Amazon Affiliate Commission Rates by Category

This post was inspired from an email exchange with our client who is a bathroom/kitchen contractor. He’s asking how he can generate another income stream by making a referral fee off of each home fixture or other household item that the homeowner purchases as a result of doing business with him.

Currently, when our contractor sells a bathroom remodel job, he and the homeowner look through catalogs or online shops to finalize what fixtures and appliances they want, then the homeowner goes on Home Depot or Amazon or somewhere else and buys all the stuff.

Our contractor client said he’s selling at least $500,000 per year in household items.

He wants to figure out a plan on how he can make a % of the household items he’s referring the homeowner to buy.

After reviewing options in the home goods market, one idea is becoming an Amazon affiliate. With the right relationships, being an Amazon affiliate frees you from having to deal with packaging, shipping and fulfilling orders and customer support.

Here’s the commission schedule for home goods, as well as all the other categories: The commission rates for the Amazon Associates program vary depending on the product category.

Here’s a breakdown of some key categories and their corresponding rates: (as of February 17, 2024):

High Commission Rates (10% or more):

– Luxury Beauty & Luxury Stores Beauty: 10%
– Amazon Games: 20%

Medium Commission Rates (4% – 5%):

– Physical Books: 4.5%
– Kitchen, Automotive: 4.5%
– Digital Music, Physical Music, Handmade, Digital Videos: 5%
– All Other Categories: 4%

Lower Commission Rates (1% – 3%):

– Amazon Fresh, Physical Video Games & Consoles, Grocery, Health & Personal Care: 1%
– Gift Cards, Wireless Service Plans, Alcoholic Beverages, Digital Kindle Products: 0%
– PC, PC Components, DVD & Blu-ray: 2.50%
– Televisions, Digital Video Games: 2.00%
– Toys, Furniture, Home, Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden, Pets Products, Headphones, Beauty, Musical Instruments, Business & Industrial Supplies, Outdoors, Tools, Sports, Baby Products, Amazon Coins: 3.00%

Special Commission Rates:

– Amazon also offers special commission rates for specific programs and events, such as Amazon Prime Free Trial signups and bounty programs. You can find details on these rates on the Associates program website.

Please note:

– These rates are subject to change, so it’s always best to check the latest information on the Amazon Associates program website.

– Commission rates are calculated based on the qualifying sale amount, which may not include taxes, shipping, or gift wrap costs.

– Some product categories have additional restrictions or eligibility requirements for earning commissions.

Remember, while commission rates are important, focus on building valuable content and driving qualified traffic to your website for long-term success as an Amazon affiliate.