Affiliate Program
Amazon Associates
Amazon’s affiliate marketing program that helps content creators, publishers, and bloggers monetize their traffic.
- Best for Product review and comparison…
- Niche E-Commerce, Retail
- Models Pay-per-sale
- Payouts Monthly
Editor's verdict
Amazon Associates pays a percentage of each qualifying purchase, and the rate depends entirely on the product category. Luxury Beauty pays 10%, physical books, kitchen and automotive pay 4.5%, toys, furniture and home pay 3%, and groceries and video game consoles pay 1%. Anything outside the listed categories pays 4%.
The tracking window is short. A session ends 24 hours after the click, although an item added to the cart during that session still counts if the customer completes the order within 89 days. Commissions are paid about 60 days after the end of the month they were earned, by direct deposit or Amazon gift card from $10, or by check from $100 with a $15 processing fee.
It suits content sites that send shoppers to mainstream physical products, because almost every category earns something. It is a weak fit for paid search and offline promotion: bidding on Amazon brand keywords is prohibited, and links may not be used in printed material, ebooks or mailings. Gift cards, wireless service plans and alcoholic beverages earn nothing.
Key facts
Program rules
Program restrictions
- No bidding on Amazon brand keywords (amazon, kindle and variations) in paid search
- No use of links offline: printed material, ebooks, mailings or oral solicitation
- No link shorteners that hide that the link goes to Amazon
- FTC endorsement guides must be followed
Score breakdown
Amazon Associates Category average
Pros, cons & fit
Commission details
- Commission type
- percentage
- Payment cadence
- Monthly, about 60 days after month end
- Attribution
- Last-click
- Approval
- Manual review
- Tracking
- Link
- Payout currency
- USD
Creator fit
- Creators overall High
- SEO / bloggers High
- YouTube Medium
- Newsletters Medium
About Amazon Associates
Amazon Associates is the affiliate program Amazon runs for bloggers, publishers and content creators. Associates link to products on Amazon using the program linking tools and earn a commission when a visitor makes a qualifying purchase.
Commission rates by category
Amazon publishes a fixed fee table. The rate is set by the category of the product sold, not by the associate:
- 10% for Luxury Beauty and Luxury Stores Beauty
- 5% for digital music, physical music, Handmade and digital videos
- 4.5% for physical books, kitchen and automotive
- 4% for Amazon Fire tablets, Kindle devices, Luxury Stores Fashion and apparel
- 3% for toys, furniture, home, home improvement, and lawn and garden
- 2.5% for PC, PC components, and DVD and Blu-ray
- 2% for televisions and digital video games
- 1% for Amazon Fresh, grocery, and physical video games and consoles
- 0% for gift cards, wireless service plans, alcoholic beverages and digital Kindle products
Every other category pays 4%. Fine art is capped at $200 per product. Amazon also pays fixed bounties for some sign-ups, for example $3 for a Prime free trial and $15 for an Amazon Business account.
How tracking works
A session starts when a visitor clicks an associate link and ends after 24 hours, when the customer places an order, or when they click another associate link. If the visitor adds an item to the cart during the session, the purchase still counts as long as it is completed within 89 days of the click. The product must also be shipped, streamed or downloaded and paid for within 180 days of the purchase.
Payments
Commission income is paid approximately 60 days after the end of the calendar month in which it was earned. There are three payment options: direct deposit and Amazon gift card, each with a $10 minimum, and check, which has a $100 minimum and a $15 processing fee.
Rules worth knowing before joining
The operating agreement prohibits using links offline, including in printed material, ebooks and mailings. Associates may not bid on keywords such as amazon or kindle for ads that lead to Amazon sites. Link shorteners are not allowed when they make it unclear that the link goes to Amazon, and associates must follow the FTC endorsement guides.
Data & sources
Field sources
- Cons affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Minimum Payout affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Name affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Join Url affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Short Description affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Headquarters affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Founded Year affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Not Best For affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Features affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Faqs affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Creator Fit affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Top Geos affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Official Url affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Company Name affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Traffic Types affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Payment Frequency affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Commission Models affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Best For affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Pros affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Verticals affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Payment Methods affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Support Channels affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Restricted Methods affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Program Restrictions affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Net Terms affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Net Basis affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Account Model affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Hold Period Days affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Cookie Duration Days affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Commission Structure affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Commission Rate affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Attribution Model affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Approval Type affiliate-program.amazon.com
- Affiliates Count affiliate-program.amazon.com
At 1 days it runs above the 54 days directory average.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Amazon Associates pay?
Between 1% and 10% of the sale, depending on the product category. Luxury Beauty pays 10%, physical books, kitchen and automotive pay 4.5%, toys, furniture and home pay 3%, and groceries pay 1%. Categories not named in the fee table pay 4%.
How long does the Amazon Associates cookie last?
A session lasts 24 hours from the click. If the visitor adds an item to the cart in that time, the sale still counts if the order is completed within 89 days of the click.
When does Amazon pay associates?
Approximately 60 days after the end of the calendar month in which the commission was earned.
What is the minimum payout for Amazon Associates?
$10 for direct deposit or an Amazon gift card. Payment by check has a $100 minimum and a $15 processing fee.
Which products earn no commission?
Gift cards, wireless service plans, alcoholic beverages and digital Kindle products are listed at 0% in the fee table.
Can I run paid search ads with Amazon affiliate links?
Not on Amazon brand terms. The operating agreement prohibits bidding on keywords such as amazon or kindle for ads that lead to Amazon sites.
User reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience.
Write a review
Similar networks
Ekster Affiliate Program
Affiliate Program
7.3
WeShop AI Affiliate Program
Affiliate Program
7.3
