If you are eyeing the Amazon Influencer Program, the first question is simple: what could you actually earn? The honest answer is that earnings vary a lot, but you can estimate them once you know how Amazon pays.

This guide breaks down the two main earning streams, how commissions really work, and what numbers to plug into your own forecast. You will also get realistic examples, a simple checklist, and plain-English definitions.

TL;DR

• Amazon influencers earn from product commissions on off-Amazon links and on-Amazon videos/storefront content, with rates that vary by category.

• Standard (offsite) commission rates vary by category and country; in the U.S., Amazon’s published standard rates include categories from 0% up to 25%. Onsite (on-Amazon) video/storefront rates in the U.S. run from 0% to 5% by category. Always verify the current tables for your marketplace.

• Your earnings hinge on traffic or views, conversion rate, average order value, and category commission rate.

• Off-Amazon attribution is a 24-hour window that can end earlier if the customer places an order or re-enters Amazon through another Associate’s link. If an item is added to the cart within the window, you can still earn if it’s purchased before the cart expires (usually ~90 days)

• Payments are typically issued about 60 days after the end of the month in which commissions were earned, once you meet the minimum payment threshold.

How Amazon Influencers Actually Get Paid

There are two core revenue streams you can maximize for Amazon Influencers. Most creators make money in two ways:

• Off-Amazon traffic via tagged links. These are standard Amazon Associates commissions. Rates depend on product category, and Amazon sometimes runs special promotions or fixed-dollar bounties for services like Prime, Audible, or Kindle Unlimited.

• On-Amazon placements (videos, Idea Lists, photos, and, where available, livestreams) can earn onsite commission when Amazon displays your published content to shoppers on Amazon, they engage with it, and they make a qualifying purchase. Onsite earnings do not include traffic you send directly to Amazon or your storefront (that traffic follows your standard, offsite attribution)

Direct Qualifying Purchases are generally same-category as the product detail page a customer linked to from your onsite content. However, for videos appearing on a product detail page, credit is tied to the product featured in the video after a minimum view period (as determined by Amazon).

Amazon publishes both the standard commission income rates and the onsite commission rates in program documentation. Rates change over time and differ by category, so always check Amazon’s current tables. Viral Vue can help you find products worth reviewing and track your storefront so you can focus on content that has a real chance to earn.

How Commissions and Attribution Work

Learning these technical rules ensures you can accurately project income based on how long your links and videos remain active for shoppers.

Off-Amazon Links: The 24-Hour Rule

You earn commission on qualifying items placed in a customer’s cart within 24 hours of their arrival at Amazon via your link. That 24-hour window can close earlier if the customer submits an order or re-enters Amazon through another Associate’s link. If an item was added to the cart during your window, you can still earn if the order is placed before the cart expires (usually ~90 days).

On-Amazon Videos and Storefront Content

After you upload and get videos approved, Amazon can place them on relevant product detail pages. When shoppers engage with your onsite content and make a Direct Qualifying Purchase, you earn onsite commission. 

For videos placed on product pages, this is typically tied to the product featured in the video after a minimum view period (as determined by Amazon). Placements are not guaranteed, though. Amazon decides whether and where your content is surfaced.

Onsite rates are published and differ from the standard affiliate rate table. Amazon explains where shoppers can discover your videos and how onsite commissions work in its help center.

Payment Timing and Minimums

Amazon pays commission income approximately 60 days after the end of the month it was earned, provided you meet the minimum payment threshold for your method (in the U.S., $10 for direct deposit or gift card and $100 for checks).

What Drives Earnings

These metrics provide a clear roadmap for scaling your influence into a more substantial monthly income. Several variables combine to determine your income:

• Audience volume: Clicks from social posts or views on Amazon.

• Clickthrough or buyer rate: The share of viewers who click or buy.

• Conversion rate: The percent of clicks that turn into orders.

• Average order value (AOV): Higher AOVs multiply your commissions.

• Commission rate: Category rate for the item purchased.

• Product mix and seasonality: Gift-heavy months, big-ticket items, or sales events can spike results.

• Bonus opportunities: Occasional bounties or limited-time promotions can add incremental income.

If you want to move these levers strategically, Viral Vue’s product analytics and placement tracking can help you prioritize categories/products where you have the best odds of visibility and commission.

Amazon Income Opportunities Breakdown

Comparing different earning streams allows you to focus your energy on the categories and content types that offer the highest commission rates.

Examples

These hypothetical earnings scenarios provide a clear picture of how small adjustments in views or conversion rates impact your final payout.

A Modest On-Amazon Video Engine

You publish 300 product videos. Over a 30-day period, across all videos, they generate 35,000 clicks from Amazon shoppers. Suppose 7% of those clicks convert into purchases, with a $25 average order value and a 2% onsite commission rate.

That means:

• 35,000 clicks × 7% conversion = 2,450 orders

• 2,450 orders × $25 AOV = $61,250 in sales

• $61,250 × 2% commission = $1,225 in onsite earnings

So in this scenario, your 300-video library produces about $1,225 in monthly onsite commission. 

This is before taking into consideration that some of your videos might qualify for Creator Connections earnings, which could earn you an extra 10%-50% commission on products. This is an additional commission on top of the 2%-4% that you earned from the standard commissions! 

You can easily 21x your commissions by accepting Creator Connection campaigns for videos you’ve already made. Don’t leave that free money on the table! 

Off-Amazon Links From YouTube and TikTok

Your videos drive 12,000 monthly clicks to Amazon. If 5% convert, you get 600 orders. At a $60 AOV and a 3% category rate, that is $36,000 in sales and roughly $1,080 in commission. 

Add 30 Prime Free Trial signups (currently $3 per signup in the U.S.), and you gain $90 more. Always confirm current bounty amounts before forecasting. Improve thumbnails and calls to action, and the gains often come from higher conversion rather than more posts.

Note: These are general scenarios to show the moving parts. Your actual results depend on your niche, creative quality, and category rates.

Actionable Steps / Checklist

This roadmap helps creators optimize their content strategy to increase conversion rates and maintain long-term account health.

• Map your niche to categories with solid commission rates.

• Start with 10 to 20 evergreen products you already use. Film clear 20–60 second demos.

• Front-load the benefit in the first 3-5 seconds. Add captions for silent viewers.

• Tag the exact item and close substitutes. Keep titles concise and searchable.

• Publish a consistent cadence and refresh winners with updated clips.

• On YouTube, place the first link above the fold and use a timestamped call to action.

• Track winners by category and AOV. Prioritize items with high product-page traffic.

• Repurpose top videos across platforms. Link to your Amazon storefront.

• Layer bounties when they fit your content. Don't force them.

• Stay compliant on disclosures and keep your payment and tax info current.

• If you’re unsure what “clear and conspicuous” looks like on each platform, reference the FTC’s endorsement FAQ.

Glossary

These industry-specific terms help you accurately interpret your performance reports and identify which metrics are driving your earnings.

• Onsite Commission: A percentage of qualifying revenue when shoppers view approved content on Amazon and buy a qualifying item in that category.

• Standard commission: The category-based affiliate commission for traffic you send from off-Amazon links.

• Bounty: A fixed-dollar payout for actions like signing up for Prime, Audible, or Kindle Unlimited via your link.

• Attribution window: The period during which a click or view can lead to a credited sale.

• AOV (Average Order Value): The average dollar value of a customer’s purchase; it multiplies your commission.

• Conversion rate: The percent of clicks that result in orders.

• Storefront: Your curated Amazon page that houses lists, videos, and shoppable content.

• Product Detail Page (PDP): The Amazon page for a specific product where your approved videos can appear.

FAQ

Q: How much do Amazon influencers make on average?

A: There is no set average on how Amazon influencers get paid. New creators might see tens to a few hundred dollars a month, while consistent, well-optimized channels can reach four figures or more. The best predictor is your expected traffic, conversion rate, AOV, and category rate.

Q: Which categories pay the most?

A: Rates vary by published tables and promotions. Some categories offer higher percentages than others, and Amazon occasionally runs special promotions or fixed-dollar bounties. Always check the latest official rate pages.

Q: How long does it take to get paid?

A: Amazon typically pays about 60 days after the end of each month once you hit the minimum threshold and your orders ship and are not returned.

Q: Do I need to disclose that I earn commissions?

A: Amazon requires you to clearly and prominently display the statement: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." On social, ensure the disclosure is clear and conspicuous and placed where viewers will see it with the endorsement.

Q: How do videos get on product pages?

A: Upload and get your videos approved. Amazon explains that, once you meet its requirements, shoppers can find your videos on your storefront and on relevant product detail pages.

Final Thoughts

Treat the Amazon Influencer Program like a product-review business powered by repeatable processes. Focus on helpful content, keep your math simple and honest, and double down on clips and categories that prove they convert. Over time, small improvements in conversion and AOV compound more than big bursts of new content.

If you want to cut the busywork, Viral Vue combines product discovery, carousel placement tracking, and Creator Connections automation so you can spend more time filming and less time hunting.