In a sea of affiliate marketing programs, the Amazon Associate Program stands out. It’s a lucrative opportunity to earn commission on one of the world’s most well-loved shopping platforms.
With millions of products to choose from and an established reputation as an affordable and efficient brand, Amazon’s affiliate program is a no-brainer for affiliate marketers.
Our Amazon Affiliate Review
Amazon’s affiliate program is straightforward—apply, wait for acceptance, then promote the products you desire. Commission rates range from 1% to 20%, which isn’t the most competitive on the market, but it’s not bad. You’ll have a 24-hour cookie window, which is short, but with a selection of over 350 million products, it’s still worth checking out.
What You’ll Learn
How the Amazon Affiliate Program Works
The Amazon Affiliate Program, officially known as Amazon Associates, allows digital marketers to earn commission on the nearly 350 million products Amazon sells. After acceptance into the program, you’ll be able to create unique tracking links to incorporate into your content. When a viewer or visitor clicks that link and makes a purchase, you’ll receive a commission.
What’s powerful about the Amazon Affiliate Program is that even if the customer doesn’t buy the product you linked, but buys other items, you’ll still receive a commission of their total purchase—as long as the cookie window is active.
For example, let’s say you link a pair of CRZ Yoga pants. A visitor to your website clicks the link, checks the product out, but decides against purchasing it. While they’re logged into Amazon though, they decide to grab the lightbulbs and curtains they’ve been needing. In this instance, you’d earn a commission on the lightbulbs and curtains they bought.
A Quick Distinction
Amazon offers two opportunities to earn commission—the Amazon Associates Program and the Amazon Influencer Program. While the details of these two programs are often discussed as if they’re the same, they’re not. This article is about the Associates Program, which is ideal for affiliate marketers.
While similar, the Influencer Program is only for qualifying social media influencers. The terms and benefits are slightly different, as it’s tailored to creators’ unique promotion methods.
Pros and Cons of Amazon Associates
As with all affiliate programs, there are a few pros and cons to the Amazon Associates Program.
Pros
Wide Variety
Amazon sells nearly everything, from beauty products to tiny homes (yes…full-sized, real tiny homes). This makes it ideal for a range of affiliate marketers.
Established and Trusted
Amazon is a well-known, trusted retailer. In fact, in 2022, Amazon was ranked as the most trusted brand by U.S. consumers. Trust is imperative as an affiliate marketer, as trust leads consumers to make a purchase.
Global Availability
Amazon operates in several countries worldwide, meaning you can earn commission regardless of where your audience lives.
Solid Commission Rates
Amazon offers commission rates ranging from 1% to 20%. While this isn’t the highest on the market, they’re decent given the added benefits of working with Amazon, like trust and product selection.
Cons
Short Cookie Window
Amazon offers a 24-hour cookie duration, which is shorter than some affiliate programs like Target (7 days) and Lululemon (30 days).
Fluctuating Prices
Amazon utilizes a dynamic pricing algorithm to set their prices. Behind the scenes, the platform tracks the price of items across the internet. If it finds a cheaper price on a competitor’s website, it’ll lower the price on Amazon. While beneficial, it can lead to frequent pricing changes, which impacts the commission you receive.
Changes in Availability
Amazon is a marketplace, meaning that a large portion of the products aren’t sold by Amazon themselves, but rather, small sellers. Should a seller violate a platform policy or run out of inventory, the item may become unavailable.
In fact, Amazon is known for issues with product availability. As an affiliate marketer, this means that a product you’ve linked could become unavailable without you knowing it. This could lead visitors to a dead link, which isn’t the best experience.
Few Payment Options
There are two payment options—direct deposit or Amazon gift card. This is far fewer options in comparison to other affiliate programs, and it may not be ideal for some affiliates.
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How to Become an Amazon Affiliate
Becoming an Amazon Affiliate is a simple process.
1. Create an Account
Head to the Amazon Associates website, and click on the “Join Now for Free” button. You’ll need an existing Amazon account to proceed.
When creating your account, you’ll need the following information:
- Your full name
- Your address
- Details about your website or platform
- Preferred payment method
2. Verify Your Identity
Amazon may require you to verify your identity by providing information like your phone number or tax ID. This is a precaution designed to help limit fraud and other illegal activity from occurring on the platform.
3. Choose Your Store ID
During the application process, you can select your own Store ID—the text that appears within your affiliate links, attributing it back to your account. You can also opt for the default ID Amazon provides.
4. Agree to the Terms and Conditions
Once your application is filled out, you’ll need to agree to the Amazon Associates Operating Agreement. This outlines the terms and conditions of the program, which are fairly standard and comparable to other affiliate programs.
5. Wait to Hear Back
You submit your application—now what? Amazon will review your application to make sure you’re a good fit for the program. In the meantime, you’re able to, and should, start creating affiliate links.
According to Amazon’s Associates Central, you have 180 days from submitting your application to refer a sale via your Associates links. Once you’ve referred a few sales, they’ll evaluate your application within a day or two.
6. Integrate Links
Once you’ve been officially accepted, you’re free to share your links as you please—within the bounds of the operating agreement, of course.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is the Amazon Affiliate Program Legit?
Yes. The Amazon Associates Program is, according to Amazon, one of the largest affiliate marketing programs in the world. Tens of thousands of affiliate marketers receive compensation from the program every day.
Is it Hard to Get Approved for Amazon Affiliate?
It isn’t necessarily hard to get approved for Amazon Associates, but you will need to check a few boxes to be considered. Here are the requirements Amazon has shared:
– Content on your website must be recent (within the last 60 days).
– You must own your website.
– You must comply with the Mobile Application Policy.
– Your content must be original, with no copyright or trademark infringements.
– Your site must be publicly available, not behind a closed group or paywall.
– If you leverage a social network to promote your platform, your social network must be established.
If you meet these requirements, you have a good shot at getting into the program. If you don’t meet these requirements, focus on checking the boxes before applying.
How Long Does it Take to Get Approved for Amazon Affiliate?
While it takes just a few days to hear back for the Amazon Influencer Program, the Amazon Associates Program has a longer timeline.
After signing up, you’ll need to drive at least three qualified sales within the first 180 days. Once you’ve hit that threshold, your application will be reviewed in a few business days. Thus, the overall timeline of acceptance is highly dependent on how quickly you’re able to generate three sales.
