Should You Apply for Amazon Influencer or Amazon Associates?
If you’re just starting to look into making money through Amazon, you’ve probably run into two different program names: Amazon Associates and the Amazon Influencer Program. They sound like they might be the same thing, and honestly, the confusion is understandable. Amazon doesn’t explain the difference very clearly anywhere.
Here’s the simple version. Associates is the program almost everyone starts with. Influencer is something you can grow into, either right away if you already have a following, or later once you’ve built one. By the end of this post, you’ll know exactly which one to apply for first and what it actually takes to qualify for the other.
Start Here: Amazon Associates
Amazon Associates is the original, open affiliate program. It’s where nearly everyone begins, and it’s the program most people mean when they talk about “Amazon affiliate links.”
The Qualifications To Be An Amazon Associate
- Be 18 or older
- Have a website, blog, app, YouTube channel, or active social account with real content on it
- Fill out a tax form on file so Amazon can actually pay you
Approval is usually fast, often within a day or two. But getting approved is only step one.
Amazon gives you 180 days from your join date to make at least 3 qualifying sales. If you don’t hit that within the window, your account closes. This is the part beginners miss most often, so if you get approved, start sharing links right away rather than waiting until your content feels “ready.”
Once you’re in, you get access to a personal dashboard where you can generate a trackable link for almost any product on Amazon.
When someone clicks your link and buys within the qualifying window, you earn a commission based on that product’s category, generally somewhere between 1 and 10 percent, with most everyday categories landing around 3 to 4 percent.
What Is the Amazon Influencer Program?
The Influencer Program is a step up from Associates, built specifically for people with an active social media following. If you’re accepted, you get a few things Associates alone doesn’t give you:
- A personal Amazon Storefront, a branded shopping page where you can organize everything you recommend
- The ability to have your videos placed directly on Amazon product pages (aka Onsite), where Amazon’s own shoppers can find them, whether or not they’ve ever seen your content anywhere else
That second part is the real reason people want into the Influencer Program. It means your content can earn money from people who have never heard of you, simply because Amazon showed your video on a product page they were already browsing.
To apply, Amazon looks at your social media presence on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. They’re evaluating your follower count and how engaged your audience is, not just the raw number.
There’s no official minimum published anywhere, but in practice, somewhere around 1,000 or more engaged followers is where approval starts to become realistic. Instagram and TikTok tend to need fewer followers than Facebook to get approved.
The Terms That Trip People Up: Onsite vs. Offsite
This is the part that confuses most beginners, so let’s clear it up simply.
Offsite means your link lives somewhere off of Amazon: your blog, a Pinterest pin, a YouTube description, a social media bio. Someone clicks your link from wherever you shared it, gets sent to Amazon, and buys. This is the classic way affiliate links work, and it’s what Associates is built for.
Onsite means your content lives directly on Amazon itself, specifically on a product page. Someone is already browsing that product on Amazon, sees your video, and buys after watching it. This only happens through the Influencer Program.
Here’s the important part: Associates and offsite are often talked about like they’re the same thing, and Influencer and onsite are often talked about the same way, but that’s not technically accurate.
The Influencer Program includes both.
Once you’re accepted as an Influencer, you can still share your links offsite exactly like an Associate does, blog, Pinterest, social bios, all of it, and you can also earn onsite through your product page placements. Associates on its own only covers the offsite side.
So if you hear someone use “Associates” and “offsite” interchangeably, or “Influencer” and “onsite” interchangeably, know that they’re using shorthand. Technically, Influencer members get access to both earning methods, while Associates members only have access to one.
If You Start With Associates, How Do You Qualify for Influencer Later?
Most beginners start here, and that’s the right move if you don’t have an established following yet. Here’s what actually moves you toward Influencer eligibility:
- Hit your 3 qualifying sales within 180 days. This keeps your Associates account active and is also the first real step toward being considered for onsite placement later.
- Keep building original content. Amazon wants to see real commentary, reviews, or demonstrations, not just product photos or clips pulled from elsewhere.
- Grow your following and engagement on at least one platform, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, since Amazon looks at this when evaluating Influencer applications.
- Apply once you have some traction. If you’re rejected, it’s not permanent. Keep creating and reapply after a few months. Plenty of creators get approved on a second or third try.
If You Qualify for Influencer Without Ever Joining Associates
If you already have a solid social following, you might be able to apply directly to the Influencer Program without going through Associates first. If that’s you, it’s worth knowing that Associates is technically still part of what you’re doing. Being an Influencer means you’re automatically also an Associate.
You’ll have full access to the same offsite link tools Associates members use, in addition to your onsite earning potential. You’re just getting both from the start instead of building up to it.
A Quick Note on Extra Earning Opportunities
Once you’re in the Influencer Program, a couple of additional earning opportunities open up: Creator Connections and Creator Rewards.
Both let you earn beyond standard commissions on certain products or campaigns. We’ll cover exactly how those work in a separate post, but know they exist as something to look forward to once you’re established as an Influencer.
So Which One Should You Apply For?
If you don’t have an established social media following yet, apply for Amazon Associates first.
It’s accessible to almost anyone, approval is quick, and you can start earning through offsite links on your blog, Pinterest, or wherever you already share content. Working toward your first 3 qualifying sales is your immediate goal.
If you already have engaged followers on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, you can apply directly to the Influencer Program and get access to both offsite and onsite earning.
Either way, you’re working toward the same destination. Associates is where everyone starts or where everyone technically lives underneath the surface, and Influencer is the upgrade that adds onsite earning on top of it.
RELATED POSTS
- Amazon Influencers Now Earn More With Onsite Content
- How Amazon Influencers Get Approved for Onsite Placement
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the main difference between Amazon Associates and the Amazon Influencer Program?
Associates gives you offsite link tools available to almost anyone. Influencer includes those same offsite tools plus the ability to earn onsite, through videos placed directly on Amazon product pages.
Do I need a following to join Amazon Associates?
No. Associates is open to anyone 18 or older with a website, blog, app, YouTube channel, or active social account and real content.
Do I need a following to join the Influencer Program?
Yes, in practice. Amazon evaluates your follower count and engagement, and while there’s no official published minimum, roughly 1,000 or more engaged followers is where approval becomes realistic.
If I start with Associates, can I still become an Influencer later?
Yes. Hitting your qualifying sales, building original content, and growing an engaged following on at least one platform are the main things that move you toward Influencer eligibility.
Is Associates still relevant once I become an Influencer?
Yes. Every Influencer is automatically also an Associate. Your offsite link tools work the same way they always did, onsite earning is simply added on top.
What are Creator Connections and Creator Rewards?
These are extra earning opportunities available to Influencer Program members, on top of standard commissions. We’ll cover the details in a separate post.
