Amazon Commission Income for Newbies
So, I thought I would do a few blog posts on Amazon. I do have to say that my title is kind of clickbait, because actually, I wouldn't recommend that newbies use Amazon. They do have a sales target that you need to meet or you will be removed from their program. This is 3 sales in 180 days. Unless your site is well-established and receiving daily traffic, this target is hard to meet.
However, on the flip side, Amazon does accept new sites and that is why many newbies use them because they haven't yet met the requirements for more lucrative affiliate programs. And, of course, WA does suggest using Amazon in level 3 of the training. Too early in my opinion. Others will never use Amazon as their commission is incredibly low yet they have some of the strictest rules of any affiliate program.
So, let's assume you are reading this because you are thinking of using Amazon. I thought it might be useful to chat about the commission income. Some of this information is from Amazon's FAQ and I will put that in quotation marks so it's clear.
At the end of the post, I will also add links to other blogs I have written, including a guide to Amazon's rules and the use of their OneLink tool if you are targeting different countries.
The information I am providing is based on Amazon.com and may not apply to other countries. For example, the commission is higher on Amazon.co.uk.
How Much Commission Will I Receive?
The commission structure is divided into categories and varies from as low as 1% up to 10%. For example, televisions and digital video games are only 2%. The majority of products fall in the 4% bracket. To put that into perspective, if your goal is to earn $1000 per month through Amazon alone, selling products at $50, you would need to sell 500 items every month.
What Items Qualify for Commission?
Not everything earns you a commission. For example, alcohol and gift cards. And the products do need to be purchased directly from a link on your website or social media. You cannot send Amazon affiliate links by email or messenger or include them in an eBook etc. And neither can you purchase them yourself or allow your friends and family to do so. More on that rule below.
On the plus side, you can earn commission on other items that your visitor purchases, not just the item you are promoting. As an example, I had a recent visitor purchase my recommended product and then proceed to do their weekly grocery shop, and I received commission on every item!
"These links can be to individual products, pages of search results, the Amazon.com home page, or any other page at Amazon.com".
Friends and Family Purchases
I am simply going to quote what Amazon says, as it sums it up perfectly. And don't think that there is no way that Amazon can find out, as I can assure you that there are a lot of members here who have been caught out and not received a commission.
"We do not pay referral commissions for products you purchase through your own links. This includes orders for customers, orders on behalf of customers, and orders for products to be used by you, your friends, your relatives, or your associates in any manner. Due to the proprietary nature of the way we determine if the order was personal, we can't share the full list of criteria by which we detect these ineligible orders".
How Long is the Amazon Cookie?
You may already have heard that the Amazon cookie is only 24 hours. In other words, a customer has to purchase the item within 24 hours of clicking your link. If this expires, or in the meantime, he goes through another websites affiliate link, you lose that commission.
However, there is another scenario.
"It is of course possible that a customer may arrive at Amazon.com via your Associates link, add an item to his Shopping Cart, and then leave Amazon.com without placing an order. As long as the item was added to the customer's Shopping Cart during this 24-hour window, you will still earn a referral commission if the order is placed before the Shopping Cart expires (usually after 90 days)".
When Does the Commission Show Up and When Do I Get Paid?
The commission is shown on your Amazon dashboard once the item is shipped. You don't get paid until approximately 6 weeks later, and that is assuming you have met their minimum payout threshold.
I hope this has been helpful and don't forget to check out my other blog posts. I will delve into other aspects of the Amazon affiliate program in my next post.
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/dianescorpio/blog/a-guide-to...
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/dianescorpio/blog/what-is-am...
Recent Comments
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I agree about this being a poor choice for newbies.
People think "I can just buy something, or have my family or friends buy something, to reach that 3 sale minimum." Truth is, Amazon knows who your family and friends are, so they discount any purchases made by those folks. They also won't pay commission on any sales made by people who previously visited the product on Google before clicking through an affiliate link.
Amazon also will decrease commissions without warning, Their 24-hour cookie hurts so many affiliates, because many people don't instantly buy something they find through an affiliate link; more often they think about it and buy it later.
This remains one of my favorite posts on Amazon: 25 Reasons to Get Banned from Amazon's Affiliate Program
Yes, I heard about Amazon being kind of rough on marketers, low commission payout. But at this point, I'd rather take the 'Low' Commission vs. 'No' commission. (I'm still trying to 'break the ice'. somewhere) I've yet to earn any commission, anywhere! Now headed into my 5th year in WA.
I have one month to go before Amazon gives me 'the boot! (Again!) No sales! I don't know! Maybe I'd been better off sticking with my plans years ago on being an embalmer (It's dead either way)lol
Thanks so much for all the info! I already received an email from Amazon telling me if I don't reach 3 sales in 90 days, I'll be kicked off. I don't know what else to do to attract people to Amazon through my site, but I hope I get some sales soon.
I was just accepted into Etsy affiliate program. I'm really happy about that.
Hopefully I'll be getting some commissions soon. I've been with WA since February of 2021 and have about 30 posts.
So I'm just pluggin along and writing more. Something will happen soon!!
Nina
Hey Diane!
I myself have geared toward not using amazon anymore. I have not made a sale through them yet, though I do not really promote like I did in the beginning for them either. I feel there are much better programs out there that do sell the same product and I have the potential to make more money this way.
Thanks for this post Diane! It reassures me in my decision to steer clear of them.
Angela : )
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Well written and explained. I have always wondered how some "mommy blogs" make money selling those $10 kids games, I even asked one mum in a FB group why or how it works because the site only linked to Amazon products.
The explanation was " I want to promote products that my readers will buy" and I thought what a shame because not everyone coming to your site wants to buy XXXX products. I know I`ve sold just a single $10 or less product. or when you sell $4000 products and the commission is less than $200.
I should know, products in my niche fall mostly under the 1% affiliate commission.
In my opinion, Amazon should be the last place one promote affiliate products, but then as you said, it`s also the easiest to join if your site is new and have limited traffic.
But you know what, as easy as Amazon is to join, so easy is it too not to make the 3 sales and get kicked out.I know I got kicked out and felt devastated but looking back, that time they kicked me out, I should have counted my blessings and stayed away.
Anyway, that was over 5 years ago, I know better now.
Sorry im overtaking your post, I just found it interesting.