Australian affiliate programs have seen a ton of growth in recent years.
According to IAB Australia’s 2022 Affiliate and Marketing Partnership report, 69% of advertisers spent more on affiliate marketing in the previous 12 months, while 68% planned to increase their investment over the following year further.
Guess where a lot of that money will end up? In affiliate marketers’ pockets!
But there are no guarantees in the affiliate marketing business. To succeed, you need to find affiliate products your audience will love.
To help you out, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best Australian affiliate programs and networks. Whether you plan to promote products through social media channels, an email marketing list, your own website, or as an influencer, these options will help you make money online.
Australian Affiliate Programs & Networks
- Amazon Associates AU
- eBay Partner Network
- Etsy
- Fiverr
- Commission Factory
- Awin
- Partnerize
- CJ Affiliate
- Impact
- Rakuten Advertising
1 Amazon Associates AU
Amazon is Australia’s second-most popular ecommerce marketplace, generating over 63 million visits per month. A 2021 survey revealed that 44% of Australians made at least one purchase from Amazon in the previous 12 months.
You already know Amazon sells pretty much everything, with categories from electronics to interior decor to pantry food. As of January 2018, the number of products listed on Amazon Australia stood at 24.7 million — a number that’s almost certainly grown since then.
The company’s affiliate program is called Amazon Associates. Its commission rates vary across product categories and are regularly updated, currently ranging from just 1% on video game hardware to 12% on apparel and shoes (click here for an up-to-date list of Amazon’s Australian commission rates).
Amazon also runs frequent “bounty events” paying fixed commissions for specific actions. For instance, it’s currently offering a US$4 bounty on Amazon Prime free trials. Again, these bounty events change constantly, so check back for an up-to-date list.
As well as Amazon Associates, the ecommerce giant has a separate program for influencers with established audiences on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and/or YouTube.
Commissions are paid monthly on a NET 60 basis via bank transfer, check, or Amazon gift certificate. Both Amazon Associates and the Amazon Influencer Program have 24-hour cookie windows.
- URL: Amazon Associates AU affiliate program
- Commission rate: 1% – 12% per sale, plus bounty payments
- Cookie duration: 24 hours
- Payment methods: Bank transfer, check, Amazon gift certificate
- Products sold: Basically everything
2 eBay Partner Network
eBay is Australia’s most popular ecommerce website, even outranking the almighty Amazon. Almost two-thirds of Aussies bought at least one item from eBay in the 12 months to June 2021.
While it started as an online auction site for predominantly second-hand goods, eBay is now a full-blown ecommerce marketplace. It has 1.4 billion live product listings at any given time — 80% for new merchandise.
The company’s affiliate program is officially known as the eBay Partner Network. Like Amazon Associates, it pays varying commissions across product categories, ranging from 1% on real estate to 4% on fashion and motoring (find an up-to-date list here). It also has a 24-hour cookie window.
Bear in mind that some eBay products — such as items sold by charities or through special promos — earn eBay little or no revenue and are therefore non-commissionable.
eBay affiliate partners can leverage various tools to help them drive traffic and sales. These include regular promotional deals, detailed reporting, and category-specific creatives.
- URL: eBay Partner Network affiliate program
- Commission rate: 1% – 4% per sale
- Cookie duration: 24 hours
- Payment methods: Electronic Funds Transfer, PayPal
- Products sold: New & used B2C products
3 Etsy
Etsy is an ecommerce marketplace specializing in unique — often handcrafted — products across various categories, including clothing, home decor, jewelry, and personalized gifts.
The site is used by about 7.5 million active sellers, with Australia accounting for about 7% of all non-US Etsy merchants.
Unlike eBay and Amazon, Etsy’s affiliate marketing program pays a flat 5% commission for any sales originating from your affiliate link. It offers a 30-day cookie window, which is pretty generous for a big ecommerce marketplace.
As an Etsy affiliate partner, you can access multilingual support in English, French, Italian, Spanish, and German. Etsy’s affiliate program also offers a wealth of tools and resources, from category-specific creatives to a regular affiliate marketing newsletter.
- URL: Etsy AU affiliate program
- Commission rate: 5% per sale
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Payment methods: Check, international wire, ACH
- Products sold: Unique creative goods
4 Fiverr
Fiverr is yet another marketplace. But unlike eBay, Amazon, and Etsy, it specializes in digital products sold by a global army of freelancers, ranging from graphic design and copywriting to web development and data science.
Some Fiverr vendors even offer professional services, like architecture and interior design.
Over four million active buyers use the platform to fulfill their freelance needs. While most are smaller businesses, Fiverr attracts a handful of household names, including Facebook, Google, and Netflix.
Fiverr’s affiliate program offers various ways to earn commissions, including two distinct commission structures. Fiverr CPA offers bounty payments of US$15 – US$150 per sale, varying by product category, while Fiverr Hybrid pays a fixed US$10 CPA and 10% recurring commissions for 12 months.
Beyond that, it offers three further ways to make money online:
- Fiverr Business pays a CPA of US$100 once the referred account racks up US$100 in spend, plus 10% recurring commissions for 12 months.
- Fiverr Learn pays a flat 30% commission for online course sales.
- Fiverr Affiliate pays a 10% share of lifetime earnings from affiliates you refer.
As if that wasn’t enough, Fiverr also runs a dedicated influencer program open to affiliates with 5,000+ followers. It pays up to 100% higher commissions than “standard” Fiverr programs.
All of Fiverr’s affiliate marketing programs have 30-day cookie windows and pay commissions of under US$1,000 via Payoneer or PayPal, with a US$100 payment threshold. Balances of US$1,000+ are paid via wire transfer.
- URL: Fiverr affiliate program
- Commission rate: US$15 – US$150 CPA, or US$10 CPA + 10% RevShare
- Cookie duration: 30 days
- Payment methods: PayPal, Payoneer, wire transfer
- Products sold: Digital services
5 Commission Factory
Commission Factory is an affiliate network for advertisers and publishers in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Since September 2020, it’s been owned by Awin, another affiliate network and part of the Axel Springer and United Internet groups.
The platform is home to over 600 brands across retail, fashion, beauty, telecoms, and travel, with up to 10 new advertisers joining weekly.
All types of publishers are welcome to join Commission Factory, whether you own a website, write a blog, run a mobile app, or even manage a Facebook fan page.
Whatever promotional channel you leverage, advertisers on the network pay an average commission of 8% – 10%, although this varies across different brands and verticals.
Commissions are paid weekly via PayPal, bank transfer, check, or prepaid MasterCard in 150 currencies.
Commission Factory affiliates can leverage a wealth of promotional tools and resources, including text links, banners, coupon codes, data feeds, email templates, and premade videos.
- URL: Commission Factory affiliate network
- Payment methods: PayPal, bank transfer, check, prepaid Mastercard
- Brands: Catch, Tiger Brokers, WeightWatchers, Bathroom Warehouse, Mix & Match, Lululemon
6 Awin
Awin is a major affiliate network. As we’ve already noted, it’s part of the Axel Springer and United Internet groups, which also own two other affiliate networks — Commission Factory and ShareASale.
The Awin network has 16,500 brands on its books across various sectors, including retail, travel, telecoms, and insurance. Approximately 260 affiliates join the network daily — no doubt attracted by Awin paying out USUS$1.4 billion in commissions last year.
Awin isn’t just massive; it’s also extremely popular. The company was named Publishers’ Choice of Network at the Performance Marketing Awards 14 times in just 16 years.
As well as its standard affiliate offering, Awin operates a dedicated influencer platform for people like:
- Online magazines
- Lifestyle bloggers
- Hobbyist
- YouTubers
- Instagrammers
Influencers can access special commission models such as “payment on influence,” which pays a fixed sum whenever you’re partially involved in a sale. That means you don’t need to win the last click to earn commissions.
Awin affiliate partners can access various publisher resources, including a tool that automatically converts a regular website link into a trackable affiliate link. The network also offers dedicated local support, including advice from experts in the fashion, telecoms, travel, and influencer sectors.
- URL: Awin affiliate network
- Payment methods: BACS, international wire transfer, ACH
- Brands: MyProtein, Look Fantastic, Nike, Booking.com, Marks and Spencer
7 Partnerize
Partnerize is an affiliate network that works with hundreds of global brands across multiple verticals, including retail, travel, and financial services. It also owns Pepperjam, a separate affiliate network with a portfolio of 1,000+ retail and D2C brands.
Founded in 2010, Partnerize has generated $7 billion in sales over the past decade-and-a-bit, paying $600 million in commissions annually to its affiliate partners. Commissions are accessible within 24 hours of client authorization.
Partnerize works with a wide range of affiliate partners, from traditional content and website-based affiliates to influencers, tech partners, and even brands looking to team up with other brands.
The affiliate network employs a dedicated partnerships team who provide training, support, and growth ideas. Its brand discovery tools make it simple for affiliates to find relevant affiliate programs and apply in just a few clicks.
- URL: Partnerize affiliate network
- Payment methods: ACH, bank transfer, PayPal, wire transfer
- Brands: Adore Beauty, Wotif, Koala, THE ICONIC, PETstock
8 CJ Affiliate
CJ Affiliate is one of the world’s biggest and oldest affiliate networks, launching back in 1998. It works with a host of top advertisers, with twice as many IR500 brands using the network than its nearest competitor.
CJ pays out over US$1.8 billion in commissions yearly to affiliate partners, so there’s no shortage of earning potential here. The network reaches over a billion customers monthly and generates more than 14 billion “meaningful interactions” a year.
The affiliate sign-up process is simple, as described in our CJ Affiliate review. Once approved, you can enjoy one-click access to individual affiliate programs, allowing you to start promoting and earning fast.
Like most affiliate networks, CJ is happy to work with a range of publishers, from social media users and influencers to email marketers, bloggers, and vloggers.
The network offers various performance-boosting resources, including a tool that automatically converts an existing website URL into a special link for tracking purposes.
- URL: CJ Affiliate network
- Payment methods: Direct deposit, check, Payoneer
- Brands: GreenPan, Flippa, World Nomads, Sunglass Hut, RIMOWA
9 Impact
Impact is another of the major affiliate marketing platforms, working with 2,500+ advertisers across various niches, from beauty and fitness to travel and retail.
The company is best known as an affiliate network, but it’s also open to content creators and influencers, who are allowed to negotiate terms and choose the platforms they wish to monetize.
Impact’s advanced tracking technology allows affiliates to earn commissions from more than just sales. Whether you’re driving travel bookings, app installs, or even phone calls, there’s a payment model to fit your needs.
The platform also gives affiliate partners access to personalized discounts, allowing you to earn commissions from all sales generated via your unique coupon code. Even if a customer finds your code on a different website, you get rewarded.
- URL: Impact Radius affiliate network
- Payment methods: PayPal, direct transfer, BACS
- Brands: Virgin Australia, Dell, Sephora, Levi’s, Lancome, Cover-More, Naked Wines, Experience OZ
10 Rakuten Advertising
Rakuten is a Japanese-owned tech conglomerate that operates an affiliate network specializing in D2C, finance, retail, and travel affiliate programs.
Over 150,000 active publishers have joined the network, thanks partly to Rakuten’s network development team, which scours the web for prospective brand and affiliate partners.
The company is highly regarded in the affiliate space, winning the mThink award for top affiliate marketing network 11 years in a row based on a survey of over 25,000 advertisers, publishers, and agencies.
Rakuten’s affiliate network features matchmaking AI that helps publishers track down relevant affiliate programs. Its tech suite boasts a bunch of other smart features, including the ability to target audiences with products and services tailored to their preferences.
- URL: Rakuten Advertising affiliate network
- Payment methods: PayPal, direct deposit, check
- Brands: ASOS, boohoo, Crocs, Dyson, LEGO, Macy’s, NewEgg
How to Start Affiliate Marketing in Australia
Affiliate marketing sounds simple: identify a niche; find the best affiliate programs to promote; PROFIT!
In reality, earning a decent affiliate income is a lot more complex. Finding a profitable niche with a ready-made audience takes time and research.
And that’s before you’ve even considered which affiliate platforms are the right fit for your prospective online business. Should you build an affiliate website? Start an email newsletter? Become a social media influencer?
Frankly, we don’t have space to go into all that stuff in this article. Instead, we recommend checking out our in-depth guide on how to become an affiliate marketer, where we tell you all about choosing a niche, researching affiliate programs, and much more besides.
How To Find the Best Australian Affiliate Marketing Offers
There are two main ways to search for Australian affiliate programs that might resonate with your audience:
Research Individual Affiliate Programs
As it sounds, this approach involves trawling the internet and analyzing competitor websites to track down potential affiliate programs.
It takes time to find the right programs. On the plus side, signing up directly with advertisers allows you to build stronger relationships. It may also allow you to access more beneficial terms, such as higher commission rates and exclusive discounts.
On the other hand, you’re more likely to get scammed working with individual advertisers — but we’d like to stress that most brands and affiliate programs are totally legit.
Join Affiliate Networks
Alternatively, you can browse a vast catalog of affiliate programs by signing up with an affiliate network.
Networks like Awin, Commission Factory, and Rakuten have thousands of advertisers on their books across dozens of categories.
So it’s simply a case of clicking through relevant categories and finding programs that align with your audience’s interests.
However, every affiliate marketing network charges advertisers to use its platform, so advertisers working with network partners often pay lower commission rates.
Most affiliate networks are happy to work with a range of publishers. So whether you’re a vlogger, an influencer, a website owner, a podcaster, or a social media user, there’s a network to fit your needs.
Conclusion
There’s no shortage of high-quality Australian affiliate programs and networks just waiting to partner with you. But if you’re going to maximize your earning potential, you need to build your own website to drive traffic and conversions.
Authority Hacker can help. Over the past decade, we’ve built high-performing authority sites in dozens of niches. And we’ve also taught 11,000+ students how to do the same.
Sign up for our free training and we’ll share our wisdom on building affiliate sites that get results — including our tried-and-trusted approach to unearthing profitable hidden niches.
FAQs
Making money through affiliate marketing is 100% legal in Australia, provided the customer understands there’s a commercial relationship between the advertiser and affiliate marketer.
In other words, it must be clear to anyone interacting with your website, blog, social media account, podcast, or email newsletter that you’re receiving some kind of benefit from referrals.
To do that, you need to publish an affiliate disclosure statement. Learn what that looks like by reading our guide to affiliate disclosures.
Affiliate marketing is a popular, low-risk way for Australian website owners, influencers, and social media users to make money online.
There are thousands of affiliate programs geared toward affiliates and consumers in Australia, while affiliate networks like CJ Affiliate and Partnerize work with a vast number of Australian companies and advertisers targeting the Australian market.
Choose the right niche and affiliate programs, and it’s totally possible to earn a job-replacement income from affiliate marketing.