AliExpress is one of the biggest online marketplaces.
And similarly to Amazon and eBay, they offer an affiliate program – to let people earn money off of their products.
Today we’ll be looking at the AliExpress Affiliate Program – how it works, its features and whether we would recommend you joining it against Amazon Associates?
Let’s get started!
What Is Affiliate Marketing?
First, what actually is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate Marketing is where if one of your audience click your unique link and buy the company’s product, you will gain a certain percentage of the sale – called a commission.
Many big companies have Affiliate Programs, such as eBay, Target etc.
Today we’ll be looking at the AliExpress Affiliate Program and also compare it to Amazon’s (called Amazon Associates).
What is AliExpress?
Aliexpress is an online marketplace, much like Amazon, where you can buy almost everything from more than 200 countries and regions.
There are 130,000 active sellers – and as most of the products are made in China, they are all sold at a very cheap rate.
It is now one of the biggest online retail services worldwide (reached 100 million buyers in 2017) so it’s an in-demand place where we will be sure to gain commissions!
How Does the Affiliate Program Work?
AliExpress’ Affiliate Program works like any other one.
Once you have signed up (which we will discuss how to later) you are provided with a special link.
Commissions
The commission rate for Aliexpress is relatively good compared to its competitors.
They start from a generous 8.5% and even go up to 50% (yet this is very select).
You can usually expect to stay within this 8.5% to 10% range for most products, which is very good considering 8% is the top end for Amazon.
And from time to time, they offer additional commissions for new users which is usually around 6%.
Payment Methods
AliExpress’ pay-out methods aren’t the best considering you can only be paid by International Wire Transfer (not PayPal etc), and the minimum withdrawal fee is $16.
Other Features
The program also has a very competitive cookie rate of 30 days. This means that if someone clicks your link today, but then buys something up to a month later, you will still receive credit and a commission.
This is much better than Amazon’s dismal 24 hours cookie rate.
The reporting, as in when it tells you that you have received a sale, takes 2 days which is rather long compared to most companies’ immediate updating or Amazon’s one day.
Pros and Cons
How Does It Compare Against Amazon Associates?
Cookie Rates
AliExpress is much better than Amazon with a 30-day cookie rate compared to 24 hours one.
This is very important for any Affiliate Marketers, because it gives a better level of security and increases chances of commissions.
Winner: AliExpress
Commissions
AliExpress also has a better commission rate, with a minimum of 8.5% where Amazon is usually around 4% – 5% on average.
Winner: AliExpress
Products
AliExpress has cheaper products and is better for bulk buys.
However, Amazon is a more trusted and popular provider, so normally is a more popular option to buy from.
Winner: Amazon
Payment
AliExpress only offers one payment method but a pretty low minimum withdrawal free.
Amazon offers bank transfer, gift cards or checks – so more physical methods as well. And minimum payment of $25.
Winner: Amazon
How to Sign Up?
Signing up for the program is very easy. It only takes a couple minutes to get all started.
Navigate over to the AliExpress Website and scroll to the bottom clicking ‘Affiliate Program’.
Or you can type up ‘Amazon Affiliate Program’ and press the top search result.
From there click register and create an account or use your current AliExpress one.
Sometimes you will have to go back to the page and press register again to then complete your profile.
You need to provide your website url and answer some questions about it, like its average monthly traffic etc.
From there, your application will be processed and once you have been accepted, you will receive your links and can begin advertising!
AliExpress Affiliate Plugin
The AliExpress Affiliate Plugin (AliPlugin) is a great plugin developed by the AliPartnership website.
This plugin makes it easier for affiliates to add links to their blogs and stores.
It allows you to import any products and put them on sale on your store. You can also configure it in a way that it automatically adds your referral links to your website.
It also includes:
- Auto Translation – to change product titles and descriptions in one click
- Auto updating – keep your product info fresh with the latest data
- The AliPlugin costs $47 as a one-off payment.
If you are serious about earning money with the AliExpress Affiliate Program – this plugin will help out a lot.
It automates most of the process so you can focus on the important things!
Conclusion
So, overall the AliExpress Affiliate Program is a great program for Affiliate Marketers of any level, especially for beginners.
From it can you earn a good income (the top earns over $500,000 a month!), with its great commission and cookie rates.
We would recommend it more so to those with an audience in drop-shipping and bulk buys, and Amazon for those with an audience less familiar with AliExpress and want a more trusted seller.
Hope this helped.
Talk Soon, The E-Commerce Entrepreneur
What happens if someone clicks my link and buys some other product through that link within 30 days. Do they still give you affiliate commission like Amazon associates?
Yes you should.
3.How long is the cookie tracking period?
AliExpress uses session based tracking after a visitor was directed to AliExpress through your affiliate link.
p.s. from FAQ
Hi Rene,
The cookie rate for AliExpress is 30 days.
Can I withdraw with transferwise?
We don’t think so – but please do get in touch with their support to make sure.