Brand Referral Bonus: Boost Traffic and Increase Your Earnings
Looking for a way to stretch your marketing dollars further? With Amazon’s Brand Referral Bonus program, you can not only bring in more traffic but also earn an average of 10% bonus on qualifying sales when directing customers from search engines, social platforms, or other external channels to your Amazon listings.
What is the Amazon Brand Referral Bonus?
The Brand Referral Bonus program rewards sellers who bring shoppers to Amazon from outside the platform. By running non-Amazon ads—such as social media promotions, Google search campaigns, email marketing, or display ads—you can accumulate bonus credits. These credits are then applied toward your referral fees on future sales, helping lower your overall costs.
Keep in mind, the bonus doesn’t apply to Amazon’s own ad formats (like Sponsored Ads or Sponsored Brands). Instead, it’s designed to help you get more value from your off-Amazon advertising efforts.
How the Bonus is Calculated
Your bonus depends on product type, selling price, and a few other variables. Different categories come with different estimated rates. For example, apparel typically earns around 11%, while furniture offers 10% on sales up to $200 and 7% on any amount over $200.
Other factors such as shipping charges, gift wrap, returns, or cancellations can also affect your final credit. Generally, bonuses are credited about two months after the sale, giving time for any returns or order adjustments.
Here’s a quick example: If you sell a $100 backpack with a 14% referral fee, driving the sale through a tagged campaign might earn you a 7% credit. That credit reduces the effective referral fee, boosting your profit margin from $86 to $93.
Step 1: Enroll and Confirm Eligibility
To participate, you’ll need to be a brand owner in Amazon’s US store with a Professional selling plan and enrollment in Amazon Brand Registry. If you don’t already have a trademark, Amazon’s IP Accelerator can help you secure one faster.
Not a brand owner? You can still explore Amazon Associates, which allows you to earn commissions—up to 10%—by promoting products and driving sales through your links.
Step 2: Launch Campaigns and Drive Traffic
Once enrolled, the next step is creating campaigns with Amazon Attribution. This tool provides unique tracking tags that let you measure traffic and conversions from your non-Amazon ads.
Whether you’re advertising on Instagram, running Google search ads, or sending out promotional emails, you’ll paste your unique Attribution tag into the destination URL. Each ad or clickable element should have its own tag, ensuring accurate tracking.
These tags can link directly to a product detail page or to your Amazon Storefront. Once tagged, your campaigns start generating data and qualifying for referral bonuses.
Step 3: Track, Measure, and Earn Credits
With Amazon Attribution, you’ll get access to analytics showing clicks, detail page visits, and sales performance. As sales accumulate, so do your bonus credits, which appear in Seller Central.
For example, if you earned a 7% bonus on a $100 backpack in July, you might see $7 credited in September. That bonus could offset a future referral fee—whether fully covering a $7 fee or splitting across smaller fees on multiple sales.
Maximize Your Marketing Impact with Brand Referral Bonus
The Brand Referral Bonus isn’t just about lowering costs—it’s also about making smarter marketing decisions. By using Attribution insights, you can identify which campaigns bring the most traffic and conversions, then fine-tune your strategy accordingly.
If you’re launching a new product or trying to lift a slow seller, external campaigns with Attribution tags can give your listings an extra push. Over time, testing and optimizing based on performance data will help you maximize results and grow sales efficiently.
With the Brand Referral Bonus, every click you drive from outside Amazon business becomes more valuable. Use it to strengthen your campaigns, increase discoverability, and enjoy a healthier bottom line.
