Amazon is apparently increasing affiliate commissions – not on paper, but in practice – by matching indirect rates (usually 1%) to direct rates (usually 3 to 6%).
Google takes it all?
Why the sudden generosity from Amazon?
Because Google is coming for ’em!
Exhibit A:
“Shop with AI Mode, use AI to buy and try clothes on yourself virtually”
https://blog.google/products/shopping/google-shopping-ai-mode-virtual-try-on-update/
Let’s rewind.
In 2023, Google’s HCU (Helpful Content Update) wiped out independent websites (like mine). I wrote about thet here (a year ago – the soft version) and here (more recently, and more bluntly).
Then, in 2025, Google came for the medium-sized businesses and corporations. Source:
“Google Is Burying the Web Alive”
https://web.archive.org/web/20250528033233/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/google-ai-mode-search-results-bury-the-web.html
So Amazon’s move smells like panic. Too little, too late.
What does this actually mean?
For small creators and publishers?
Nothing.
Two megacorps are playing chess. The rest of us are pawns that get swept off the board – whoever wins.
Had Amazon made this change before 2023 (before Google killed the open Internet), it would have mattered.
Now? Two times a zero is still a zero.
So yeah – you almost read an article from a rich guy. LOL. 🙂
P.S. The letter from Amazon
Here is the letter I got from Amazon:
Dear Relja Novovic,
Great news, from 2nd June 2025 we are simplifying our commission rates and giving Creators the chance to earn more. How? By matching our indirect rates with our direct rates.
Direct and indirect rates explained
Direct rates are paid when you link directly to a product page and your audience buys that product or a product in the same category, or when you link to your storefront (Amazon Influencer Program only).
Indirect rates are paid when you link to a product page and your audience purchases something else in a different category, or when they purchase something through a link to a page with many products, like deals pages or category pages.How this impacts your earnings
We are aligning direct and indirect commission rates, and changing some of our category rates to make your commission structure more straight-forward. This means that some category rates will go up and some will go down.
Example 1: If your beauty category commission rate is 6% and you link to a specific product, you’ll now get 6% if your audience buys that product, and 6% if your audience buys another product in the beauty category, as before. If your audience goes on to buy a product in another category, you will receive the commission rate for that category, instead of 1% previously for indirect purchases.
Example 2: If you link towards other pages than product pages and your storefront, (e.g. Prime Day page, category page, brand store etc…), you will earn based on the category of the purchased products instead of 1% previously for indirect purchases.
Based on your previous performance, we expect these changes to positively impact your earnings, especially if you optimise your strategy to take advantage of the new commission rates.
Preview your new rate card here.
Earn more with these 4 simple strategies
Mix up the type of links you share; product, deal, category and Storefront
If you’re an influencer, encourage browsing by creating collages and curated Idea Lists.
Take advantage of your monthly personalised bonus targets (subject to availability and opt-in, check your eligibility here)
Maximise seasonal and high traffic shopping periods and deals events like Prime Day, Mother’s Day, Black Friday and Back to School.
Final thoughts
Though I hope they aren’t truly final. 🙂
Will this change help anyone?
Maybe. If you’re a big “influencer” pushing random junk during shopping festivals.
For the rest of us – people who built useful, honest websites – it’s like getting a lifeline after being thrown off a cliff two years ago.
Thanks… I guess?
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