Shot Down By The Amazon Affiliate Program
When sharing the latest recap on blogging for money, I mentioned that there appeared to be an issue with the earnings from the Amazon affiliate program as there had been four products ordered yet there were no commissions credited to my account.
As you might remember, I recently decided to purchase a Macbook through Amazon, as well as a few of my wife’s birthday gifts.
Being an Amazon affiliate, naturally I logged into my account and created affiliate links for the products that I was going to order so that I could use them on this blog - as well as when making my actual purchase in order to take advantage of the commission.
When it came time to compile my earnings for the month, I checked my Amazon account and noticed that the items were being reported as purchases yet there was no income. It has been quite some time since there was any activity on my Amazon affiliate account so my first thought was that maybe it took awhile to update the earnings statement.
Being the curious sort, I figured that I would shoot off an email to the Amazon support while I waited.
And here is a snippet of their response (emphasis added):
I am sorry if there was any misunderstanding of our personal orders policy. Associates do not receive payment for referral fees on any personal orders placed. This is because the Associates Program places certain restrictions on the types of orders that may be placed through an Associate’s web site.
We operate a referral program, rather than a discount program. Our goal is to have our members refer new customers to us, and we then pay you for this effort, rather than simply offer discounts for shopping at Amazon.com
Bummer!
In the time that I have been an affiliate with Amazon, I thought there were one or two times when I had ordered a book and had been credited with an affiliate commission. Given the statement above, it would appear that those commissions were incorrectly applied to my account.
Have you ever ordered on Amazon using your own affiliate links?
While I assumed that was rather common practice, as I know many other affiliate programs allow you to receive credit for your own purchases, maybe I am in the minority here.
However, since it appears that Amazon does not allow an affiliate to purchase products using their own affiliate link, I might have to place an open query to all of you in the community to provide me with your own affiliate link when I am looking to purchase a product.
After all, if I cannot save myself a little money using my own affiliate account, I might as well help a few of you make money by using your affiliate links.
Hey Derek,
Amazon used to credit me for my own purchases, but they haven’t for several years now. As you say, bummer!
I tried pulling that trick with John Chow during the $25.00 RevieMe payouts and were denied as well. We ordered reviews off eachother using our own affiliate codes to get discounts. No dice
Stephen’s last blog post..Foxconn 9600GT-512NOC Video Card Review
I remember that. It didn’t work out.
Michael Kwan’s last blog post..My Six Word Memoir
I was purchased a Macbook through Amazon.I get this commission.
fahrrad’s last blog post..Aufbau des Fahrrads
I’ve always been under the impression that using your own affiliate link to buy things is forbidden by the policy, and I even think there’s even a possibility of being banned, like those website owners that click on their own AdSense ads. I’ve wondered how they will track it though… If you use different accounts for purchasing and affiliate program, there’s no way that they are going to know that you are indeed the same person, right? I’ve considered going to other blogger’s affiliate link and then buy things (might as well give them some commmission, right? but that’s just a thought, I’ve never remembered to actually do so) I think you don’t need to buy the same product that the affiliate link leads to in order to give them commission.
Kelvin Kao’s last blog post..The Most Amazing Worms in the World!
Sympatize with you, but looking at it from Amazon’s point of view, it kinda makes sense. Giving referral credit for affiliates’ own puchases would invite all kinds of crazy schemes cooked up by affiliates.
Ling’s last blog post..Holidates - Travel Therapy For New Couples
Well, that’s news for me since I never bought from Amazon but I am also affiliate. So I think I will not try to buy from affiliate link if I want to buy somtething from Amazon.
Cesar’s last blog post..Océ ColorWave 600 - The new environmentally friendly and cheaper printer
Your offer to buy through some one with affiliate links makes sense. It still does not make sense as to why this policy exists at all. If you can get a commission on someone else’s purchase, why not on your own?
I suppose I can understand this policy. Amazon summed it up with the line, “We run a referral program, not a discount program.” However, it seems that the business is rich enough that they can provide their affiliates with some perks. If I was them, I would certainly allow it.
Well yes I have used my own affiliate link before with no issues. I suppose if it’s mixed in with other purchases then it goes unoticed. Sometimes though its good to use your affiliate links to check tracking and service.
Oh well, I think affiliates should be allowed the personal discount, kind of like an employee benefit.
Camping Tents’s last blog post..Primus Camp Stoves
I’m glad I read your post, I was thinking of doing the same thing….when I order my new macbook I’ll have someone else do it from my affiliate link, and then just pay them for the computer, that way I can still get the commission…better yet, I may check CJ to see if there are other affiliates for the macbook that have a larger payout.
hmm.. great to know! i am an amazon user and wondered how it worked. thanks for letting me know!!
I think its bogus personally. I use an Amazon store to line up items that I purchase for my business. I can buy the products anywhere but use Amazon because I get affiliate credit. As soon as they stop giving me the percentage I stop referring my sales there.
Of course, in order to do this, I have to use two separate accounts AND clear out my cache between setting up the items in the store and purchasing them. It’s a bit of a pain but 4-6% on a few hundred dollars is worth the time.
I don’t even do anything with amazon, so no, I’ve never been in that situation.
Pity about that you did not get the benefits that you hoped for. Its sweet of you to offer to help your readers make money by using their affiliate links.
This policy is an obvious one. If you could do this then everyone would sign up to Amazon Affiliates just to get a few quid back.
John
iphone guy’s last blog post..See how fast you can type
I dropped the Amazon program a long time ago. The 1 day cookie is not fair and the comission is low. Amazon is pretty stingy.
How much are we talking about Derek (on a MacBook)?
For just the laptop alone it would have been a little over $50 in commission. Add in the other items that I bought and it would have been closer to $75.
Just like they say, they want new customers. I guess that old tricks to get some money die of slowly. One needs to constantly search new ways to save/earn money online.
sandals’s last blog post..Chaco Sandals
Good to read your experience, guess, the next time will buy thru my friend to cut back on the commission.
Well their opinion is perfectly reasonable. There is of course a huge difference between a referral program and a discount program.
Nicole Price’s last blog post..The Six Word Memoir
I think this must be a new policy - I thought I had heard a few years ago the affiliate commissions did go thru.
If this has been a recent change, methinks it’s one of many to come….
Barbara
Barbara Ling’s last blog post..21 Days to a more profitable blog - Day 9! Add Amazon to your Wordpress blog sidebar
Hey sorry to hear what happened with amazon.com. If you ever need someone’s affiliate link in the future let me know. I even have discount codes for some products tht you can use.
Great read here. Check out my blog for great ideas HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE and get your full commissions.
Here’s the thing:
Each vendor has their own TOS and they say the could update the policy and affiliate terms at anytime with no prior warning, or something like this.
So they are free to increase/decrease our commissions, do not allow “self-referral buying”, etc.
Did you know about this?
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