Amazon Associates

Amazon Associates is where most affiliates start, and for good reason. You can link to almost anything Amazon sells across more than 20 country programs, approval is quick, and readers already trust the checkout, so conversion rates beat almost every other retailer.

Rates are fixed by category rather than negotiated. Luxury beauty sits at the top around 10 percent, most physical goods land between 3 and 4.5 percent, electronics and computers pay closer to 1 to 2.5 percent, and gift cards, alcohol and wireless plans pay nothing. Amazon also pays bounties for actions like trial signups. The catch is attribution: the cookie is only 24 hours, though anything your reader adds to their cart in that window stays credited for 90 days. You also earn on whatever else they buy in that session, which is where a lot of Associates income quietly comes from.

Payment lands about 60 days after the month it was earned, with a $10 threshold for direct deposit and gift cards or $100 for cheques. Each country program pays separately unless you use the OneLink tool.

Treat Amazon as the baseline rather than the goal. Rates are low and the cookie is short, so once your content converts, check whether the brands you recommend run their own programs at better terms.