Softwr

Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Amazon Associates vs Perkbox

Amazon Associates logo

Amazon Associates

Affiliate Marketing

The world's largest affiliate marketing program

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Perkbox logo

Perkbox

Employee Engagement

Employee perks, discounts, recognition and a wellbeing hub in one benefits platform

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Amazon Associates has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Associates commission rates are among the lowest in affiliate marketing at 4-20% by category; Perkbox perkbox no longer publishes any pricing, plan names or minimum headcount, so buyers must run a full sales process before they can compare it against Reward Gateway or Vantage Circle on price.
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Associates covers Product linking tools, Perkbox covers Perks and discounts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Amazon Associates and Perkbox differ
AttributeAmazon AssociatesPerkbox
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Browser plugin, Mobile browserWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryAffiliate MarketingEmployee Engagement
Founded1996Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Perkbox

  • Perks and discounts
  • Perkbox Recognition
  • Wellbeing hub
  • Celebrations
  • Flexi points
  • Multi country delivery
  • Admin reporting
  • Mobile app

What people use each for

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

Amazon Associates

  • affiliate marketing managementnot Perkbox
  • Workflow automationnot Perkbox
  • Reportingnot Perkbox

Perkbox

  • A United Kingdom employer wanting a benefits perk that employees can see the value of immediately, where the discount catalogue is deepestnot Amazon Associates
  • An organisation replacing several separate suppliers for discounts, recognition and wellbeing with one platform and one loginnot Amazon Associates
  • A company with high volume frontline staff where a few pounds a month of real redeemable saving matters more than an abstract wellbeing programmenot Amazon Associates
  • An HR team that wants automated celebration prompts so managers stop missing work anniversariesnot 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

Perkbox

  • Perkbox no longer publishes any pricing, plan names or minimum headcount, so buyers must run a full sales process before they can compare it against Reward Gateway or Vantage Circle on price.
  • The value depends entirely on redemption, and a catalogue weighted toward metropolitan retail and hospitality delivers much less to a distributed workforce in smaller towns, which is exactly the workforce most likely to have been sold on the saving.
  • Recognition points are funded by the employer on top of the platform fee, and that reward budget is usually the larger of the two numbers, so a quote that looks cheap can hide the real annual cost.
  • Catalogue depth outside the United Kingdom is thinner, so a multinational rolling out one platform gives materially different value to employees in different countries while paying a similar rate for each.
  • Perks platforms have low switching costs and high substitutability, which means renewal negotiations are competitive but also that Perkbox has limited ability to differentiate beyond catalogue and price.

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon Associates

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Amazon Associates review.

Perkbox

On request
  • Perkbox$undefined/year
    • Quote only, with no plan names, rates or minimum headcount published
    • Recognition points funding is an employer cost separate from the platform fee
    • Rate varies by headcount, country mix and which modules are included

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 Perkbox if

  • You need perks and discounts.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want perkbox recognition.
Perkbox review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Associates or Perkbox better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Associates starts at Free and Perkbox at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Associates or Perkbox?
Amazon Associates has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Amazon Associates and On request for Perkbox.
Does Amazon Associates or Perkbox run on more platforms?
Amazon Associates runs on Web, Browser plugin, Mobile browser. Perkbox runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Amazon Associates for free?
Yes. Amazon Associates has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Perkbox starts at On request.
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 Perkbox is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Associates do that Perkbox cannot?
Amazon Associates covers Product linking tools, Native shopping ads, SiteStripe toolbar, Commission tracking. Perkbox covers Perks and discounts, Perkbox Recognition, Wellbeing hub, Celebrations.

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
Perkbox: Does Perkbox publish pricing?

No. The pricing page offers flexible packages and a quote form with no plan names, per employee rates or minimum headcount.

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
Perkbox: Is there a minimum number of employees?

None is published. Perkbox has moved upmarket from its earlier self service positioning, so smaller employers should confirm eligibility early in the conversation.

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
Perkbox: Is recognition reward budget included?

No. Recognition points are funded by the employer separately from the platform fee, and that budget is typically larger than the licence itself.

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
Perkbox: Does it work outside the United Kingdom?

Yes, in Australia and parts of Europe, but the discount catalogue is much deeper in the United Kingdom and value per employee differs accordingly.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Amazon Associates

More on Perkbox

Keep looking

Other head to heads