Amazon Associates India pays a percentage of each qualifying purchase made within 24 hours of a click on your link: 8% on beauty, 7.5% on apparel and watches, 1% on mobile phones and 5% on uncategorised items. Every iPhone model pays 0%, and Amazon pays about 60 days after the month ends once you're owed at least 1000 rupees.
Amazon's Indian affiliate programme is the default choice for a lot of creators, and it's a good one if you understand where the money is. The catch is that the categories people most want to promote, phones and gadgets, pay the least. Here's what Amazon's own fee schedule says for the current October to November period.
The commission table, straight from Amazon
| Category | Fixed advertising rate |
|---|---|
| Beauty, Luxury Beauty | 8% |
| Apparel and Accessories, Luggage and Bags, Watches | 7.5% |
| Jewelry, Shoes and Handbags | 7% |
| Automotive, Baby, Books, Personal Care Appliances, Sports and Fitness | 4.72% |
| Home, Home Improvement, Office Products | 4.25% |
| Furniture, Health and Personal Care, Kitchen and Dining, Pet Supplies | 4% |
| Wireless Accessories | 3.4% |
| Electronics, Lawn and Garden, Video Games | 2.80% |
| Computers, Home Entertainment, Large Appliances | 2.45% |
| Mobile Phones | 1% |
| All other categories | 5% |
Amazon labels these rates by month, so check the schedule before a big campaign. They change.
The 0% phones nobody mentions
Here's the line that catches tech creators out. Under the separate phone table, all iPhone models pay 0%. So do many named Samsung, Redmi, OnePlus, Vivo, Oppo, Realme, Motorola razr, Nokia and other models. If your channel reviews phones and you're pasting Amazon links, a lot of those sales may earn you nothing at all. Check the model list in the fee schedule before you build content around it.
Five product types earn no fee whatever the price: flight bookings and gift cards, gaming consoles and hardware, Prime Membership, Kindle eBooks, and gold and silver coins.
What that looks like on real sales
| Sale | Rate | Your fee (my own sums) |
|---|---|---|
| A 2,000 rupees beauty order | 8% | 160 rupees |
| A 2,000 rupees kitchen order | 4% | 80 rupees |
| A 20,000 rupees Android phone on the 1% list | 1% | 200 rupees |
| A 20,000 rupees phone on the 0% list, or any iPhone | 0% | Nothing |
The rate is applied to what Amazon calls Qualifying Revenues, which leave out shipping, gift-wrapping, taxes and returns, so your real fee can be a little below these simple sums. The pattern still holds: one mid-priced beauty or fashion order can match a phone sale that took ten times as much persuading.
Bounties: the fixed payments
Some actions pay a flat bounty rather than a percentage. Amazon's table lists, for example, 100 rupees for a Prime paid membership sign-up, 150 rupees for an Audible free trial, 200 rupees for an Amazon Business registration and 400 rupees when someone completes a GST validated Sell on Amazon registration. For a creator with a student or small business audience, these can outperform product links.
The 24 hour window
A sale only counts if it happens inside a Session. Amazon's agreement says a Session starts when someone clicks your link and ends at whichever comes first: 24 hours passing, the customer placing an order, or the customer clicking someone else's Amazon link. Items added to the cart after the 24 hours don't qualify, even if they came from your link originally.
That's why deal and launch-day content works so well on Amazon: people buy while the link is fresh.
When and how you're paid
- Fees are worked out monthly on purchases shipped, streamed or downloaded in that month.
- Amazon pays approximately 60 days after the end of each calendar month.
- For bank (NEFT) transfers, Amazon can hold your fees until you're owed at least 1000 rupees.
- The fee is inclusive of taxes including GST, and the agreement puts invoicing and GST compliance on you where they apply.
Read that last point twice if you're growing. The agreement says you'll raise valid invoices and stay GST compliant under the law that applies to you. Talk to a tax adviser once your affiliate income becomes regular.
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Getting accepted
- Apply with your website, YouTube channel or social account named in the application.
- Amazon evaluates it and can reject a site it considers unsuitable. If that happens you can reapply at any time.
- Once accepted, build Special Links from the Associates dashboard and disclose them on your content.
- Keep your traffic clean. Amazon can terminate the agreement at any time with written notice.
If you've got a strong social presence, look at the Amazon Influencer Program too. Amazon describes it as a country specific part of the Associates Program that gives you an influencer page on Amazon itself.
Where Amazon India makes sense
Promote beauty, fashion, home and kitchen, where the rates are highest, and use phones and electronics for audience building rather than income. If you're new to affiliate income, my explainer on how affiliate programmes work and my commission structure cheat sheet will help you compare it with other programmes.
My verdict
Amazon Associates India is worth having, but don't build a phone review channel on it expecting commission. Pick categories at 4% and above, lean on the bounties, and plan your content around the 24 hour window. Then check the fee schedule every couple of months, because the table you read today has a date on it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Amazon Associates India pay?
It depends on the category: from 8% on beauty and 7.5% on apparel and watches down to 1% on mobile phones, with 5% for categories not listed. Some products pay nothing.
Do iPhones earn commission on Amazon India?
No. Amazon's fee schedule lists all iPhone models at 0%, along with many named models from other brands.
When does Amazon Associates India pay?
About 60 days after the end of each calendar month, and it can hold payment until you're owed at least 1000 rupees for NEFT transfers.
How long does the Amazon affiliate cookie last in India?
A Session ends 24 hours after the click, when the customer orders, or when they click another associate's link, whichever comes first.
Can I join Amazon Associates India with just Instagram or YouTube?
You apply with the site or channel you'll promote on. Amazon reviews each application and can reject sites it finds unsuitable, but you can reapply.
