publication with a paid offer, or open an invitation you've received. Add a short note on why your audience is a good fit. Publishers review your content and engagement first, so publish a few strong issues before applying. Accepted applications become active paid recommendations.

Step 4: Set Up Your Recommendation Slots

Recommendations reach readers through your recommendation slots in the signup flow, not a promo block in your email.

From Outgoing, Overview, click Edit slots. Each slot has a type, Shuffle, Pinned, Smart, Your publication, or None, and you choose whether it draws from free, paid, or both.

Paid recommendations appear with a "sponsored" label in the subscribe flow. Use the live preview to see exactly what new subscribers will see before you publish.

Step 5: Track Earnings and Verified Subscribers

Your Outgoing dashboard tracks each active paid recommendation: subscribers referred, how many are verified, and what you've earned. You only earn on verified subscribers, genuine, engaged readers.

Keep your own open and click rates healthy and your referrals perform better. Verified earnings accumulate in your Wallet, where you can withdraw via Stripe or reinvest into your own paid offer on the Incoming side.

Ready To Boost Your Newsletter Income?

Paid recommendations put a monetization engine at your fingertips. If you have an audience, even a small one, you can start earning by connecting readers to newsletters they'll love. Log in, go to Grow, Recommendations, and set up your first paid recommendation.