Affiliate/Sheet

What the Amazon Affiliate Network Is

The Amazon affiliate network is the Amazon Associates Program. Here is what Amazon's own pages say about joining, rates and payment.

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Amazon Associates
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People search for the Amazon affiliate network under several names. The program's own name is the Amazon Associates Program. Its pages call members Associates. This article reports what Amazon's own pages state about it.

What the Amazon affiliate network is

The Amazon Associates agreement lets you place links to Amazon on your website, social media content, app, or Alexa skill. When a reader clicks one of those links and buys, Amazon's rules decide whether that purchase counts for you.

Your links must carry your Associates ID or tag as a parameter in the URL.

Is Amazon Associates the same as Amazon affiliate?

The name Amazon gives its affiliate program is the Amazon Associates Program. Amazon calls it the Amazon Associates Program, and its agreement calls the people in it Associates. So when this page says Amazon affiliate, it means an Associate in that program.

How to join, and what Amazon looks for

Amazon's Associates policies say you must submit an application, and Amazon will accept or reject it. Amazon will evaluate your application and tell you if it is accepted or rejected.

Your site must have original content and be publicly available. Sites aimed at children are not eligible. If your application was rejected for unsuitable content, you can reapply.

The agreement also says you must be able to enter contracts, so a minor cannot join.

How commission rates work, per Amazon's fee statement

Amazon's fee statement lists a fixed rate for each product group. Each rate belongs to its own group. A few of the listed rates:

  • Luxury Beauty and Luxury Stores Beauty: 10.00%
  • Amazon Explore: 10.00%
  • Digital Music, Physical Music, Handmade and Digital Videos: 5.00%
  • Physical Books, Kitchen and Automotive: 4.50%
  • Pets Products, Headphones and Beauty: 3.00%
  • PC, PC Components, DVD and Blu-Ray: 2.50%
  • Televisions and Digital Video Games: 2.00%
  • Grocery, Amazon Fresh, and Health and Personal Care: 1.00%
  • Gift Cards, Wireless Service Plans and Alcoholic Beverages: 0.00%

The fee statement also limits Standard Commission Income on fine art to a maximum of $200 per Product.

The agreement says Amazon makes no promise about the traffic or commission income you can expect. Read the fee statement on Amazon's own page, and check the date it was read.

What counts as a qualifying purchase

Amazon's Associates policies say a qualifying purchase starts when a customer clicks a Special Link on your site to an Amazon site. That click opens a link session.

The session ends after 24 hours or when the customer places an order, whichever comes first. A cart purchase counts if the order is completed within 89 days of the first click.

Qualifying Revenue leaves out shipping, gift-wrapping, handling, taxes and service charges. So the rate does not apply to those charges.

How and when Amazon pays

Amazon's Associates policies say Amazon pays commission about 60 days after the end of each calendar month. Payment can go by direct deposit, Amazon gift card, or check.

Amazon may hold your commission until it reaches the minimum in its payment chart. Read that chart on Amazon's own page for the current minimums.

For how payout lines work across programs, see how affiliate payouts are sent. For the general idea of how long a program counts a click, see what a cookie window is.

Rules the Associates agreement places on you

The agreement says the required statement is: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You may not imply that Amazon supports, sponsors, or endorses you. Amazon customers are not your customers.

Either side may end the agreement at any time by giving written notice. If you break it, Amazon may stop paying all commission income owed to you.

Where to learn more about disclosures and payouts

For what the law asks you to tell readers, see the page on FTC affiliate disclosure requirements. For payout timing across programs, see how affiliate payouts are sent.

This site has three more pages on Amazon:

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