Frequently Asked Questions

Amazon Associates pays a fixed commission percentage per product category, ranging from about 1% up to 20% in 2026. Amazon Games can reach 20%, Luxury Beauty and Amazon Explore around 10%, while most physical product categories pay between 1% and 4.5%. The rate applies to the qualifying purchase price after discounts and shipping, before taxes. See the full rate table.

Earnings range from a few dollars a month to tens of thousands, depending on traffic, niche, and conversion. Beginners often make $50–$300 per month; intermediate sites with consistent traffic $1,000–$5,000; large authority sites $10,000–$50,000+. The average reported by salary trackers is around $77,000 per year, but results vary enormously with traffic and niche.

The standard cookie lasts 24 hours from the click. If the shopper adds an item to their cart within those 24 hours and purchases later, the window extends to 90 days. You also earn on qualifying items purchased in the same session, not just the exact product you linked.

Amazon pays by direct deposit, Amazon gift card, or check, roughly 60 days after the end of the month the earnings were generated. For example, commissions earned in January are typically paid at the end of March.

Yes. Within the session, you earn on any qualifying items the shopper adds to their cart, not only the linked product. This is why Amazon's conversion rate feels higher than the headline rate. But if those items fall in a lower-paying category, your blended rate drifts down — a silent cause of lost earnings.

Bounties are fixed fees paid for referring sign-ups to Amazon services, regardless of a sale — for example Audible ($5), Prime free trials ($3), and Kindle Unlimited ($3). They pay in addition to product commissions.

In 2026: Amazon Games up to 20%, Luxury Beauty and Amazon Explore around 10%, and Furniture & Home up to 10% in some markets. Most everyday physical categories (kitchen, electronics, apparel) pay between 1% and 4.5%. Always check the current rate table before writing content.

For most affiliates, yes — as a baseline, not the whole income. Amazon has unmatched conversion, a huge catalog, and the simplest approval. But rates are low, there is no recurring commission, and the 2026 cuts reduced earnings further. Pair it with higher-paying or recurring programs.

You need an active content platform (a blog, website, YouTube channel, or social profile) where the links will appear, and you must generate at least one qualifying sale within 180 days of applying. Amazon reviews your site for original, active content before approval.

Infrequently, but without a reliable public changelog. The last major announced change was April 2020 (cuts up to 8%→3%). In 2026, publishers reported unannounced cuts of up to 50% in some categories. Because there is no public log, the only reliable way to detect a change is to audit your own payouts.

Yes. Under FTC rules you must disclose that you may earn a commission, and Amazon's Operating Agreement requires it too. A clear, above-the-fold disclosure protects you and your account.

Yes. Amazon Associates operates in dozens of markets. AmzLoss supports the main locales, so the audit uses the correct rate set for your region.

When clicks are steady but earnings fall, your earnings-per-click changed. The usual causes: (1) a commission rate cut in the categories you promote, (2) category drift where buyers purchase lower-rate items in the same session, or (3) tracking and reporting changes. An earnings audit compares what you were paid against the correct rate to tell them apart.

EPC is your total commission divided by clicks — what each click is worth. When clicks stay flat but EPC falls, either rates were cut, your product mix drifted to lower-rate categories, or tracking changed. Monitoring EPC is the fastest way to notice a silent earnings problem.

Your commission is reversed if the item is returned or refunded, which is why net earnings are lower than gross. Returns are normal and should be excluded from any underpayment check so they are never falsely flagged against you.

Compare what you were actually paid against what the published rate for your order dates should have produced. AmzLoss does this automatically: upload your Product Earnings Report CSV and it flags possible irregularities in your browser — with nothing uploaded or stored.

It means the paid commission on that line is below what the current rate should produce. It is labelled "possible", not "guaranteed". Returns, refunds, bounties and ambiguous rows are separated out so they are never falsely flagged against you.

Yes. Everything is processed in your browser. AmzLoss never uploads, stores, or sees your earnings numbers — there is no account, no server call, and nothing to leak.

During the launch period (until September 10, 2026) the entire tool is unlocked with no ads. After launch, the free plan keeps the rate table, calculator, audit summary, worst categories, top flagged items, and rate-change alerts. Paid plans unlock the full flagged list, the claim export, and remove the ads.

A calculator shows a rate and multiplies it. AmzLoss compares what you were actually paid against what the rate on your order dates should have earned — and spots the difference. That difference is where missing money hides.