Top 15 E-Commerce Affiliate Programs in 2023

With so many e-commerce affiliate programs to choose from, how do you know the best options for your business? Explore top affiliate marketing programs with Adsnextgen and start earning more revenue.

Learn about the e-commerce affiliate marketing business model

1. What is an e-commerce affiliate?

An e-commerce affiliate is an individual or business that promotes and sells products from an online retailer in exchange for a commission on the sales they help generate. Affiliate marketing in e-commerce is becoming increasingly popular and is being used to drive sales and generate revenue online, benefiting both brands and affiliate marketers. A stable and reliable income is possible, but it doesn’t have to stop there: Some of the best online affiliate marketers have become millionaires thanks to their profession.

2. How e-commerce affiliate programs work

Here’s an overview of how typical e-commerce affiliate programs work:

• Retailers or product brands launch affiliate programs inviting partners to promote their products and earn commissions on sales.
• Affiliates join the programs that align with their website content, audience, and niche. Access to promotional materials is provided. Discovering the best niches for affiliate marketing can be a game changer for your online business.
• The retailer provides the affiliate with a unique tracking link or affiliate ID to use when promoting products.
• The affiliate publishes product reviews, leverages social media, and uses other marketing tactics to drive traffic to the retailer through its affiliate link.
• When a visitor comes from the affiliate’s link and completes a desired action like making a purchase, the retailer registers the conversion and assigns a commission to that affiliate for referring the sale.
• Commissions earned are tracked in the retailer’s affiliate platform. Once commission thresholds are met (usually $25-$100), the retailer will issue payment to the affiliate on a monthly, quarterly or custom basis.

E-Commerce affiliate marketing: Pros and Cons

1. Pros for E-Commerce affiliate marketing

• Low initial start-up costs: When participating in e-commerce affiliate programs, you will not have to pay any fees. Best of all, the suppliers will handle the product or service so you don’t have to worry about supplies or inventory.
• Easy form of participation: There are almost no barriers that hinder you from joining Affiliate Marketing. Your job is just to provide information in the form and you can promote your product or service at any time.
• No need to worry about shipping or return policies: All you need to do is promote your brand/product or service, and the shipping or return process is handled by the supplier.
• No need to manufacture products or services: The task you need to do with Affiliate Marketing is to deliver goods to Clients and customers, and the supplier will take care of the production of products or services for you.

2. Cons for E-Commerce affiliate marketing

• Takes a lot of time to build referrals: To make money in e-commerce affiliate programs, you need to spend a lot of time creating referrals.
• Need to be able to market via the Internet: No one is professionally trained to do Affiliate Marketing, so if you want to be successful, you need to be able to market via the Internet.
• Limited advertising: Some Affiliate Marketing programs will limit advertising. For example, you cannot market products or services via email or PPC ads with certain keywords.
• Need to pay some costs: The Affiliate Marketing program will provide you with payments after receiving a certain cost.

The best e-commerce affiliate program in 2023

1. Amazon Associates

Amazon Associates is a large e-commerce affiliate program, that can easily be confused with an affiliate marketing network such as e-commerce affiliate programs, and the best Nutra affiliate networks. Offers access to a wide range of products, but the affiliate marketing platform is fully managed by Amazon. This makes you an Amazon Affiliate and not another brand of product sold on the Amazon Marketplace. Nevertheless, Amazon Associates is the ideal referral program for anyone running an online business with multiple retailers.

You can choose from over 3 billion physical and digital product offerings across numerous categories. All are available with no quantity limits as Amazon Associates allows its e-commerce specialists to earn affiliate commissions on an unlimited number of products.

Cookie duration	24 hours
Commission	Previously, Amazon Associates calculated commission rates based on your affiliate’s business performance. Since then, the situation has changed, and working with affiliate marketing now offers a fixed commission percentage depending on the product sold. You can expect to make a profit of 1-20% on each sale.
Payments	The minimum withdrawal amount for an affiliate eCommerce specialist is $10 and the entire amount will be processed as a check, direct deposit, or Amazon gift card. As for the payment deadline, you must wait at least 60 days after the end of the month.
Affiliate support	Yes

2. ShareASale

What do affiliate partners receive when participating in ShareASale programs? There are currently around 16,000 online sellers on the platform offering all kinds of products. Using simple tools, they create more than 260 personalized referral programs every day, which they then connect with affiliate partners from all walks of life. You can also use filters to find the right sellers to partner with, the most profitable niche products, and the best sellers.

Cookie duration	Differs from one affiliate program to another
Commission	Sellers offer different affiliate commission rates. However, in general, you can expect to pay around 10-25% for most products.
Payments	Affiliate commissions are paid monthly through Payoneer via bank transfer, direct deposit, and check. To be eligible, you must have a balance of at least $50.
Affiliate support	Yes

HubSpot Affiliate

When it comes to targeting a B2B audience for publishers, the HubSpot Affiliate Program is one of the best e-commerce affiliate programs. This target group is always looking for solutions that automate business processes, simplify operations, and improve productivity. HubSpot has a suite of tools that solve all of these business problems

Cookie duration	90 days.
Commission	Here affiliates have to choose between two very worthwhile commission models. You can get 100% of HubSpot’s first month’s subscription purchase or a flat 15% annual subscription fee.
Payments	To receive payment, your affiliate sponsorship must remain active on the HubSpot platform for at least 30 days. You should then be able to withdraw your funds once your account reaches the $10 minimum. The money is then transferred via PayPal or bank transfer.
Affiliate support	Yes

Rakuten Advertising

Rakuten Advertising is a platform of e-commerce affiliate programs, that has grown remarkably from a Japan-based venture to a global performance marketing solutions provider. Rakuten distinguishes itself from other affiliate networks by emphasizing quality over quantity.

Cookie duration	No set cookie duration
Commission	Affiliate earnings are set at different rates, with the parameters set by three commission strategies.
Payments	Once you reach Rakuten’s minimum payment threshold of $50, your payment will be processed via PayPal, check, or direct deposit. The transfer of payments from the advertiser’s account to the marketer’s account takes more than 30 days.
Affiliate support	yes

CJ Affiliate

CJ Affiliate is another industry veteran who has one of the best e-commerce affiliate programs in terms of scale and performance. They make up about 8.15% of the affiliate network market. Over 4.5 million affiliate relationships are created each year, and affiliates typically earn more than $1 from the resulting multi-channel campaigns 8 billion in annual commissions. Some other programs at CJ program that you can learn more about are: beauty affiliate programs, best health affiliate programs

Cookie duration	Up to 120 days
Commission	Varies from one affiliate program to another
Payments	Payments are typically processed on the 20th or 28th of each month via Payoneer, check, or direct deposit. The minimum deposit amount is $50 and checks are only issued to eCommerce affiliate marketing accounts over $100.
Affiliate support	yes

Awin

As one of the leading affiliate networks in the e-commerce industry, Awin has managed to build a good reputation in the e-commerce affiliate programs.

Cookie duration	Up to 999 days
Commission	Depends on the e-commerce affiliate program you select.
Payments	Partner earnings are paid on the 1st and 15th of each month via ACH, international bank transfer, or BACS. This is only available for affiliate marketing accounts that meet the Awins minimum payout threshold of $20.
Affiliate support	yes

Etsy Affiliates

Unlike Amazon and eBay, Etsy is an e-commerce affiliate program specializing in arts and crafts, vintage items, and handmade products. This makes Etsy Partners a great candidate for any creative, designer, or crafter looking to create an additional source of income. With us, you will find all sorts of interesting product offers from the areas of art and collectibles, house and apartment, clothing, paper and party supplies, accessories, wedding items, jewelry, etc. They come from over 7.5 million online retailers, which total around 5 Generate billions in sales per year.

Cookie duration	30 days
Commission	Although commission rates are standard for all products in the online store, you can expect some differences depending on where you publish your affiliate marketing links. Sales through affiliate links on your website result in a 4% commission, twice as much as social media.
Payments	The Etsy e-commerce affiliate program does not have a regular payment plan. You can start the process manually at any time as long as your account balance is above $20. All money transfers will then be made via check or ACH bank transfer, each with a base fee of 3% + $0.25 from Etsy Payments.
Affiliate support	yes

eBay Partner Network

It is an e-commerce affiliate program developed and managed by eBay that allows you to promote, trade, and earn commissions on all types of products available on the eBay marketplace. There are over 1.1 billion product listings divided into different categories. There is sure to be something for each of your affiliate landing pages.

Cookie duration	24 hours
Commission	The eBay e-commerce affiliate programs pay a commission of 1% to 6%. The amount you earn depends on the type of product you sell.
Payments	Affiliate payments are processed monthly via PayPal or direct deposit. All you have to do is exceed the limit of ten units of your local currency, e.g. 10 lire, 10 euros, 10 dollars, etc.
Affiliate support	yes

Fiverr

Fiverr has established itself as an independent service marketplace that connects companies with service providers. The Fiverr e-commerce affiliate network allows you to advertise over 400 high-demand digital services in the business sector.

Cookie duration	30 days
Commission	You can earn a flat commission of $15 to $150, depending on the category of service purchased, or $10 plus 10% of total online sales generated in 12 months. Otherwise, you’ll earn $100 plus 10% of your earnings over 12 months when you shop with Fiverr Business, while Fiverr Learn offers a whopping 30% commission on every course order.
Payments	Payments are made monthly. However, you must have at least $100 in your account to continue. Amounts under $1,000 are then processed via PayPal, while amounts above are transferred via bank transfer.
Affiliate support	yes

ClickBank

When it comes to simplicity and ease of use, ClickBank is undoubtedly the best e-commerce affiliate program for online publishers and entrepreneurs. All you need to get started is just your contact details. ClickBank doesn’t even ask you for your website domain or social media accounts.

Cookie duration	60 days
Commission	Commission rates vary depending on the products sold. Overall, ClickBank offers fairly generous affiliate marketing rewards for performance, with many products paying out between 70% and 90%.
Payments	affiliate commissions are paid weekly via direct deposit, check, wire transfer, and Payoneer. However, only for accounts that meet the standard minimum threshold of $100.
Affiliate support	yes

Shopify

The Shopify Partner Program is made up of thousands of global content creators, instructors, influencers, and review sites who help their audiences build successful Shopify businesses by earning competitive referral commissions and establishing themselves as industry leaders. This e-commerce affiliate program is free to join and offers professionals the opportunity to earn money through their audience and commissions.

Cookie duration	30 days.
Commission	As high as USD 150 for all full-priced plan referrals
Payments	by direct deposit to your bank account or PayPal
Affiliate support	yes

Leadpages

Leadpages is an e-commerce affiliate program and popular website builder that helps small businesses create landing and sales pages. Its industry-leading affiliate program offers recurring commissions of up to 50% on every sale generated (including plan renewals, upgrades, and one-time purchases). The program is open to everyone, regardless of whether you use Leadpages or not.

Cookie duration	90 days
Commission	Varies between 10% and 50%
Payments	Rewards are paid out on the 13th of each month through Stripe or PayPal
Affiliate support	yes

Calendly

Without help, it can be difficult to keep track of everyone in your company. Calendly is an e-commerce affiliate program that permits your platform to plan meetings professionally and efficiently without having to constantly scroll through emails. It offers a free service and a paid service for $12 per seat per month.

Cookie duration	90 days
Commission	15% recurring commission for one year.
Payments	PayPal or Stripe.
Affiliate support	yes

NordVPN

NordVPN is an e-commerce affiliate program and is a VPN service that offers secure and private internet access. Protects your online data with an encrypted connection – for anyone who wants peace of mind on public Wi-Fi. With NordVPN you can securely access your personal information and work files and keep your online identity private.

Cookie duration	30 days
Commission	a 40% or 100% commission for a new sign-up a 30% commission on all renewals for a customer’s lifetime
Payments	PayPal or wire transfer
Affiliate support	Affiliates get access to a dedicated account manager

AWeber

AWeber is an e-commerce affiliate program, it is also an email marketing tool that gives users everything they need to grow their email list, and target audiences, and increase sales. It offers a subscription plan whose price depends on the number of subscribers on the account. For example, if you have 500 users, AWeber only charges $19 per month. If you have up to 100,000 users, the price is $369 per month.

Cookie duration	365 days
Commission	30% recurring referral payments
Payments	PayPal
Affiliate support	yes

Tips for choosing the best e-commerce affiliate program.

In the above sections, Adsnextgen has helped you learn about the best e-commerce affiliate programs, which you can consider choosing the right program for your business. In the next section, we will study tips for choosing e-commerce affiliate programs.

Vendor reputation

If possible, it is always best to work with long-standing, reliable, and high-traffic providers. Make sure you do your research and don’t be put off by new sellers if they offer a great product.

Commission levels

You need to look for programs that offer you good and reliable performance. Although it may seem that higher commission levels offer the most attractive options, it is always advisable to keep a larger perspective.

Vendor support

Support can be offered in different ways and depends on the size of the provider, from personal account manager to live chat or email support. It’s worth checking what marketing materials are available and what quality they are: Some networks offer landing pages and banners that you can place on your website.

>>> Read more: Tips for choosing the best dating affiliate programs

Guide to choosing an e-commerce affiliate network for beginners.

Research your competitors

Make a list of your competitors and find their e-commerce affiliate programs. You can create a spreadsheet to track your chosen affiliate network, commission structure, incentives or bonuses, cost per action, and cost per lead. You can also sign up for their e-commerce affiliate programs to see what types of emails, incentives, and bonuses they offer their affiliates.

Set goals and KPIs

To determine the type of affiliates in your program and the number of commissions paid, you need to determine your goals, whether they are increasing website traffic, increasing sales, increasing average order value, or achieving a high conversion rate year after year. Then think about metrics to evaluate progress toward your goals.

Determine commission strategy.

The best e-commerce affiliate programs often have a clearly defined commission structure and can pay high commissions to their affiliates. To calculate your budget and develop your commission strategy, you must first calculate your cost of acquisition (CPA network), which is the cost of acquiring a new customer.

Find out your customer retention rate.

With a high customer retention rate, you can afford to spend more on your e-commerce affiliate programs because the customers you acquire will come back to buy more. On the other hand, a low retention rate means you need to continually acquire more customers to remain profitable in the long term.

>>> Read more: How To Find Affiliate Programs for You | Tips Guide 2023

Best brands of affiliate e-commerce examples in the world

According to Business Insider, revenue from e-commerce affiliate programs usage has increased 10% every year since 2015, and this growth is expected to continue through 2022. This marketing strategy is effective for both retail and online businesses. -Commerce that for their partners. In addition to Amazon Associates and its popular affiliate program, many e-commerce companies pursue similar strategies. Highlights:

• Etsy Affiliates: Despite a low commission of 4%, Etsy has one of the most valuable affiliate programs with a wide range of products that appeal to a wide audience.
• eBay Affiliates: With very high commissions ranging from 40% to 80%, the eBay Affiliate Program competes with Amazon by offering a variety of solutions to monetize third-party websites and applications Zalando
• Affiliate Program: Zalando’s affiliate commissions are 8%, but they have a wide selection of clothing, accessories, and shoes online. Like eBay, Amazon, or Etsy, Zalando has a customer community and a recognized brand that creates added value.
• AliExpress Affiliates: With a variable commission of up to 50%, AliExpress competes with its predecessors and despite its short evolution (it was launched in 2010), its affiliate program is a benchmark in e-commerce.

Now that you know the finest affiliate marketing programs, you have the information to choose which ones to attempt. Each program has its own set of advantages and disadvantages for affiliate marketers, so don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Diversify your business by working with certain businesses directly and discovering others through affiliate networks. As long as they are relevant to your audience, there is no limit to how many affiliate programs you may promote.

Remember, you’ll want to consider how to promote affiliate links to get your audience buying. To do that, read the blog post Smartlink affiliate networks to attract the right buyers, gain more influence, and earn more passive income.

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