The eBay affiliate program is an easy way for bloggers, vloggers, and content creators to earn passive income by linking their audience to products on eBay.
Becoming an affiliate for eBay might sound daunting.
Don’t fret; this guide will show you how easy the process is and start you on your journey of earning from affiliate links.
Ready to get started learning tips for success based on expert advice, how the eBay affiliate program works, how much you can earn, and more? Let’s dive in!
Below is a quick overview of the eBay affiliate program:
The eBay affiliate program, known as the eBay Partner Network (EPN), allows content creators to earn commissions by promoting eBay products through unique affiliate links.
When someone clicks on one of these links and makes a purchase on eBay—whether it’s the exact product linked or anything else within 24 hours—the affiliate earns a small commission based on the product category.
Signing up for the eBay affiliate program is free, with no hidden fees, making it a great way for bloggers and content creators to earn passive income while driving traffic to eBay’s marketplace.
You can promote any product on the eBay store with the affiliate program.
Each category has a different commission percentage value and commission cap.
We’ll explain the most popular product categories in detail below.
Electronics are popular products to promote with an affiliate program since they’re typically higher-value items.
Electronics have two subcategories.
Items like cameras and photo equipment, TVs, cell phones and accessories, video and audio, video games, and consoles earn a 2% commission with a capped commission of $550.
Computers, tablets, and networking products earn a 1.5% commission with a capped commission of $550.
eBay is one of the best websites for niche products like collectibles.
The eBay affiliate program pays a 3% commission (capped at $550) for items like entertainment memorabilia, coins, pottery, art, antiques, crafts, stamps, toys, and miscellaneous collectibles.
Vintage fashion is another top seller on eBay.
Affiliates promoting fashion products like clothing, accessories, shoes, jewelry, and health and beauty products earn a 4% commission capped at $550.
Lifestyle products earn affiliates a 3% commission with a capped commission of $550 for items like musical instruments, event tickets, gift cards, coupons, and other miscellaneous lifestyle products.
The home and garden category encompasses many valuable products that earn affiliates a 3% commission with a capped commission of $550 for items like appliances, pet supplies, baby products, alcohol and food, and miscellaneous home and garden things.
The above product categories cover a broad umbrella of products.
Still, eBay also pays affiliates a commission for promoting categories like parts and accessories, real estate, industrial products, books, comics, music, and magazines.
None. All products on eBay offer a commission if the item is purchased within the 24-hour window of clicking an affiliate link.
Even if the buyer doesn’t buy the suggested product from the link, but still makes a purchase on eBay, the eBay affiliate still earns a commission.
Find profitable keywords and topics to scale your niche site.
Amazing Discover untapped niches & topic clusters.
Strong Pay once, and access forever.
Powerful data-driven insights to grow your affiliate income.fit
Search, filter, and choose the best affiliate program and niche.
A Done-For-You Research Solution.
Find low-competition, high-traffic niches.
Quickly analyze the landscape for any niche.
Best in class ANC
While eBay isn’t considered one of the most high-paying affiliate programs, eBay affiliates can make some good money over the long term.
The amount eBay affiliates make depends on their linking strategies, the audience following, and the types of products compatible with their website niche.
An eBay affiliate makes a small commission based on eBay’s revenue from selling the item.
The commission structure is different depending on the product type.
For example, collectibles have a 3% commission with a cap of $550.
If you link a product worth $100 and 33 people click the link and make a purchase, you’ll make around $100. If that link leads to 334 purchases, you’re looking at around $1,000 in commission.
eBay commissions are capped at a maximum amount per item, usually at $550.
With a 3% commission, a collectible item that sells for the price of ~$17,500 will almost reach the cap.
So, if your website generates hundreds of thousands of engaged viewers, the likelihood of making between $100 to $1,000 a day as an eBay affiliate is very likely.
If your content is underperforming, affiliate links may not get you rich quickly.
However, they can still help generate a small passive income as you continue to grow your online business
Plus, affiliate links count as backlinks and are a valuable tool for boosting your website’s SEO.
Commission rates for the eBay affiliate program, or EPN, vary based on the product type.
The highest paying commission percentages are for fashion and eBay motors, with a commission of 4%.
However, eBay motors have a capped commission of $100, while fashion has a capped commission of $550.
Next, you’ll find collectibles, home and garden, lifestyle, media, and vehicle parts and accessories with a commission of 3%.
These product categories all have a capped commission of $550.
Business and industrial products earn a commission of 2.5%, capped at $250.
Electronics range from a 2% to 1.5% commission based on the type of electronic device. Both categories have a commission cap of $550.
You can even sell real estate on eBay.
However, with a 1% commission rate capped at $100, you will not likely be featured on Selling Sunset.
The eBay cookie lasts 24 hours from when someone clicks on your affiliate link.
This means that anyone who makes a purchase from eBay within 24 hours of clicking your link will earn you a commission.
Most affiliate programs pay commission based on something called last-click-attribution.
Last-click-attribution means that if someone clicks your affiliate link but then clicks on another blogger’s eBay affiliate link, you would not receive the commission for the purchase.
eBay pays its affiliates on the 10th of each month for commissions earned in the previous month. Payments are sent via electronic transfer to the affiliate's bank or PayPal account.
To receive payments, affiliates fill out an easy form with details like bank country, account name, and routing number.
eBay offers an autopay option, so once affiliates reach a minimum threshold of $10, payments are automatically processed.
A 2% processing fee, capped at $20, applies if using PayPal.
eBay is a trusted and well-known name in the eCommerce world with a low payment threshold, so it’s well worth it to sign up for the eBay affiliate program and include links to products in your content.
eBay has staff on hand to help solve customer service issues and a platform that tracks metrics like earnings, conversion rates, and the number of impressions.
That said, visitors only have 24 hours to make a purchase for you to be rewarded for your linking efforts.
At the same time, eBay pays low commission rates and caps your earnings. Making it not one of the best affiliate programs out there.
Joining the eBay affiliate program has its advantages. These include:
As with any affiliate program, there are some downsides to joining forces with eBay. These include:
The eBay affiliate program is worth it for content creators who sell niche products online.
While the commission rates are capped and lower than other programs, the eBay affiliate program is still an excellent way to earn passive income, track progress, and access customer service support.
eBay has a massive selection of products, many of which aren’t available (or as widely available) on other eCommerce platforms.
You can better align product recommendations within your niche with many products at your fingertips.
Interested? Don't wait - join the program today
Joining the eBay Partner Network is a simple process of filling out business information and bank or Paypal details.
Below we’ll cover all the requirements to consider and a step-by-step tutorial for signing up.
To join the eBay affiliate program, you need:
After being accepted, you must adhere to the terms and conditions of the EPN guidelines.
Domain-parking, typo-squatting, and cookie-surfing are against the affiliate program’s guidelines and will result in your removal from the program.
For transparency, anyone using the eBay affiliate program must clarify to readers that their site will earn a commission when visitors click on links.
Applying to become an EPN is easy, simply:
Most eBay affiliates hear back with an approval within a few hours of signing up, but all should hear back within one business day.