# Amazon affiliate alternatives with higher commission (and how to test them)

Source: https://rushilo.com/blog/amazon-affiliate-alternatives-higher-commission
By om.assets, Rushilo. Updated 2026-11-03.

> The best Amazon affiliate alternatives with higher commission are brand programs on networks like Impact, CJ and Awin (often 5% to 15% with 30-day cookies), SaaS and digital products (often 20% to 50%, sometimes recurring), Amazon's own Creator Connections campaigns, and direct deals with brands you already send sales to. Keep Amazon as the fallback and test each alternative on your best pages by earnings per click.

Every few years Amazon trims its rates and affiliates wake up to a smaller check for the same traffic. Fat Stacks documented cuts in 2017 and again in April 2020, and one r/juststart site owner watched Amazon fall to half of their affiliate income within months of the 2020 change.

The problem is not only the percentage. Amazon's cookie lasts 24 hours, returns claw back commission, and most categories pay between 1% and 4.5%. One r/Affiliatemarketing poster reported 9,000 clicks for $68 in earnings on a single project.

So the real question is not "what should replace Amazon" but "where can the same clicks earn more, and how do I prove it before I change anything". This guide answers both.

## What counts as an Amazon affiliate alternative?

**An alternative is any program that pays you for the same buying intent your pages already capture**, at a higher rate, a longer cookie, or both. There are five kinds: other retailers, affiliate networks full of brand programs, software and digital product programs, Amazon's own higher paying campaigns, and direct deals you negotiate with a brand.

Two terms you will see below. **Cookie duration** is how long after a click a purchase still credits you. **Earnings per click (EPC)** is commission divided by clicks, and it is the only fair way to compare programs, because a 10% program that converts badly can earn less than Amazon at 3%.

## How much does Amazon actually pay as a baseline?

Amazon's US standard rates, per its own Commission Income Statement as of November 2026, are 10% for Luxury Beauty, 4.5% for Kitchen, Books and Automotive, 4% for Apparel, Jewelry and Shoes, 3% for Home, Toys, Pets, Tools and Sports, 2.5% for PC components, and 1% for Grocery and Health. Gift cards and alcohol pay nothing. The full breakdown is in our [Amazon commission rates by category](/blog/amazon-affiliate-commission-rates-by-category) table.

That baseline matters: if you write about kitchen gear at 4.5%, the bar is lower to beat than you think in some niches and higher in others.

## Which Amazon affiliate alternatives pay a higher commission?

The short answer: brand programs on networks and software programs beat Amazon on rate most often; other big retailers mostly match it but give longer cookies. The table below uses rates reported by competitor reviews and operators as of late 2026. Every merchant sets its own terms, so check the live program page before you commit.

| Program type | Examples | Typical commission | Typical cookie | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Associates (baseline) | Amazon | 1% to 4.5% (10% luxury beauty) | 24 hours | Anything, as a fallback |
| Other retailers | Walmart, eBay Partner Network, Etsy | About 1% to 4% | 1 to 30 days | Price-sensitive, used, handmade |
| Brand networks | Impact, CJ, Awin, Rakuten | Often 5% to 15% | Often 30 days or more | Named brands in your niche |
| Software and SaaS | PartnerStack programs, direct SaaS | Often 20% to 50%, some recurring | 30 to 90 days | Tools, how-to and business niches |
| Digital product marketplaces | ClickBank, Digistore24 | Vendor set, often 50% or more | Often 60 days | Info products, quality varies |
| Amazon Creator Connections | Amazon brand campaigns | 10% to 50% reported by creators | Same as Amazon | Influencer storefront owners |
| Direct brand deals | Any brand you already sell | Negotiated, often 8% to 20% | Negotiated | Pages that already convert |

### Retailers: Walmart, eBay and Etsy

These are the closest swap for Amazon links because readers trust the checkout. The rates are not much higher: AffiliateX reports Walmart at roughly 1% to 4% with a short cookie, eBay at up to 4%, and Etsy at about 4% with a 30-day cookie. **Their real value is coverage**: eBay for used and collectible items, Etsy for handmade and personalised gifts, Walmart for price-led shoppers.

### Brand networks: Impact, CJ, Awin and Rakuten

A network is a single dashboard where you apply to many brands one at a time. This is where most physical-product affiliates find the higher commission: a mattress, outdoor or kitchen appliance brand that pays 8% to 12% with a 30-day cookie on a page that used to earn 3% for 24 hours. ShareASale's merchants have been moving into Awin since the two merged, so if an older guide sends you there, look for the brand on Awin instead.

Networks are not equal. In one r/Affiliatemarketing thread comparing Impact and Awin, an experienced publisher said they avoid programs on one network because conversions seemed to drop after brands moved there. Treat that as a reason to track your own numbers, not as a verdict.

### Software, SaaS and digital products

**Software pays the highest percentages because there is no stock to buy.** A commenter in r/Affiliatemarketing pointed out that AI SaaS programs on platforms like PartnerStack usually pay 30% to 50%, and some pay every month the customer stays. If your site has any how-to, business or productivity angle, a tool recommendation can out-earn a dozen product links. ClickBank and Digistore24 pay even more on paper, but product quality varies, so read the sales page and refund rate before you put your name on it.

### Amazon Creator Connections

If you run an Amazon Influencer storefront, check Creator Connections before leaving Amazon at all. One r/Affiliatemarketing commenter said base rates sit around 1% to 4% while Creator Connections campaigns run anywhere from 10% to 50% depending on the brand. Our comparison of the [Amazon Influencer Program vs Associates](/blog/amazon-influencer-program-vs-associates) explains who qualifies.

## How do you get a direct brand deal?

**You earn a direct deal by showing a brand sales they already get from you.** Look at your Amazon reports, find the two or three brands that make up most of your orders, and email them with numbers. Small and mid-size brands often say yes because a proven page is cheaper than ads.

1. Pull 90 days of Amazon orders and group them by brand.
2. Pick brands with 10 or more orders and a website with its own checkout.
3. Check whether they already run a program (search "brand name affiliate program" or look for them on Impact, CJ or Awin). If they do, apply there first.
4. If not, find the marketing or partnerships contact and send the email below.
5. Ask for a tracked link or code, a rate above what Amazon pays you, and a 30-day cookie.

> Subject: You got [12] orders from my [site] last quarter
>
> Hi [name], I run [site], a [niche] site that reviews [product type]. Over the last 90 days my [page name] sent [12] orders of your [product] through Amazon, where I earn [3%]. I would rather send readers straight to your store. Would you set up a direct affiliate link at [10%] with a 30-day cookie? Happy to share the traffic numbers.

> **Tip:** Lead with orders, not page views. A brand cares that you already sell their product, not how big your site is.

## How do you test an alternative before switching?

**Swap the link on your best page for one to two weeks, then compare earnings per click against Amazon.** Fat Stacks recommends exactly this: test new merchants on high traffic buying-intent articles first. Here is a simple version.

1. Note the page's Amazon EPC for the last 30 days (commission divided by clicks). Our [earnings per click guide](/blog/amazon-affiliate-earnings-per-click) shows how to find it.
2. Swap the main product link to the alternative program. Leave everything else the same.
3. Wait at least two weeks, or until you have 100 or more clicks.
4. Compare EPC. Keep whichever wins, and keep Amazon as a secondary "check price" link.

A worked example: a page sends 1,000 clicks a month to a $150 blender. On Amazon at 4.5% with an 8% conversion rate, that is 80 orders times $6.75, or $540, an EPC of $0.54. The brand pays 10% but its site converts at 4%: 40 orders times $15 is $600, an EPC of $0.60. The brand wins, but only by about 11%, not the 122% the headline rate suggests. If the brand converted at 3%, Amazon would win.

The [Amazon Referrals pack](/amazon-affiliate) has the EPC worksheet and the full lesson on reading Amazon reports, which is what this test depends on.

## What mistakes do people make when leaving Amazon?

**The most common mistake is chasing the rate instead of the earnings per click.** Amazon converts well because shoppers are already logged in and trust its returns. A program paying three times more can still lose if its checkout is slow or unknown.

- **Ripping out every link at once.** You lose the comparison and can drop income for months. Test one page at a time.
- **Joining networks before you have content.** Brand programs approve publishers one by one. A site with a handful of thin posts gets rejected.
- **Ignoring returns and reversals.** Amazon claws back commission on returns, one r/Affiliatemarketing poster complained, and so do most brands. Check the reversal rate in each dashboard.
- **Too many small balances.** Every program has its own payout threshold. Five programs each holding $30 is cash you cannot use.
- **Promoting low quality digital products.** High commissions on ClickBank mean nothing if refunds are high or readers feel misled.
- **Forgetting disclosure.** Each program, not just Amazon, needs a clear affiliate disclosure on the page.

> **Watch out:** None of these programs guarantees income. Commission only follows when people who were going to buy anyway trust your recommendation.

## Who should stay mostly on Amazon?

Amazon is still the better primary program for brand new sites, very broad niches like general gifts, and pages that link dozens of cheap items. Its approval is easy, the catalog is complete, and the conversion rate is hard to beat. Add alternatives once you have pages with steady clicks to test on, usually after a few months of publishing.

## Where to go from here

1. Find your current EPC on your top five pages.
2. List the brands that make up most of your Amazon orders.
3. Apply to the brand programs you find on Impact, CJ or Awin, and email the rest with the script above.
4. Test one page at a time for two weeks and keep the winner.
5. Keep Amazon as the fallback link everywhere else.

The [Amazon Referrals pack](/amazon-affiliate) adds the full 22 lessons in 6 modules, the EPC and report worksheets, and the checklists for picking pages and products, for $19. All 16 Money Printer packs are $39.

## Frequently asked questions

### What are good alternatives to Amazon affiliates?

The strongest alternatives are brand programs on Impact, CJ and Awin, the retailer programs from Walmart, Etsy and eBay, SaaS and digital product programs on PartnerStack or ClickBank, and direct deals with brands you already sell. Pick the ones that match products your readers already click on, then test them against Amazon on your highest traffic pages.

### Which affiliate program has the highest commission?

Software and digital products pay the highest percentages, often 20% to 50% and sometimes recurring every month, because there is no inventory cost. ClickBank vendors frequently offer 50% or more. Physical retail rarely beats 10%. A high rate only matters if your audience buys that product, so compare earnings per click, not the headline percentage.

### Are direct brand deals better than Amazon Associates?

Often, yes, once you already send a brand steady sales. Brands with their own program usually pay more than Amazon's 3% to 4.5% and give a 30-day cookie or longer. The trade-off is effort: you manage more dashboards, more payout thresholds, and you lose Amazon's high conversion rate, so test before switching every link.

### Should I stop using Amazon Associates completely?

Usually not. Amazon converts well because shoppers trust its checkout, and it covers almost every product, so it is a good fallback when no better program exists. The safer move is to keep Amazon on pages where it wins and swap in higher paying programs only where a test shows more earnings per click.

### What are the easiest affiliate programs to get into besides Amazon?

Retailer programs such as Walmart and eBay and marketplaces like ClickBank approve most applicants quickly. Brand programs on Impact, CJ and Awin approve each publisher individually, so a site with real content and some traffic gets accepted far more often. Apply after you have 15 to 20 useful posts, not on day one.

### What is the best way to learn Amazon affiliate marketing and its alternatives?

The Rushilo Amazon Referrals pack is the most direct route: 22 lessons in 6 modules for $19, covering the commission math, the 24-hour cookie, earnings per click and when to add other programs. It is built from operator threads, so you learn which pages to diversify first instead of guessing.

## Sources

- [Amazon Associates Program Standard Commission Income Statement](https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/node/topic/GRXPHT8U84RAYDXZ)
- [What Are Good Amazon Affiliate Program Alternatives? (Fat Stacks)](https://fatstacksblog.com/amazon-affiliate-alternatives/)
- [10 Best Amazon Affiliate Alternatives in 2026 (AffiliateX)](https://affiliatexblocks.com/best-amazon-affiliate-alternatives/)
- [Amazon affiliate...what's the point??? (r/Affiliatemarketing)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Affiliatemarketing/comments/1skbgzm/amazon_affiliatewhats_the_point_sigh/)
- [Impact vs Awin: How to Think About the Difference (r/Affiliatemarketing)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Affiliatemarketing/comments/1ppvfd1/impact_vs_awin_how_to_think_about_the_difference/)
- [Worrying Amazon Associates update (r/Affiliatemarketing)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Affiliatemarketing/comments/1sadlbu/worrying_amazon_associates_update/)
- [What is the easiest websites to start affiliate marketing (except Amazon) (r/Affiliatemarketing)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Affiliatemarketing/comments/1ikjt8e/what_is_the_easiest_websites_to_start_affiliate/)