Lots of people are making serious money with the AMAZON AFFILIATE PROGRAM or AMAZON ASSOCIATES.
For bloggers, influencers, website builders, and young entrepreneurs, getting Amazon associate approval is becoming a little tougher than before since the competition is high now but nothing to worry about.
In this blog, We will discuss what is an Amazon affiliate program. and how to become an Amazon affiliate, especially for the cashback program.
Amazon Associates is one of the biggest affiliate programs, with a market share of 47.9%. Affiliates are making some serious money while promoting the products on Amazon. It offers convenience because Amazon has options to handle everything from inventory to logistics. It makes it a go to choice for affiliates.
Considering the scale and reach of an affiliate program, and getting approval, Amazon has laid out the rules and guidelines known as associate program policies. Before we start, let’s understand what is an Amazon affiliate program.
What is the Amazon Affiliate program? #
The Amazon Affiliate Associate program is a way for bloggers, YouTubers, social media influencers, and cashback website owners to make money through referral commissions. They do this by promoting products from Amazon.com using special affiliate links through various online channels. For example, YouTube, Blog websites, Social Media, Cashback Coupon portals, and many more.
It’s completely free to be an Amazon affiliate. There is no fee or charge applied to promote Amazon products.
Amazon is most likely to approve these affiliate program applications from the following people and companies.
1. YouTubers
Thousands of YouTubers promote Amazon’s products on YouTube and share affiliate links in their descriptions. These YouTubers can apply for the Amazon affiliate program.
2. Bloggers
If you have a blog targeting a specific niche, you can add affiliate links in it to earn commissions. Blog categories starting with “Best”, “Top 10”, etc., are usually monetized with Amazon affiliates.
3. Social Media Influencers
Influencers have a lot of organic traffic from their followers and social media groups are eligible to apply for the Amazon programs. Refer to this guide to learn strategies for sharing Amazon affiliate links on social media.
4. Cashback Coupon Website owners
Here, things start getting a bit complicated. If you see the terms in the Amazon associate program, it is clearly mentioned that you can not offer loyalty rewards or cashback to your customers.
Here are the policies and terms you can refer to:
Amazon Global Associate policies – Point 6(g)
Amazon India Associate program policy – Point 7
Amazon UK Associate policies – Point 6(g)
Amazon UAE Associate policies – Point 6(g)
You will find these policies on every country’s Amazon site. They are very strict about their policies.
Even if you have generated a good business for Amazon, it is less likely that they will allow you to offer cashback. And Amazon is a popular shopping platform where millions of people buy products online every year. So, if you are building a cashback platform, you can not miss that.
Now you must be wondering how these big cashback giants like Ebates–Rakuten, CouponDunia, Cashkaro, and Topcashback are doing it.
Well, here are some proven and legit hacks that can help you pass these barriers.
First things first, you must check these boxes before you start reaching out to Amazon for providing cashback approval.
- You need to have to good track record of promoting Amazon products and generating business for them. You have to show that you are able to bring new users to Amazon. If you are just starting out, and planning to add Amazon to your platform, it is unlikely that you will get approval.
- Make sure that you are following the existing Amazon guidelines and that there are no instances when Amazon has banned or closed associate account because of not adhering to the guidelines.
They will straightaway reject your application (Unless you personally know Jeff!). So, if you have a good track record on Amazon associates, you can try out the following hacks.
How to get Amazon Approval for a cashback offering? #
- Reach out to someone senior at Amazon Associate Program
You can find someone who has the authority to pass the line and let you offer cashback for your associate platform. Reach out to them via LinkedIn or email them, and share your Amazon associate track record, how long you have been doing it, how much sales you have generated, and your purpose of starting a cashback app. If they find it convincing, they will approve your application for offering cashback.
- Attend affiliate conferences
Affiliates often organize conferences and invite Amazon to them. You can visit them, and try to get into a list of people presenting their businesses(You have to be on top of your affiliate game to get there). You can then reach out to those Amazon personnel and pitch your cashback platform idea. If they find it legit, they are going to most likely approve your application.
- Find exhibitions where Amazon is presenting
Amazon also promotes its affiliate programs using various channels. You can benefit from it. You can reach out to these people in exhibitions and show your business plan and associate track record. This might help you get approval depending on who is present during the exhibition.
Apart from these, you can also follow these 6-step guide to get your cashback offerings approved.
- Complete the development of your affiliate coupon cashback website.
- Publish the website with rich content, offers, banners, and graphics for all major stores
- Promote your website/portal/app to get traction and traffic.
- Continue to promote Amazon products/services, even when you’re not able to pass on the cashback – this creates a positive impression on your Amazon associate account.
- When you reach a decent scale, contact the Amazon associate support team and convey your business model. Communicate the essence of the rebate/cashback program for the success of your cashback business relies on the Amazon program and given that, it would create a healthy relationship that is mutually beneficial.
- Give confidence to the Amazon support team. Mention that you would not indulge in policy violations or shortcuts to gain an undue advantage. Assure them you will adhere to all terms laid by Amazon.
Seems like a lot of work, huh? It’s worth putting effort into getting Amazon affiliate approval if you’re a cashback business owner.
You can use these email templates to reach out to Amazon.
Template 1:
Subject: Request for Approval to Offer Cashback on Our Platform
Dear [Amazon Contact Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I am the [Your Position] at [Your Company]. I am reaching out to request approval to offer cashback incentives for purchases made on Amazon through our platform, [Your Platform Name].
Over the past [X years/months], we have successfully driven significant sales to Amazon with [provide specific metrics or data]. We pride ourselves on adhering to Amazon’s strict guidelines and maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.
I look forward to the opportunity to discuss this further and provide any additional information you may need.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company]
[Your Contact Information]
Template 2:
Subject: Cashback Incentive Proposal for Amazon Shoppers
Dear [Amazon Contact Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I am the [Your Position] at [Your Company]. I am reaching out to seek approval for providing cashback incentives on Amazon purchases made through our platform, [Your Platform Name].
Since our launch, we have been dedicated to driving significant sales to Amazon and other platforms. Here are some key metrics that highlight our success:
- Total Sales Generated for Amazon: $[Total Sales Amount]
- Number of Active Users: [Number of Users]
- Average Monthly Sales Growth: [Percentage]
- User Retention Rate: [Percentage]
These metrics demonstrate the robust engagement and value our platform brings to Amazon. We have also consistently adhered to Amazon’s guidelines, ensuring a secure and positive experience for our users and maintaining the integrity of our partnership with Amazon.
We believe that introducing cashback offers will further enhance user satisfaction and drive even more sales to Amazon. I am happy to provide any additional information or discuss this proposal in more detail at your convenience.
Thank you for considering our request.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company]
[Your Contact Information]
Template 3
Subject: Approval Needed: Offering Cashback on Amazon via [Your Platform Name]
Dear [Amazon Contact Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I am the [Your Position] at [Your Company]. I am reaching out to request approval to offer cashback incentives for purchases made on Amazon through our platform, [Your Platform Name].
Over the past [X years/months], we have been dedicated to driving significant sales to Amazon and other platforms. To date, we have generated a total of $[Total Sales Amount] in sales for Amazon, with an impressive number of [Number of Users] active users.
Our platform has experienced an average monthly sales growth of [Percentage] and maintains a strong user retention rate of [Percentage].
These metrics demonstrate the robust engagement and value our platform brings to Amazon. We pride ourselves on adhering to Amazon’s strict guidelines and maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.
We believe that introducing cashback offers will further enhance user satisfaction and drive even more sales to Amazon. I am happy to provide any additional information or discuss this proposal in more detail at your convenience.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company]
[Your Contact Information]
Even if you have got approval, tracking cashback via Amazon is simple. It’s a manual process since they do not offer any API. You still get data in CSV format, which you have to manually verify and disburse cashback whenever confirmed.
And if you are planning to find some shortcut, we insist you don’t put effort into it, because Amazon provides a unique ID for cashback providers for every user that helps track the cashback and earnings.
For any cashback functionality implementation, it’s essential that the merchant or affiliate campaign supports at least one extra parameter/sub-id tracking along with the main transaction. This way, we can pass on the tracking parameters, click ID, and identify the user once the sale report is generated.
In the case of Amazon, the essential feature of extra parameter/sub-id tracking is disabled by default. So, it’s impossible to identify the user who has placed the order and pass on the cashback. It is dynamic and it is not possible for anyone to generate them.
If you don’t get approval, you have to keep pushing for it. You can still promote Amazon offers on your platform.
In fact, you can balance it in such a way that consider Amazon earnings as pure profit and pass on nearly 100% commission as cashback for other stores as you’re anyway going to be able to be profitable.
If you have Amazon approval and are planning to set up tracking implementation, our experts at EnactSoft can help. Connect with our consultants and we can help you implement effective tracking systems for your Amazon cashback.
With 10+ years in the affiliate industry, we are a trusted affiliate marketing software development company. We specialize in building custom affiliate marketing solutions that deliver exceptional results. We have served more than 400+ clients around the globe.
Connect with our team today, and let’s discuss your next project!
