Make money on Pinterest

Pinterest attracts millions of users every month, but few creators know how to turn that visibility into revenue. Is there native monetization? Which methods actually work in 2026? Here’s a clear overview of the options and of alternatives that complement a visual-content strategy.

Does Pinterest pay content creators?

In 2026, Pinterest no longer offers a native, direct payout program for creators. Pinterest Creator Rewards, which allowed creators to earn through content challenges, was discontinued in 2023.

Since then, there has been no official ad-revenue sharing program available directly on the platform. In practice, posting Pins (even very successful ones) does not generate revenue paid out by Pinterest.

That means a creator cannot earn money simply by posting images or Pins, even if they generate a high number of impressions.

How to make money with Pinterest anyway

Even without built-in payouts, Pinterest remains powerful for building an audience and driving traffic to monetized destinations. The most common approaches are:

• Affiliate marketing — Add an affiliate link to a Pin: if a user buys through that link, you earn a commission. This works especially well for niches like home decor, cooking, fashion, beauty, or creative tools.
• Selling products or courses — Use Pinterest as a storefront to sell digital or physical products (e-books, templates, courses, prints, etc.) by sending users to an external page (website, shop, sales page).
• Sponsored partnerships — With a strong audience, some brands may pay you to feature a product or visual. It’s rarer, but possible in certain niches (crafts, fashion, parenting…).

The limits of monetization on Pinterest

Pinterest provides no revenue guarantees, even with strong visibility. Content remains free by default, and the platform does not pay creators for impressions.

Another key point: users often care more about visuals than the author. That can make influence and direct conversion harder than on platforms centered on personality.

You can’t directly monetize an image, quote, or infographic on Pinterest—even if it goes viral.

What strategy to use to make money on Pinterest

Top results on Pinterest often come from a simple strategy: publish appealing visuals consistently, optimize them for internal search, then drive traffic to a monetized destination.

• Publish appealing visuals regularly
• Optimize titles, descriptions, and keywords for Pinterest SEO
• Drive traffic to a monetized destination (blog, shop, sales page, etc.)

In other words, Pinterest is mainly a traffic lever. To turn that traffic into revenue, you need a solid off-platform setup.

Using Happew as a complementary solution

Pinterest creators can leverage their visibility through alternative platforms like Happew.

On Happew, you publish content (images, text, videos) in an interactive grid that fans unlock for free by watching an ad. Each unlock generates revenue for you.

• Monetize each piece of content individually
• Share raw, authentic visuals without marketing polish
• Offer personal, new, or complementary formats
• Earn even with a small community, with no entry requirements

To understand the concept and available formats, also read What is Happew? .

Conclusion

Making money with Pinterest is possible, but mostly indirectly. Without native monetization, revenue typically comes from affiliates, sales, or redirects to complementary platforms. Pinterest remains an excellent visual entry point—provided you have a business model behind it.