Amazon Associates commission calculator
Pick a product category, your average order value and monthly sales to estimate your Amazon affiliate earnings. Free, runs in your browser.
Commission rate: 4.5%, so about $1.80 per sale.
Estimated earnings: $180 a month, $2,160 a year.
For comparison, a SaaS program paying 30% recurring on a $49 plan earns $14.70 per customer every month.
Amazon Associates commission rates by category (US)
| Product category | Commission |
|---|---|
| Luxury Beauty, Luxury Stores Beauty, Amazon Explore | 10% |
| Digital Music, Physical Music, Handmade, Digital Videos | 5% |
| Physical Books, Kitchen, Automotive | 4.5% |
| Amazon devices (Kindle, Fire, Echo, Ring), Apparel, Watches, Jewelry, Luggage, Shoes, Handbags | 4% |
| Toys, Furniture, Home, Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden, Pet Products, Headphones, Beauty, Sports, Baby, Tools, Outdoors | 3% |
| PC, PC Components, DVD & Blu-Ray | 2.5% |
| Televisions, Digital Video Games | 2% |
| Amazon Fresh, Physical Video Games & Consoles, Grocery, Health & Personal Care | 1% |
| All other categories | 4% |
| Gift Cards, Wireless Service Plans, Alcoholic Beverages and other excluded items | 0% |
Source: Amazon Associates Program Commission Income Statement (US). Rates can change.
Amazon vs SaaS affiliate programs
Amazon is easy to start with, but the commission is small and paid once. SaaS affiliate programs often pay 20% to 50% recurring, every month the customer stays. Compare them on the recurring affiliate programs page.
FAQ
How much does Amazon pay affiliates?
Amazon Associates in the US pays a percentage of each qualifying sale, from 0% to 10% depending on the product category. Luxury Beauty pays 10%, books and kitchen 4.5%, and many home categories 3%.
How long is the Amazon affiliate cookie?
Amazon's cookie is short: purchases usually need to happen within 24 hours of the click, or within 90 days if the product was added to the cart during that window.
Is Amazon or SaaS affiliate marketing more profitable?
Amazon converts easily but pays a few percent once. SaaS programs often pay 20% to 50% every month the customer stays, so fewer sales can earn more over time.
Are these the current Amazon rates?
They come from Amazon's official US Associates commission income statement. Amazon can change rates, so check the official page before planning around them.
Looking for programs worth promoting?
Compare commission rates, cookie lengths and payouts of SaaS and AI affiliate programs, all in one place.
Browse the directoryMore free affiliate tools
- Affiliate disclosure generatorA ready-to-paste disclosure for your blog, video, newsletter or post.
- Affiliate link builderAdd your ref code and UTM tags to any link, one per channel.
- EPC calculatorEarnings per click and conversion rate, for two programs side by side.
- Affiliate income goal calculatorHow many referrals you need to reach your monthly income goal.
- Affiliate commission benchmarkFor founders: see how your commission compares with real SaaS programs.
- Commission calculator12 months vs lifetime commissions, with churn.