Affiliate Commission Rates by Industry: Published Figures.

Affiliate commission rates by industry vary from about 1% of the sale in low-margin categories like grocery to 30% or more of recurring revenue in software, based on the rates brands and networks actually publish. Physical retail tends to pay a single-digit percentage, while SaaS and services often pay a flat bounty or a recurring share because one customer is worth far more than one order.

This guide is for brands setting or revisiting an affiliate commission. It shows only published, citable figures (as of November 2026), explains the main commission models, and walks through how to price your program from your own margins. We run affiliate programs for brands and we also publish on these networks, so we see what a rate looks like from both the payer and the earner side. If you are still choosing a platform, start with our guide to the best affiliate network for brands.

Why this table uses only published figures.

Search for average commission rates and you will find dozens of tables that disagree with each other, rarely name a source, and often repeat each other's numbers. We did not use them. Every figure below comes from a program page or help page published by the brand or platform itself, and we link each one. Where a well-known program does not publish its rate, we say so rather than fill the gap.

Networks do hold real benchmark data, but they mostly keep it inside the platform. Awin, for example, lists a Sector Benchmarking report for advertisers on advanced accounts. If you are on a network, ask your account manager for your category's benchmarks; that is better data than any public chart.

Published affiliate commission rates by vertical.

Two notes on the Amazon figures. First, these are the standard rates Amazon publishes in its Associates help center; the same table lists 0% for gift cards, alcohol and several other categories. Second, Adweek reported in 2026 that Amazon cut commissions by as much as 50% for some large publishers and removed milestone bonuses, changes Amazon did not announce publicly. Treat the table as the public schedule, not what every publisher earns.

Brands selling on Amazon can also earn from the other side. Amazon says brands in its Brand Referral Bonus program earn "a bonus averaging 10% of qualifying sales" driven from off-Amazon traffic, according to its seller blog. That bonus can fund extra commission to publishers who send traffic to your listings. Our guide to Amazon Attribution and the Brand Referral Bonus covers the setup.

CPA vs revenue share vs hybrid.

The rate is only half the decision. The model decides what you pay for and how predictable it is.

The published SaaS examples show the spread. HubSpot uses a recurring share; Semrush pays a flat amount per sale that varies by product and rises across four loyalty tiers; Shopify pays a bounty of up to $150 that varies by the referral's location. HubSpot and Semrush both run their programs on Impact, per their program pages.

New vs returning customer rates.

Most networks let you pay a different rate for a new customer than for someone who already bought from you. This is the single biggest lever on program efficiency, because coupon and loyalty sites tend to capture shoppers who were about to buy anyway. Common setups pay the full rate on new customers and a lower rate, or a flat amount, on returning ones.

To do this, your tracking has to pass a customer flag to the network, usually through your platform integration or a server-side postback. Our postback URL setup guide covers the fields. Be clear in your terms about how you decide who is new, and apply it the same way for everyone. Publishers accept a lower returning rate; they do not accept surprise reversals.

How to set your commission rate from margin.

Start from your own numbers, then sanity-check against the market. The example figures below are illustrative, not benchmarks.

Our guide on how to launch an affiliate program covers terms, recruitment and the first 90 days once your rate is set.

What publishers actually compare.

As publishers, we rarely choose a program on headline rate. A 15% commission on a page that converts at 0.5% earns less than 5% on a page that converts at 4%. What we look at:

• Earnings per click (EPC). Networks show it, and it combines rate, conversion rate and order value. It is the number most publishers sort by.
• Conversion rate and landing page. A slow site, a forced account or a surprise shipping fee kills commission.
• Cookie window and attribution. HubSpot publishes a 180-day window, Semrush 120 days, and Shopify tracks referrals for 30 days. Longer windows matter most for considered purchases.
• Reversal rate. High returns or vague "invalid order" reversals cut real earnings. Publishers notice and move links.
• Payment timing. How long sales stay pending before they lock and pay.
• Network. Joining a new network has a cost, so programs on networks a publisher already uses get tested first.
• Program management. Fast approvals, current creative, product feeds and a manager who answers.

Mistakes agencies see brands make.

• Copying a competitor's headline rate without knowing their margins or new-customer rules.
• Paying the same rate on new and returning customers, so coupon sites take a large share for little incremental value.
• Forgetting network fees when setting the rate, then finding the program over budget.
• Setting SaaS recurring commissions with no clawback for refunds or early churn.
• Reversing orders without clear terms, which drives good publishers away.
• Cutting rates suddenly. Publishers remember, and Adweek's 2026 coverage of Amazon's cuts shows how quickly they look for alternatives.

What to measure.

• Effective cost per new customer from affiliates, including network fees and bonuses.
• Share of affiliate revenue from new customers, by publisher type.
• EPC by publisher and by your program overall, compared with what your network shows for your category.
• Reversal rate and the reasons behind it.
• Incrementality where you can test it, such as holding out a coupon partner for a period and comparing orders.

If you are a smaller brand.

Under a few million in revenue, keep the structure simple: one rate on new customers, a lower rate on returning ones, and clear terms. You will usually need to pay at or above the going rate in your category to get tested, because publishers have no history with you. If you sell on Amazon, the Associates rates already apply to your listings at no cost to you, and the Brand Referral Bonus can help you fund extra commission later.

When to bring in help.

A rate is easy to set and hard to manage. Help is worth it when you run on more than one network, when coupon partners take a large share of revenue, when you need new-customer tracking wired up, or when nobody has time to recruit content publishers. See our guide to outsourced program management for what that work involves.