With the news that Amazon affiliate rates have been slashed by as much as 80% with most categories dropping from a 10% commission rate to just 3%, where can businesses that relied on affiliate revenue turn to in the marketplace world?
The good news at the moment is, with Amazon restricting the flow of non-essential products into their FBA warehouses and at the same time extending delivery times for products already in FBA, consumers are already shopping elsewhere and looking for alternative marketplaces to purchase from.
eBay
eBay will be an obvious choice for attractive affiliate rates, although they too have adjusted their rates in recent years. eBay’s affiliate rates vary between 3% and 6% for most categories and as a long established program is well worth considering. With 1.4 Billion listings it is the granddaddy of all marketplaces.
On eBay the qualifying referral period stipulates that A qualifying transaction occurs when an end user:
- Makes a purchase within 24 hours after clicking your affiliate link for a “Buy It Now” item
- Places a bid on an auction within 24 hours after clicking your affiliate link and then wins that auction within 10 days
Known as the eBay Partner Network, you can sign up here.
OnBuy
OnBuy are a relative newcomer to the marketplace arena and they’ve been very aggressive in reaction to Amazon slashing affiliate rates, OnBuy are currently offering up to 8.1% rates in many categories with a 45 day referral period.
“We decided to do something drastic of our own, and raised commission across the board for the next three months to levels that have zero profit for OnBuy.com, all to support publishers who have been hurt by this damaging decision. In some categories, that means we’re now offering up to 8.1% as part of our affiliate marketing programme. With thousands of sellers offering millions of products, including quality and trusted brands, and the OnBuy Deals platform, affiliates can offer their users access to everything they could need – from toys to tech and beauty to pet supplies – at unbeatable prices.”
– Cas Paton, Founder, OnBuy
OnBuy are in the unique position of having a fast growing business and, with the Coronavirus crisis, a ready audience of consumers willing to buy anywhere they can source the items they want during the lock down. With many retailers and the entire high street shut down, consumers are still shopping and with some of the highest affiliate rates from any marketplace, now is the time to capitalise by sending traffic to OnBuy.
You can sign up for the OnBuy affiliate scheme here.
Etsy
Etsy is well known in the crafting and hand made world and are well placed to cater to the millions of consumers looking for activities to do during the lock down. Offering rates of up to 5% with a 30 day referral period, you will need to be approved to join the Etsy affiliate scheme and they don’t accept applications from cashback and voucher code sites.
You can sign up for the Etsy Affiliate Programme here.
Notonthehighstreet
The Notonthehighstreet affiliate scheme say that the marketplace offers 250,000 products by over 5,000 small creative businesses.
Their affiliate rate is stated as being ‘from 3% commission’ and they highlight their very low 2% return rate. Whilst Notonthehighstreet is relatively small in marketplace terms, from what merchants are telling us business is booming during the lock down as consumers seek gifts to show their love and care to friends and relatives that they’re unable to see in person at the moment.
You can sigh up to the Notonthehighstreet affiliate scheme here.
