The Difference Between Multilevel Marketing and Multi tiered Affiliate Programs.

There really is no difference in multi tiered affiliate programs and MLM, unless the affiliate does not have to pay to participate or receive enhanced commissions.

If it is required for you to be a customer of a product to promote it then it is no different than MLM. If you receive commissions on your direct referrals and those that they refer that is the definition of MLM, especially if you have to pay to be a member to promote the product.

There are some good products out there for new online marketers to learn some of the basics stuff, but unfortunately even some of that information is misguided and can lead to delusional efforts. One of the worst ones is you don't need a website to be successful online. You can make money without one but what happens when you have spent time building links to an affiliate url and poof the program is no longer in existence? You have to start all over and do it again with the next pie in the sky program.

It just is not smart online marketing to promote someone else's website. You can promote their products, but you need the adaptability to change your product at will.

To answer your question though, any program that you have to pay to be an affiliate is akin to MLM regardless of the number of levels that you receive compensation. Whether it is one level or 1,000,000

I love affiliate marketing and do not discourage other peoples efforts regardless of the products they wish to promote. I also promote membership sites, but I don't pay to be a member to promote it. If that is a requirement I pass.

One of the biggest reasons I don't is that program owners do and will promote over your head. Also the if you bring in refferals to these programs they are not your list you are building the program owners list. If you wish to promote these types of programs you need to capture the leads for your own efforts before bringing them into a 'program".

I can go on for days on this topic. I encourage intelligent discourse, but no amount of effort will convince me to join a "program" as a requirement to promote it.