Affiliate Networks Guide

This section covers the list of affiliate networks with brief coverage of their commission rates, payouts and cookie periods, which I thought would be helpful for aspiring affiliate marketers who are just starting out and even some experienced ones.

But before that, If you are a newbie and are confused about affiliate networks and affiliate programs, the short explanation is affiliate networks are a platform that manages the connection between the publishers and the merchants, where the merchants showcase their products and the publisher promotes them.

The role of an affiliate network is to manage the affiliate programs of various merchants which includes managing affiliate links, tracking cookies and fulfilling the payouts from the merchants to the affiliates. They act as a middleman that manages all the relationships between the merchant and the publisher.

Now, let’s move on to the actual purpose of this page, which is the affiliate networks list itself. And by the way, some of the links below in the description might contain affiliate links and I might get paid a commission if you join through them.

ShareAsale

Share A sale home page
Image Source: ShareAsale

Acquired by Awin (Affiliate Window) in 2017 ShareASale boasts about 16550+ merchants in their network with big named partners like Reward Style, Etsy, Groupon and Buzzfeed.

They have been in the business for 20 years and even after being acquired by Awin they still work as a different entity with their own branding and website.

  • Product types – They have a vast collection of products from different merchants. You can find digital as well as physical products covering different niches.
  • Average commission – The average commission varies according to the partner merchants available on the platform.
  • Cookie duration – The cookie duration also varies from merchant to merchant, most available ones are from 30 days to a maximum of 120 days.
  • Payout method – Payments are made through cheque or direct bank transfer and it’s paid out every 30 days. the minimum threshold is $50 but it can be raised according to the terms of the affiliate.

Impact radius

Impact home page image
Image Source: Impact.com

Impact radius was established in 2008 and it is one of the best affiliate networks with big brands like Walmart, Adidas, Uber, McFree, Microsoft, Lenovo, and Lewis under their network of merchants.

  • Product types – With the vast array of merchant partners in their network, their product types also vary in different categories. From digital to physical every type of product can be found there.
  • Average commission – The commission is mostly in percentage and varies from different merchants and their products.
  • Cookie duration – Being a network to connect merchants and affiliates, the cookie duration also varies from merchant to merchant.
  • Payout method – PayPal, Wire Transfer, Direct deposit and ACH transfer and the payout period is 30 days with a requirement of a minimum $25 threshold.

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CJ Affiliate

Cj affiliate home page image
Image Source: CJ.com

One of the biggest affiliate networks formerly known as Commission Junction, CJ.com has about 3800+ merchants in its network.

They are also home to big brand partners like Barnes&Noble, Blue Apron, Overstock, and Office Depot.

  • Product types – Different categories of products can be found here according to your niche whether it’s physical or digital.
  • Average commission – They have an average commission of 20% to 35% according to different products.
  • Cookie duration – The cookie duration is the same as the others listed above, it differs from merchant to merchant.
  • Payout method – The payout is made every 20 days at the end of the month. The minimum threshold is $50 through bank transfer or $100 if the payment method is selected through cheque.

Rakuten Advertising

Rakuten home page image
Image Source: Rakuten Advertising

Rakuten Advertising is one of the oldest publishers and merchant networks which dates back to 1996. They have a wide array of partner merchants like Udemy, Microsoft, Virgin holidays, Jet Blues vacation, and Wondershare.

  • Product types – They have a large collection of product categories from different merchants, Digital and Physical that can cover most of the niches.
  • Average commission – It differs from merchant to merchant and their products mostly range between 5% to 10%.
  • Cookie period – As usual the cookie period depends on different merchants’ standards.
  • Payout method – They payout a little late which is in a 60 days period. The minimum threshold is $50 and the methods could be Cheque, PayPal or a direct bank transfer.

Amazon Associates

Amazon associates home page screenshot
Image Source: Amazon Associates

Amazon Associates is an affiliate program from the Amazon eCommerce marketplace, it might be the biggest affiliate program of all.

And you might also have already purchased some products from the platform itself, so why not start promoting some?

  • Product types – Mostly physical products, Ebooks might only be digital ones.
  • Average commission – The commission ranges from 1% to 10% on various products.
  • Cookie duration – The Cookie duration is 24 hours, but the advantage is, that it isn’t necessary that your referred person should buy the same product that they clicked.
  • Payout method – The minimum threshold is $10 and they payout to their affiliates every 30 days.

eBay partner network Inc

eBay partner network home page screenshot
Image Source: eBay Partner Network Inc

Just like Amazon, eBay Partner Network also has a large category of products in its inventory. Their eCommerce listing is estimated to be 1.1 billion-plus.

  • Product types – Most of their products are eCommerce oriented and are physical in nature.
  • Average commission – The commission rates are 1% to 5% on average which differs according to the product categories.
  • Cookie period – The cookie remains for 24 hours
  • Payout method – The minimum threshold is $10 and they make payments through direct deposit or through PayPal.

ClickBank

ClickBank home page screenshot
Image Source: ClickBank

ClickBank is an e-commerce platform and an affiliate marketplace mostly known for its digital products.

It has over six million clients worldwide and operates in 200 countries. and They have completed about $4 billion in payments to date according to their website.

  • Product types – The ClickBank marketplace has vast categories of products which includes both physical and digital. But it’s mostly famous for its digital products like software.
  • Average commission – Their commission rates range from 30% to even 90% of the products.
  • Cookie period – The cookie period is 60 days
  • Payout method – The payment threshold is $100 by default however it can be set to $10 and to a maximum of $1000000. And it’s paid out on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

Digistore24

Digistore24 home page screenshot
Image Source: Digistore24

Digistore24 is somewhat similar to ClickBank but it’s smaller. It mostly consists of digital products. It has about 44+ niches and around 8000+ products to choose from.

  • Product types – Software, Events, Courses, Physical products.
  • Average commission – The average commission ranges from 30% to 70% on various products.
  • Cookie duration – The cookie stays for 180 days.
  • Payout method – The minimum threshold is $50. They pay it through Bank transfer and PayPal on a weekly, bi-weekly and monthly basis.

JVzoo

JVzoo homepage screenshot
Image Source: JVzoo

Jvzoo has been in business since 2011 and has a product from 5000+ merchants and an active affiliate of around 8000000 in number.

  • Product types – The marketplace consists of digital products and physical products as well.
  • Average commission – The commission depends on the vendors and is mostly in between 30% to 70% per product and some vendors also offer recurring commissions.
  • Cookie duration – They have a “last cookie gets the sale model” on their cookies. This means You are automatically cookies for all of that vendor’s products until the customer clicks on a new link and a new cookie is set.
  • Payout method – JVzoo has many different payout methods with the most common ones being PayPal, Payoneer, and direct deposit via JVzoo pay.

Avangate Affiliate Network

Avangate affiliate network homepage screenshot
Image Source: Avangate Affiliate Network

If you are a niche mostly concentrated on digital products and software, Avangate Affiliate Network might be the right choice for you.

They have big named merchants like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Malware bytes, and IObit in their network.

  • Product types – Digital products, digital goods and software.
  • Average commission – The commission rates range from 20% to 60% on most products.
  • Cookie period – The cookie period also ranges from 30 days to 180 days depending on different merchants.
  • Payout method – The minimum threshold for the payout is $100 and is paid out on a monthly basis. Affiliates can opt for payment via PayPal, wire transfer, Payoneer or a discount generation.

The list doesn’t end here, I’ll be adding more to the list whenever I come across some and get familiar with them.

And if you are looking for affiliate programs directly, I have arranged a list of awesome affiliate programs too. You can find the list here.

And if you didn’t know, displaying ads on your website can also be a great option to monetize your website. Here’s one of my posts containing the best ad networks for new bloggers.

Lastly, you can also check out my recommended tools page where I shared the tools and services that I personally use and recommend to anyone interested in starting an online business.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Affiliate networks are websites that connect affiliate programs with affiliates. They allow affiliates to find programs that fit their niche and give them access to program statistics, payment options, and other tools they need to succeed.

Affiliate networks work by tracking referrals from affiliates and paying them a commission for each lead or sale they generate. Affiliate networks also provide merchants with access to a wider range of affiliates, which can help them reach a larger audience.

Affiliate networks offer several benefits, including:

  • Access to a wider range of affiliates than would be possible without a network.
  • Affiliates can be screened and monitored for quality.
  • Affiliate networks provide merchants with access to tools and resources that can help them run their affiliate programs more effectively.
  • Affiliate networks can help to build trust between merchants and affiliates.

Affiliate networks can have some drawbacks, including:

  • Affiliate networks may require merchants to meet certain criteria.
  • Affiliate networks can be slow to approve new affiliates.
  • Affiliate networks can be difficult to navigate.
  • Some affiliate networks might not be available to access for some regions.

Merchants can also find affiliate programs by contacting affiliates directly or by searching for affiliate directories.

When choosing an affiliate network, merchants should consider:

  • The cost of joining the network.
  • The types of affiliates the network includes.
  • The network’s reputation.
  • The range of features and resources the network offers.
  • How easy the network is to use.

To join an affiliate network, merchants must first create an account and then complete an application. After being accepted into the network, merchants will be able to access the network’s directory of affiliates.