Softwr

Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Amazon Associates vs Amazon Connect

Amazon Associates logo

Amazon Associates

Affiliate Marketing

The world's largest affiliate marketing program

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Amazon Connect logo

Amazon Connect

Customer Support

Cloud contact center from AWS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Associates commission rates are among the lowest in affiliate marketing at 4-20% by category; Amazon Connect telephony is charged separately from the platform, so the $0.038 per minute voice rate is not the whole cost of a call
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Associates covers Product linking tools, Amazon Connect covers Voice.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Associates and Amazon Connect actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Associates and Amazon Connect differ
AttributeAmazon AssociatesAmazon Connect
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
PlatformsWeb, Browser plugin, Mobile browserWeb
CategoryAffiliate MarketingCustomer Support
Founded19962006

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amazon Associates

  • Product linking tools
  • Native shopping ads
  • SiteStripe toolbar
  • Commission tracking
  • Real-time reporting
  • WordPress
  • Blogger
  • YouTube

Only in Amazon Connect

  • Voice
  • Chat
  • Tasks
  • ML-powered analytics
  • Contact Lens
  • Outbound campaigns
  • Forecasting
  • Salesforce

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amazon Associates

  • affiliate marketing managementnot Amazon Connect
  • Workflow automationnot Amazon Connect
  • Reportingnot Amazon Connect

Amazon Connect

  • Cloud contact centre with no per-seat licencenot Amazon Associates
  • Voice, chat, email and SMS in one queuenot Amazon Associates
  • Conversational analytics and agent assistnot Amazon Associates
  • Outbound campaigns and automated contactnot Amazon Associates
  • Workforce scheduling for contact centre agentsnot Amazon Associates

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amazon Associates

  • Commission rates are among the lowest in affiliate marketing at 4-20% by category
  • Requires $100 minimum earnings threshold before payment is issued
  • Cookie duration limited to 24 hours for click tracking, compared to 60-90 days at competitors

Amazon Connect

  • Telephony is charged separately from the platform, so the $0.038 per minute voice rate is not the whole cost of a call
  • Every channel is metered individually: $0.010 per chat message, $0.080 per email and $0.014 per SMS
  • Rates vary by region and by third-party provider, so a published figure is indicative rather than final
  • Cost tracks contact volume, which makes forecasting hard for a queue with seasonal peaks

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon Associates

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Amazon Associates review.

Amazon Connect

Free
  • Pay-as-you-go$0.018/minute
    • Voice minutes
    • Free tier available
    • No upfront costs

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon Associates if

  • You need product linking tools.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Browser plugin, Mobile browser.
  • You also want native shopping ads.
Amazon Associates review

Choose Amazon Connect if

  • You need voice.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want chat.
Amazon Connect review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Associates or Amazon Connect better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Associates starts at Free and Amazon Connect at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Associates or Amazon Connect?
Amazon Associates starts at Free and Amazon Connect at Free.
Does Amazon Associates or Amazon Connect run on more platforms?
Amazon Associates runs on Web, Browser plugin, Mobile browser. Amazon Connect runs on Web.
Can I use Amazon Associates for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Amazon Associates best used for?
Amazon Associates is most often used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting. Of those, affiliate marketing management and workflow automation are not what Amazon Connect is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Associates do that Amazon Connect cannot?
Amazon Associates covers Product linking tools, Native shopping ads, SiteStripe toolbar, Commission tracking. Amazon Connect covers Voice, Chat, Tasks, ML-powered analytics. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon Associates: Is it free to join Amazon Associates?

Yes. There are no signup fees, monthly costs, or commissions paid to Amazon. Joining and participation are completely free.

Source
Amazon Associates: How long does a click cookie last?

Amazon gives you 24 hours to earn a commission once a visitor clicks an affiliate link. You also earn a commission if a person adds a product to their cart within 24 hours and purchases it within 90 days.

Source
Amazon Associates: What are the commission rates?

Commission rates vary by product category. Amazon Games earns 20%, Luxury Beauty at 10%, Kitchen at 4.5%, and All Other Categories at 4%. Commission rates change frequently.

Source
Amazon Associates: How often does Amazon pay affiliates?

Amazon Associates provides reports updated hourly for most orders. Earnings can be tracked in real-time through the Associates Central dashboard. Payments are issued monthly if earnings exceed $100.

Source
Amazon Associates: Can I earn commissions internationally?

Yes. Amazon Associates operates in multiple countries. OneLink allows US Associates to earn commissions internationally by automatically directing customers to their local Amazon store.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Amazon Associates

More on Amazon Connect

Keep looking

Other head to heads