Amazon affiliate (Amazon Associates) from Lithuania: commissions, rules and payouts

Amazon Associates is the world's largest affiliate programme and the first one most beginners try. “Amazon affiliate” is searched for about 200 times a month in Lithuania, even though there is no Lithuanian Amazon store. You can join from Lithuania, but before doing so it is worth knowing a few rules because of which the first months often end in disappointment.

This article contains only what is written on the official Amazon Associates pages: commission rates, how long a click is valid, when an account is closed, how to receive money in a Lithuanian account and what the tax form is for.

Which programme to sign up to

Amazon Associates is not a single programme. Each Amazon site – the US, German, United Kingdom, French, Italian, Spanish and others – has a separate programme, a separate account and separate links. A link to amazon.com will not earn a commission if the person buys on amazon.de.

So the first question is not “how to sign up” but “where does my audience buy”:

• You write in Lithuanian for readers in Lithuania. They mostly buy from European sites, because delivery from there is simpler. It makes most sense to start with the German programme.
• You write in English for an international audience. Then the US programme makes sense, and later others too.
• The audience is mixed. You can have several accounts, but each has its own rules and its own minimum sales.

It is important to understand the limit: for a Lithuanian audience Amazon is not a usual store. A person has to buy on a foreign site, pay for delivery from another country and sometimes wait longer. This lowers the likelihood that after clicking the link they will actually buy.

Commissions by category

The commission is calculated on the product price and depends on the category. Below are the standard rates of the US programme from the official Amazon page. The European programmes have their own tables, so before planning open the commission page of the country where you are signing up.

What this means in money: if you recommend a book worth 30 euros, the commission will be about 1.35 euros. If you recommend a 600-euro television – 12 euros. These are examples for calculation, not a promise: Amazon changes the rates and does so without a separate agreement with the affiliate.

The 24-hour rule

The Amazon cookie is short. Under the programme rules a session begins when your link is clicked and ends when the first of three things happens:

1. 24 hours pass;
2. the buyer places an order;
3. the buyer clicks another affiliate's link.

There is one exception. If within those 24 hours the person adds a product to the basket, the commission is credited even when they complete the order later – but no later than 89 days from the first click.

The good news is that a commission is paid on everything the person buys during the session, not only on the product you recommended. The bad news is that most people do not buy expensive things on the same day they read about them.

Three sales within 180 days

After you sign up, the account is not yet finally approved. The Amazon help page states: once you refer three qualifying sales, the application is reviewed within a day or two. If there are not enough qualifying sales within 180 days of submitting the application, the application may be withdrawn.

The practical conclusion: it is worth signing up once you already have a page or channel with visitors. If you sign up “in advance”, the 180-day clock starts ticking for nothing.

The mandatory statement

The programme agreement requires you to state clearly and visibly that you earn from the links. The official wording in English is “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases”. In Lithuania the general requirement to label advertising applies in addition: next to the post or link it must be clear that it is an affiliate link.

The same agreement prohibits announcing the cooperation as if Amazon sponsored or endorsed you. You cannot write “official Amazon partner” as a mark of quality.

How and when the money is received

International payouts by transfer work when taking part in the US, United Kingdom, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Canadian programmes. The currency is converted at the exchange rate on the day of payout. A cheque is not worth choosing: the minimum amount is ten times higher, and in Lithuania it still has to be cashed.

The W-8BEN tax form

The US programme asks you to complete a tax questionnaire before the first payout. Amazon explains why: the US tax authority requires up to 30 % to be withheld from the commissions of non-US affiliates, unless the affiliate submits a completed W-8BEN form and validly relies on a double taxation treaty. The questionnaire is completed in the account, in the section on tax information.

This form does not replace taxes in Lithuania. Commissions are your income, which has to be declared here. If the affiliate activity is ongoing, it has to be made official – which form of activity suits you is explained in the ACS.lt article “Self-employment: registration certificate or business certificate”.

Is it worth starting with Amazon

For a Lithuanian audience the programmes of local sellers often work better: the buyer does not have to switch stores, and the cookie is usually valid not for 24 hours but for several weeks.

Frequently asked questions