Amazon Associates Commission Rates by Category (Official Schedule)

How Amazon calculates commission

Amazon's Associates Program Commission Income Statement defines Standard Commission Income as a percentage of qualifying revenue for purchases that meet program rules. Special promotions, bounty events, and disqualifications (paid ads to Amazon in some cases, per 2026 policy updates) can change effective pay. Always read the live statement on affiliate-program.amazon.com.

Standard fixed rates (verify on Amazon)

Amazon publishes Table 1 fixed rates by product category. As listed in Amazon Associates Central help (accessed July 2026), examples include the rates below. Re-check Table 1 before publishing rate graphics on your site — Amazon updates the statement periodically.

• 10.00% — Luxury Beauty, Luxury Stores Beauty, Amazon Explore.
• 5.00% — Digital Music, Physical Music, Handmade, Digital Videos.
• 4.50% — Physical Books, Kitchen, Automotive.
• 4.00% — Apparel, Jewelry, Watches, Luggage, Shoes, many Amazon devices, and similar categories listed in Table 1.
• 3.00% — Toys, Furniture, Home, Pets, Sports, Baby, and other mid-tier categories in Table 1.
• 2.50% — PC, PC Components, DVD & Blu-Ray.
• 2.00% — Televisions, Digital Video Games.
• 1.00% — Amazon Fresh, Physical Video Games & Consoles, Grocery, Health & Personal Care.
• 0.00% — Gift cards, wireless plans, alcoholic beverages, and other excluded categories listed in Table 1.
• 4.00% — All Other Categories (default when not listed elsewhere).

Amazon updated operating agreement terms effective April 14, 2026, including qualifying purchase windows and restrictions on commissions from certain paid traffic to Amazon. Review the current agreement before scaling ad spend to Amazon links.

Why category mix beats a headline rate

A tech review site might earn mostly 2.5% PC components while a beauty blog might cluster at 4–10%. Your effective rate is the weighted average of what readers actually buy, which Amazon reports in Associates reports — not what you linked.

Hours and costs still decide worth-it

• Writing, updating, and SEO time for posts that rank.
• Hosting, email, and compliance disclosures.
• Tax reserve on net profit.
• Months with zero sales still consumed hours.

Use Associates reports, not guesses

In Associates Central, pull earnings and ordered items reports for your trailing 90 days. Plug average commission rate, traffic, and conversion into the affiliate income calculator. If you lack history, model conservative conversion (1–2%) until data arrives.

Bounties and special programs

Amazon lists separate bounty events (for example Audible trials or Prime referrals) with their own payment rules in the Commission Income Statement. These can spike a month but should not replace core content economics. Track bounty dollars separately in your audit so you know what repeats.

Disclosures readers and Amazon expect

FTC endorsement guides require clear affiliate disclosure near links. Amazon's operating agreement also requires identifying yourself as an Associate. Disclosure does not change the math, but missing it can end the program — budget time to update top posts when policies change.

When affiliate is not worth the hours

Low traffic with high writing time produces brutal net hourly even at 4% default rates. Compare affiliate against display ads or owned digital products on the same audience only after you have 90 days of click and conversion data, not on day one.

International traffic caveat

Amazon Associates programs differ by country; commission tables and qualifying purchase rules are not identical to the U.S. schedule summarized here. If a meaningful share of readers is outside your home Associates store, pull that store's Commission Income Statement separately before blending rates.

Cookie duration and attribution

Amazon attributes qualifying purchases within a window after a click (length defined in the operating agreement and subject to change). Readers who bookmark and buy later still may credit you; readers who clear cookies may not. That uncertainty is one reason to model conservative conversion and not assume every click monetizes.

Building a category mix forecast

Export your ordered items report and bucket revenue by Amazon category for 90 days. Weight each bucket by its Table 1 rate. The result is your personal blended percent — often 3–4% for generalist blogs, higher for beauty or luxury-focused sites. Plug that blended rate into the affiliate calculator instead of guessing 4% flat.

Refresh the blend quarterly. A single viral post in a low-rate category can drag your effective percent down for months even when traffic stays high.

2026 paid-traffic rule change

Amazon's April 14, 2026 operating agreement updates note that qualifying purchases from certain paid advertisements linking to Amazon may not earn commission unless exceptions apply. If you run search or social ads directly to Amazon product pages, read the current agreement before budgeting ad spend plus expected affiliate return. Organic posts with proper disclosure remain the default path for most small publishers.

Sources and further reading

• Amazon Associates — Commission Income Statement (Table 1) — https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/node/topic/GRXPHT8U84RAYDXZ (accessed 2026-07-02)
• Amazon Associates — Operating agreement updates (April 14, 2026) — https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/operating/compare (accessed 2026-07-02)