Affiliate income for creators

Affiliate income is a commission a creator may earn when someone follows a tracked recommendation and completes an eligible action. A click alone does not earn a sale commission, and a recorded sale may later be cancelled or returned.

Start with a reader question you can answer well. Then assess the product, explain the commercial relationship and check what was actually paid.

Start with the reader’s decision

Look for questions your audience already asks: which tool fits a task, what a product cannot do, or what to check before buying. Explain the decision first.

Add an affiliate link only when its destination helps the reader take the next step. Give readers a reason to choose or reject the product.

Choose a narrow first topic. A creator who teaches home recording, for example, could explain the connections a beginner needs before discussing equipment. This is an editorial example, not a product recommendation.

Assess the product and the programme separately

Check whether the product does what the reader needs, what limitations matter and whether you have enough evidence to describe it accurately.

Read the programme terms before publishing, including eligible actions and customers, permitted channels and link formats, returns, validation and payment conditions.

If a material question remains unanswered, research it before recommending the offer.

Understand the tracking window

Amazon’s Australian Associates Programme policy describes a qualifying purchase as one made after a customer clicks a Special Link and during the same session. That session ends after 24 hours, when the customer places an order for a Product other than a digital product, or when the customer clicks another Special Link, whichever comes first.

The policy also lists exclusions, so a click within the window is not by itself proof that commission is due.

Amazon Associates Programme Tracking Window Rules (Australia)

Check which programme documents apply

Amazon’s Associates Operating Agreement incorporates its Program Policies by reference, including participation requirements and the commission income statement. Checking only a headline commission description may leave important conditions unread.

Amazon says Special Links must use its provided tagged formats and comply with the agreement. Treat the programme’s current agreement and policies as working requirements, rather than assuming a link or practice allowed by another merchant will be accepted here.

Make the relationship visible

Tell readers when you may earn a commission, close to the recommendation. The ACCC has identified promotional posts with vague or hard-to-notice disclosures as a concern.

Use plain wording that fits the format, and check whether the programme requires particular wording. Disclosure does not make an unsupported product claim acceptable.

Connect disclosure with consumer law

The ACCC says the Australian Consumer Law prohibits businesses from misleading or deceiving consumers. This applies to influencers engaging in trade or commerce, as well as brands and marketers advertising online.

In its 2023 sweep, the ACCC found that 81 per cent of the 118 influencers reviewed had posts raising concerns under that law. That measured posts raising concern; it was not a finding that every influencer had broken the law.

Claims about personal use, product performance or outcomes still need to match what you know and can substantiate.

ACCC Findings on Influencer Advertising Compliance (2023)

Measure actions and money at different stages

Affiliate reporting can distinguish clicks, tracked actions and amounts ultimately paid, and these may fall in different reporting periods. Use programme reports to understand tracked activity and payment records to confirm income.

Analytics events cannot establish whether a merchant accepted a purchase or owes a commission. Keep income and expense records appropriate to your circumstances.

How to Track and Record Affiliate Income in Australia

Keep records that can be checked

For Australian business record-keeping, business.gov.au says records must cover transactions relating to tax, superannuation and registrations, and be in English or readily translatable into English. Relevant records can include income and sales transactions, business expenses, bank records and GST records if you are registered for GST.

Digital records are acceptable, and the ATO recommends digital record-keeping where possible. Store records so they cannot be changed or damaged, back them up, and make sure you can access the device and information; these steps help preserve the evidence behind your programme and payment records.

Review before expanding

Once the programme has had time to validate actions, ask whether readers reached the offer, which actions remained eligible, what was paid and how much work the content took to maintain. Do not project steady income from early clicks or pending amounts.

Treat compliance as programme risk

Amazon’s policies state that any violation of the Associates Program Participation Requirements, the Associates Program IP License, or Section 1 of the Amazon Influencer Program Policy is deemed a material breach of the agreement. This is an Amazon-specific consequence, not a rule to assume applies to every programme.

If a programme changes its terms or a link stops meeting its requirements, revisit the affected recommendation and its tracking setup before relying on future commission. Keep the relevant programme terms with your records so you can identify which conditions applied when content was published.