The year 2020 has come to a close, and in less than 8 months, I’ve raked in over $500 on Canva. And to be honest—without breaking a sweat.
A Quick Heads-Up: Canva’s Program Changes in 2025 Just so you know, Canva will be chaning its contributor program starting in 2025.
So how did I pull this off? Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Canva. It’s that fantastic tool that turns you into a graphic design whiz with the flair of a Dolce and Gabbana stylist.
For those not yet in the know—props to you for dodging the latest trend—but you’re missing out on something pretty cool. Canva is an app and website that lets you create stunning designs with pre-made templates. And the best part? It’s mostly free!
I first stumbled upon the idea of making money with Canva from the Instagram stories of @KatGaskin, aka Salty Pineapple. She mentioned that while she was hanging out in Hawaii, she made $500 in passive income from Canva in just one month!
Naturally, I was like, “Hold up—can you really make money on this tool I’ve been using forever?”
I reached out to her, and she shared her experience. I contacted Canva (back then, they had just a few contributors), and after sending them my photos, they accepted my contributions!
You might be wondering, isn’t Canva free? So, how do you make money?
Here’s the scoop:
How to Make Money with Canva:
Royalty and Multi-Use License As a Canva contributor, you earn 35% of every sale. I know what you’re thinking—35 cents doesn’t sound like much. But remember, Canva has over 10 million active users. Plus, you get a little extra from Multi-Use Licenses.
Subscription Earnings: This means you make money when users with a PRO account download your photo. No need to get into the nitty-gritty—just know you can earn more from your images.
Recommending Canva: If you’ve got a free account and want to earn credits for Canva’s premium elements, you can recommend Canva through the Refer Friends link in your account settings.
Affiliate Earnings: You can pocket anywhere between 25-100% of the order sale amount! Don’t have an affiliate link yet? Get one ASAP.
To get a clearer picture, check out my September earnings:
- $40 from subscription earnings
- $0.35 from one design sale
- $3.50 from multi-use licenses
See what I mean?
I also snagged some affiliate commissions through the link in my Essential Blogging Tools post.
Want to Double Your Canva Earnings? Here’s a pro tip from the Canva team: If you refer someone who subscribes and uses your photos, you could earn double—both royalty and affiliate commissions. Just remember to change your photo links to affiliate links to drive users to the right page.
Great tip, right? Now, let’s dive into how you can start making money with Canva:
How to Become a Canva Affiliate:
Click here and apply to join Canva’s affiliate program.
Think that’s all? Nope!
As we’ve covered before, being a Canva affiliate isn’t enough—you need people to click your affiliate link. Go back to earlier lessons and use whatever methods work for you to promote your Canva affiliate link.
For me, a Resources Library worked wonders. If you’re too lazy to build one from scratch and want an Elementor template for the perfect resources library, fill out this form and I’ll notify you when the template is ready!
How to Become a Canva Contributor: Apply here, upload your photos, pick the right keywords, and start selling.
Do you need a Canva Pro membership to apply? Nope! You can apply regardless of your subscription status.
Which Pics Sell Best?
Think about what clients want—backgrounds for flyers, websites, business cards, etc. I edit my travel pics to be vibrant and fit various backgrounds. If you’re targeting lifestyle bloggers, go for a different style. You can also create elements and icons.
Here are some of my best-selling pics:
Check out the super successful profile of Salty Pineapple for inspiration.
Choosing the Right Keywords: You can add up to 50 keywords, but it’s tough to come up with that many. I use Shutterstock’s keyword tool and copy the results to Canva. I’ve only started doing this recently, and it’s been a game-changer.
Why Become a Canva Contributor?
No exclusivity—you can sell your pics on other platforms too. You retain ownership of your pics, which are visible in your Canva portfolio. Unlike Shutterstock, Canva doesn’t have strict guidelines, so you can upload pics featuring people without extra forms and permissions. Just make sure the pics are yours and you have authorization if needed.
Need help with Canva? Shoot me an email at [email protected].
