The result isn\u2019t a traditional blog, but it\u2019s more than just an e-commerce site. And with monthly affiliate revenue coming up on five figures, business is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read on for TripTripGo\u2019s story, their experience earning with Travelpayouts, and the hard-earned lessons they wanted to share with fellow partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starting where every trip starts: connectivity <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Edward launched TripTripGo in 2024, inspired by one simple observation:<\/p>\n\n\n
We realized that planning a trip was fragmented. Travelers buy data from one provider, compare hotels on another platform, and book experiences somewhere else. We saw an opportunity to bring these needs closer together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n
An ambitious goal, but where to begin? The team settled on eSIMs \u2013 all-digital phone plans, without a physical card \u2013 since connectivity is something travelers need almost immediately upon arrival. From there, the site could start helping with more of the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Building an eSIM from scratch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
TripTripGo started out selling third-party phone plans, but eventually, the team took the big step of building their own eSIM offering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you think just running a travel site involves plenty of headaches, here\u2019s a taste of what it takes to build an eSIM:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Building relationships with providers<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Researching network coverage<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Managing pricing, provisioning, and activation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Handling payments<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Offering customer support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The process is complex \u2013 and as Edward puts it, \u201cThe hard part is keeping that complexity away from the traveler.\u201d Still, all that work was worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n \n <\/span>\n\nWe wanted a direct relationship with travelers and greater control over the customer experience. If we only promoted other providers, we would have less influence over how plans are presented, priced, supported, and improved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-19-1024x632.png\")
Buying a TripTripGo eSIM for South Korea<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Small team, big reach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Little by little, TripTripGo managed the transition from being a marketplace to actually providing a service.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n \n <\/span>\n\nOur approach was to improve the experience step by step, listen closely to customer issues, and make the buying and installation instructions as clear as possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n
Today, monthly traffic is at about 300,000, up from 10,000 two years ago, and app installs are above 10,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TripTripGo\u2019s main language is Traditional Chinese, since its core audience has a strong connection to Hong Kong. For these travelers, trips within APAC (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, mainland China, and Thailand) are most popular. The site also supports Simplified Chinese for other Chinese speakers and English for the broader market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As TripTripGo has grown, the team has expanded to four, with responsibilities split roughly into
<\/p>\n\n\n\n- \n
- product and engineering,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- content and SEO,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- marketing, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- customer support and partnerships.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
But there\u2019s plenty of overlap, and since the team is small, one piece of feedback can lead to improvements in multiple areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More products to sell\u2026 <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Beyond eSIMs, users can also browse hotels and activities and book them via partner brands. Data from eSIMs helps guide the team as they decide which affiliate offers to add.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n \n <\/span>\n\nWe look at questions customers ask, destinations where eSIM demand is increasing, seasonal patterns we see in our traffic, partner inventory, and potential search opportunities. If customers are buying more eSIMs for a destination, that may signal a need for better hotel and activity guides there, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n
This focus on quality over quantity also applies inside the guides. As Edward says, \u201cThe aim is a useful shortlist, not an endless inventory dump.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-20-1024x367.png\")
TripTripGo\u2019s activity offerings for Tokyo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Still, eSIMs remain central to the business model, since they carry the TripTripGo brand name and the team can improve them directly. Hotel and activity pages bring in affiliate revenue, but they also help travelers discover the site earlier, before they\u2019re ready to buy data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2026 more partners to manage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
TripTripGo began experimenting with affiliate monetization soon after launching, but as the site grew, the volume of work turned into a real burden.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n \n <\/span>\n\nFor a relatively small team, partner onboarding, links, attribution, and reporting create substantial overhead when managed separately.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n
So, looking for a way to streamline, the company joined Travelpayouts in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n \n <\/span>\n\nWe were looking for a practical way to monetize more parts of the travel journey without building a separate commercial integration and reporting process for every partner. The attraction was access to multiple travel brands and monetization options through one platform. Plus, Travelpayouts lets us test which travel products and brands fit our audience, and the data-rich reporting and API access give us more visibility and flexibility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n
The first bookings came within a month, and soon it became clear that the team had found a repeatable revenue stream. They were able to connect specific traffic and placements to purchases, then use that info to improve the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a result, since March 2026, TripTripGo\u2019s average Travelpayouts revenue (confirmed and pending) is approaching five figures. About three-quarters of that comes from the free monetization system Drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n