As an Amazon affiliate, you probably know that your commissions are based on the total cost of items a customer purchases after clicking through one of your links.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the case for everyone.
Many Amazon affiliates are getting orders but not receiving any earnings.
What exactly is going on? Let’s find out!
4 Reasons You Won’t See Earnings on Amazon Affiliate Orders
Many affiliate marketers face the problem of having no or little commission earnings.
Amazon Associates, being one of the biggest affiliate programs, has many rules to follow that can often be confusing. But there are various reasons why some people experience less or zero commission issues.
Let’s see what those reasons are:
1. Cancelled Orders
Even though it may seem like online shopping is easy, there’s actually a lot that goes into it. For example, people read product reviews, compare products, cross-check information on other websites, and take their time making a decision before they even place an order.
Furthermore, sometimes people will make an impulse purchase and then change their minds later and cancel the order.
If your affiliate links don’t work, it might be because the customer changed their mind and cancelled the order–in which case, you won’t receive a commission. Keep in mind that an affiliate marketer only gets credited for a purchase when it’s shipped.
Even if you are an affiliate marketer who made a sale through Amazon, you will only receive your commission after the order has been shipped. So, if someone cancels their purchase-even though they already paid for it-you won’t get commissioned for that order.
Here is how to know if your order is cancelled:
- Log in to your Amazon affiliate account
- Open the orders page
- By checking the number of orders booked, you can get a pulse on your business and see how many orders were cancelled.
Once you’ve verified that an order made through your link has shipped, you can anticipate your commission.
2. Invalid Credit Card Data
Credit card mistakes are very common, especially during online purchases. If the buyer enters incorrect credit card information, they will be asked to review their payment method.
Affiliate marketers need to be careful when entering their credit card information while setting up their Amazon associate account, as the commission will only be given if the proper details are put in. If there are any mistakes, follow the steps below to correct them.
- Login to your affiliate account.
- Visit the payment section and navigate your credit card data.
- Verify your information correctly, paying close attention to detail such as surname, validity, card number/account number. Make any necessary corrections if there are mistakes.
- Please recheck your information and make sure all details are entered correctly.
Confirm the credit card details provided are accurate before proceeding, as an affiliate can only get a commission from purchases when the credit card information is correct.
3. Ineligible Items/Low Commission
Amazon associates have commission rates that differ based on the product. Not all Amazon products are available for the affiliate marketing program.
Here are the commission rates for various products
- Books – 5%
- Kitchen appliances – 9%
- Electronics & Accessories – 5%
- Grocery – 8%
- Mobile and accessories – 4%
Although digital products are available from many online companies, the commission affiliate marketers earn is often less than with other items. This lack of compensation can result in stagnation for those promoting such products–link sharing in newsletters rarely provides additional income.
4. Placement Of Personal Orders
As stated before, Amazon associates have a lot of rules and regulations and a massive no-no is buying things through your own affiliate links.
Amazon is smarter than you think and can identify if an affiliate marketer is placing personal orders through the link and doesn’t allow any commission. So, if you are a marketer trying to get commission then remember that this method of placing personal orders won’t work–you’ll receive an order but no earnings.
You won’t earn a commission if somebody you know personally buys something from your affiliate link. Make sure that the people ordering are strangers to you, or else you might not get paid at all.
6 Tips to Boost Your Amazon Affiliate Earnings
If you’re an Amazon affiliate, you know that one of the best ways to earn is by promoting affiliate products on your website.
But what if your blog isn’t earning as much as you’d like?
Here is what you can do:
1. Choose High-Converting Products
One of the best ways to boost your Amazon affiliate earnings is to choose products that convert well.
What does that mean?
A high-converting product is one that a lot of people are interested in and results in a purchase when they click through to Amazon.
To find high-converting products, start by taking a look at the products you’ve promoted in the past. Which ones resulted in the most clicks and sales? You can also check out Amazon’s Best Sellers list to see what’s popular on the site.
When you promote products that are in high demand, you’re more likely to get clicks and earn commissions.
2. Use Effective Calls-to-Action
Once you’ve chosen some high-converting products to promote, it’s time to start writing your blog posts!
But don’t just add a link to your post and call it a day.
You need to use effective calls-to-action (CTAs) to encourage your readers to click through to Amazon.
Some effective CTAs you can use include “Buy Now,” “Shop Now,” or “Check Price.” You can also get creative with your CTAs by using personal stories or listing the benefits of the product.
For example, if you’re promoting a vacuum cleaner, you could say something like:
“If you hate cleaning as much as I do, this is the perfect vacuum for you!”
Whatever CTA you use, make sure it’s attention-grabbing and convinces your reader that clicking through is worth their time.
3. Optimize Your Site for SEO
Finally, make sure you’re doing everything you can to optimize your site for SEO. That way, when people search for products on Google, your blog post will show up in the search results.
And when people click through from Google, you’re more likely to earn a commission.
There are a few key things you can do to optimize your site for SEO:
First, choose keyword-rich titles for your posts.
Second, use relevant keywords throughout your post body.
And third, include internal links to other related posts on your site (this is called interlinking).
By following these tips, you can help ensure that your blog post appears in front of potential customers who are ready to buy!
4. Use Affiliate Links Throughout Your Blog Posts
Make sure to use your affiliate links in a way that will be most beneficial for your readers.
For example, if you’re writing a post about a particular product, be sure to link to that product’s Amazon listing using your affiliate link.
This will give your readers the chance to purchase the product you’re recommending, and you’ll earn a commission on any sales that result.
5. Use Amazon’s Native Ads
Amazon offers a native ads service that allows you to place ad units on your blog that feature products from their marketplace.
These ads are targeted to your readers based on their browsing history and can be highly effective in driving conversions. Be sure to take advantage of this service if you’re looking to increase your Amazon affiliate earnings.
6. Join An Influencer Network
Influencer networks are communities of bloggers and social media influencers who work together to promote each other’s content.
By joining one of these networks, you’ll have access to a larger audience and will be able to promote your Amazon affiliate links to a wider group of people. This can lead to more clicks and conversions, and ultimately, higher earnings.
How To Check If Your Amazon Affiliate Link Is Working
You’ve set up your affiliate blog and you’re ready to start making money, but there’s just one problem: you’re not sure if your Amazon affiliate link is working.
Fortunately, there’s a quick and easy way to check. Just follow the steps below and you’ll be up and running in no time!
1. The first thing you’ll need to do is create an account with Amazon Associates, which is Amazon’s affiliate program.
Once you’ve done that, log in to your account and find your affiliate link.
It should look something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/XXXXXXXXXX/?tag=xxxxxx-20
2. Next, go to the Amazon home page and log in to your account.
3. Once you’re logged in, hover over the “Your Account” link at the top of the page and click on “Your Orders”.
4. On the Your Orders page, find a recent order that you placed and click on the “Order Details” link for that order.
5. On the Order Details page, scroll down to the “order summary” section and look for a line that says “shipment date”. Underneath that, you should see a link that says “track package”. Click on that link.
6. On the tracking page, you should see a tracking number for your order. Copy that number and go back to the Order Details page.
7. In the search bar at the top of the Order Details page, paste the tracking number and hit enter. This will take you to a page with details about your shipment…including which items were shipped!
8. Once you’re on the shipment details page, find the product that you ordered using your affiliate link and click on it.
This will take you to the product detail page on Amazon’s website…and voila!
If your link is working properly, it should redirect you to Amazon’s website with your affiliate ID intact so that you can get credit for any sales that are generated from clicks on your link!
9. If you don’t see your affiliate ID in the URL after following all of these steps, don’t worry! There are a few more things you can try before concluding that your link isn’t working correctly.
First, try clearing your browser’s cookies and cache and then repeating steps 1-8 above.
If that doesn’t work, try using a different browser altogether…sometimes browsers can block cookies from certain websites, which can interfere with tracking links like yours!
And finally, if all else fails, reach out to Amazon customer service for help troubleshooting the issue…they should be able to tell you definitively whether or not your link is working properly.
Good luck!
Bottom Line
If you’re struggling to make money with Amazon Associates, take a look at your site and your Amazon account and try some of the tips we’ve shared in this post. You may figure out what’s the issue in your case.
And if you’re looking to take your affiliate marketing business next level, check out the free Commission Academy training to learn how the super affiliates make 6 figures a year in commissions.
