Become an Amazon Affiliate and Unlock your Earning Potential

July 13, 2025

The Amazon Associates program (also known as the Amazon affiliate program) is a popular and easy way for content creators, publishers, and website owners to make money online. You simply recommend products sold on Amazon and earn a commission on eligible purchases made through your unique links.

Unlike the Amazon Influencer Program (which is for social media personalities with a strong following and an Amazon storefront), the Associates program is open to anyone. If you have a website, blog, YouTube channel, or mobile app where you can place links, you can join. Amazon isn’t the only Affiliate marketplace to join. There are a lot of sites worth joining. But let’s stick with Amazon for now.

Ready to start earning from your content? Here’s how to become an Amazon Affiliate.

What is the Amazon Associates Program?

The Amazon Associates program is basically Amazon’s way of letting you earn a little extra cash by sharing products. If you’ve got a website, blog, or even a YouTube channel, you can send your audience over to Amazon. When someone clicks on your special link and buys something eligible (usually within 24 hours), you get a portion of that sale. Easy peasy!

Who Can Become an Amazon Affiliate?

The Amazon Associates program is open to a wide range of content creators and online platforms. You generally need:

An active online platform: This could be a website, blog, mobile app, or YouTube channel. This is where you’ll put your special Amazon links. Amazon will check your platform to make sure it follows their rules (for example, no inappropriate or illegal content).
Original content: Your platform needs to have unique and useful content that’s valuable to your audience.
Agreement to policies: You’ll have to agree to and follow Amazon’s rules and policies. These are very specific about things like telling people you’re using affiliate links, how you use the links, and what kind of content is allowed.
Age and location requirements: You must be at least 18 years old. You also need a valid mailing address and a bank account in the country where you’ll be promoting Amazon products.

Step-by-Step: How to Become an Amazon Affiliate

1. Prepare Your Platform

Before applying, ensure your website, blog, or YouTube channel is ready:

Content is King: Have a good amount of high-quality, original content related to your niche. This shows Amazon your platform is active and provides value to visitors.
User-Friendly Design: Your site should be easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and provide a positive user experience.
Niche Focus (Recommended): While not strictly required, focusing on a specific niche (e.g., tech reviews, sustainable living, pet care, cooking) helps you attract a targeted audience interested in the products you’ll recommend.

2. Sign Up for the Amazon Associates Program

Visit the Amazon Associates Homepage: Go to affiliate-program.amazon.com (ensure you select the correct regional site for your location, e.g., for the US).
Click “Sign Up”: You’ll be prompted to sign in with an existing Amazon customer account or create a new one. It’s often recommended to keep business and personal accounts separate if possible.
Fill in Your Account Information: Provide your payee name, address, and phone number.
List Your Websites and Mobile Apps: Enter the URLs of all websites, blogs, YouTube channels, or mobile apps where you intend to place Amazon affiliate links. You can add up to 50. Amazon will review these.
Describe Your Websites/Apps: Provide details about your platforms, including your niche, the types of products you plan to promote, how you drive traffic, and how you currently generate income.
Choose Your Store ID: This is a unique identifier for your affiliate account (e.g., yourwebsite-20).
Complete the Application: Review the terms and conditions, complete any CAPTCHA, and submit your application.

3. Complete Your Tax and Payment Information

Once your initial application is approved (which can sometimes be instant), you’ll need to provide your tax and payment details to receive commissions.

Tax Interview: Complete the online tax interview. US residents will need to provide a Social Security Number (SSN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN). Non-US residents will need to complete a W-8BEN form or equivalent.
Payment Method: Choose how you want to be paid: direct deposit (recommended), Amazon gift card, or check. Payments are typically issued monthly, approximately 60 days after the end of the month in which earnings were made.

4. Drive Qualifying Sales Within 180 Days

You must make at least three qualifying sales within the first 180 days of your provisional approval. If you don’t meet this threshold, your account may be closed. However, you can reapply in the future. Personal orders do not count towards this requirement.

5. Generate and Place Affiliate Links

Once approved, you can start creating and using your Amazon affiliate links:

Associates Central Dashboard: Log in to your Amazon Associates account. You can search for products, browse by category, and generate various types of links (text, image, text+image, banners).
SiteStripe: This is a highly convenient tool that appears at the top of Amazon.com product pages when you’re logged into your Associates account. It allows you to quickly generate text, image, or text+image links for any product you’re viewing directly from the Amazon website.
GetLink (Mobile): For mobile users, you can generate an affiliate link by clicking the share icon on a product page within the Amazon app.
Integrate Links Naturally: Don’t just stuff links into your content. Integrate them organically where they add value to your audience. Examples include:
- Product Reviews: Write detailed, honest reviews of products you use and link to them on Amazon.
- “Best Of” Lists: Curate lists of top products in a specific category.
- Tutorials/How-Tos: Link to tools or ingredients mentioned in your guides.
- Comparison Articles: Compare similar products and link to all of them.

Key Tips for Success as an Amazon Affiliate

Be Transparent (You Must Do This): Always clearly tell your audience that you’re an Amazon Associate. A simple line like, “As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases,” works well and needs to be easy for people to see.
Focus on Value: Your main goal should be to create helpful and interesting content. The affiliate links are just a way to earn money from the good content you’re already providing.
Know Your Audience: Understand what products your audience is actually interested in. When you recommend relevant items, more people will buy them.
Stay Updated on Policies: Amazon often changes its rules. Make sure you read and understand them so you don’t accidentally break any rules and risk losing your account.
Track Your Performance: Use the reports in your Amazon Associates dashboard. They show you which links and products are making money, so you can adjust your strategy to earn more.
Diversify Your Income: Amazon is a great start, but as your platform grows, think about joining other affiliate programs. This helps you earn money from different sources.

Becoming an Amazon Affiliate is a great way to jump into affiliate marketing. Just keep creating awesome content that helps your audience, follow Amazon’s simple rules, and you can build a steady income recommending products you truly believe in.

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