Using Amazons affilate program under Hubpages vs your own ID

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   Stacie Lposted 8 years ago

   I received a notice about being charged to keep my Amazon affiliate program active if I have no sales in 90 days. I'm sure others share this issue. Since I agreed to use Amazon under Hubpages program ID, I do earn more commission but now I may be charged due to my own ID isn't producing income.
   Is anyone in the same boat and what are you doing about it if anything?

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      sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I received the same notice and I am wondering if I should just delete my Amazon Affiliate program from my own site.  I earn nothing from it but I am just wondering if the id is the same one which I use on HubPages?
      I do earn from the HubPages one and would like to continue that way.  Perhaps someone can answer both of our concerns.

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      1. 95

         Glenn Stokposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Sally,
         
         If you signed up for Amazon under the HP earnings program then you are probably using that one. Otherwise you are using your own affiliate ID on HP. Note that you cannot use your HP assigned ID on your own site, however.
         
         You can confirm which affiliate ID you originally decided to use on HubPages by looking at your account -> earnings -> settings page.
         
         As for your question, Stacie, here's a thought...
         
         I also have my own site where I use my personal Amazon affiliate ID. But I never got that warning since I do get some sales there. If you also use Google Ads on your site, you might try removing them from the pages where you have Amazon ads. This improves the chances of visitors selecting Amazon Ads instead of Google ads. This method has improved Amazon sales for me. Paul Edmondson had recently suggested that idea for our hubs.

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            NateB11posted 8 years agoin reply to this

            I think I'm going to do that on my site, the thing of removing google ads where there's amazon ads.. thanks for that info.

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            sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks for that info Glenn.
            I use my own Amazon Affiliate ads on my own site but was wondering if it might improve my chances of making more money from the Google Adsense on my own site if I deleted Amazon Ads.  In fact, I already did this earlier.  I created a larger ad for Adsense to see if there would be any improvement but  I definitely don't want to be paying Amazon on my own site for something I make no money from.  So really the question now is,whether or not it better to have Amazon Ads or Adsense on my own website?

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               Mark Ewbieposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Hi Sally.  I change my mind about once a week with my own site.  Some pages with Amazon, some with Adsense, some with my own shop, some with all three, some with none!
               
               I can't find the right way for me to make money or my visitors to want to buy anything - but that will come one day I guess.
               
               The thing Adsense has going for it is the location does not matter.  Whereas with Amazon it is tricky to sell to anyone apart from US customers.
               
               So another query is where does the traffic come from?  No good giving them a US Amazon store link if they are from India.  At least... I don't think it is.
               
               For my shop I vary.  Sometimes I try to get them to go to a page that has choice of locations.  They never bother anyway.
               
               Oh.  As for HP I use my own Amazon ID.  Not interested in the few extra cents joining in with HP will give me.

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                  sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  Hi Mark,
                  That is helpful thank you.  Did not realize that you could use your own one on HubPages.  I regularly sell Amazon items on HubPages but nothing on my own site, which is why I am thinking I might quit the Amazon ads on my own rather than pay for something I am not getting.
                  Anyway, had some reasonable sales on Zazzle which gives me some inspiration and encouragement to keep going:)  Hope you are doing well.

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                     Mark Ewbieposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                     Not surprised you sold some Zazzle stuff - beautiful pictures!
                     
                     Your website is also beautiful - of course - but I think you could improve / mix up your advertising better.  Those massive Google ads are not great.  Think about responsive Adsense - especially for anyone viewing on a mobile.
                     
                     In my opinion you should also have a good think about placement, plus Amazon ads if appropriate and importantly your shop of course.  For example - an advert after the first page content so if a reader is thinking of moving on - give them somewhere to go.  Maybe.
                     
                     And it took me a while to even find your Zazzle shop.  At least a small link on every page maybe?
                     
                     Just my rude thoughts.  Not being critical and I can certainly not talk but with what you do, and the pictures (wow), you should do all right!
                     
                     As for me.  I sold a bit.  Much better than last year but still a million miles away from where I want to be.  Learning all the time!

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                        sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                        Hi Mark,
                        
                        I only put the Zazzle shop link on the site today
                        
                        I know I have to work a lot of work to do on my felting site.   I had a goal for Hubpages which I set about a year ago and I feel I am just about there.  Time to start diversifying a little,  working on my own site.  It is not healthy to have all my eggs in one basket.
                        
                        .There were Amazon ads on the site this morning but I took them off.
                        I had a small banner ad across the bottom of each page for Google ads as I was completely thrown by the idea that I might have to start paying Amazon for nothing.   
                        
                        I really appreciate your advice.  I am a little limited by the Photium hosted site, more so by my lack of experience.  I could do with a mentor:)   I can't exactly work out whether I should start a Wordpress site instead.  The support at Photium is phenomenal and a very good reason for continuing with it.
                        Having said that I am going back to the drawing board tomorrow and I will
                        change those ads again and work on the rest of your advice.  Thank you very much.
                        Sally

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                  Glenn Stokposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  Mark,  If this helps any - for me the decision was simple. On pages where the Amazon ads are working well, I remove AdSense ads. On pages where Amazon ads never convert to sales, I remove Amazon and keep AdSense. On pages where both Amazon sales occur once in a blue moon and AdSense makes a tiny bit of money, I scratch my head and wonder what to do next. I'm doing all this now on my site as well as on HubPages.

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                     sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                     Hi Glenn
                     My sentiments exactly, I think I am going to try out Adsense for a week.  I seem to have increased my Adsense earnings on HubPages recently and I can't help thinking I might be able to do the same on my own site.

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2. 88

   Stacie Lposted 8 years ago

   Well, there are many points of view and I guess I have to test out my own amazon id instead of hupbages to see if i don't get a non activity charge. But I may wait til after the holidays..
   Glenn, It didn't occur to be to choose a particular ad venue source for each page...

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   1. 95

      Glenn Stokposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Stacie, Just keep in mind that you will only be in the 4% or lower range with your own Amazon ID since you are not getting enough sales to boost you up to a higher tier.
      
      The HP Amazon Affiliate pays 8% or better since the entire site pushes the volume up so everyone gets into the 8% tier.
      
      In both cases we're talking about your 60% share of the impressions, so I am comparing apples to apples. HP's affiliate ID is used in the other 40% of impressions. My point is that 8% of 60% is still twice what you get with 4% of 60%.
      
      So the only reason why you would go for the lower payments is for the purpose of getting activity in your own affiliate account.
      
      One last thing... Are you sure that email you got is from Amazon and not from a hacker trying to get a virus into your computer by making you click on something? I ask this because I don't find anything in Amazon's TOS that says they charge you for inactivity. They may cancel your account, but not charge you. Unless I missed something.

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         SheilaMilneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I got the same email about being charged.  I'm in the UK.

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            sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            So did I, it appears genuine.
            
            We are writing to give you notice of some changes to our Amazon EU Associates Programme Operating Agreement (the Operating Agreement) with effect from December 1, 2015 (the Effective Date). From the Effective Date, you will need to comply with the terms of the amended Operating Agreement. A summary of the changes to the Operating Agreement can be found in this location.

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               Glenn Stokposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks Sheila and Sally for confirming that notice. I guess it must be only the EU Amazon requiring that.

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                  agvulpesposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  I also received the same message over here in Australia:
                  'We are writing to notify you of some changes to the Amazon.com Associates Program Operating Agreement, which governs your participation in the Amazon Associates Program for Amazon.com. All changes are effective on December 1, 2015.'
                  some of the change:
                  'December 1, 2015 version
                  If you have not earned any advertising fees in the 3 years prior to any given calendar month, then on the first day of that calendar month we may charge you an account maintenance fee that will be deducted from your unpaid accrued advertising fees....That account maintenance fee will be the lesser of $10 or the amount of unpaid accrued advertising fees in your account. .'
                  Still considering my options?

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                     Glenn Stokposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                     Interesting. Thanks for adding that information. Seems that each one is different. You're in Australia and you have three years to make a single sale. Stacie said at the start of this thread that the EU affiliates only have 90 days. At least you don't need to pay out of your own pocket. They only take it from any pending residuals. Here in the U.S. they haven't made those changes yet that I can see in the posted terms of service.

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                  sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  I think they are facing a large tax bill and we are going to be expected to pick up the tab:)  I would not mind so much if I were earning from the advertising.  Maybe I just have to try harder and that is what I intend doing over the next few weeks.

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3. 88

   Stacie Lposted 8 years ago

   Stacie said at the start of this thread that the EU affiliates only have 90 days
   
   No, I am in the USA....

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      Glenn Stokposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for that correction Stacie. This thread is getting confusing with various people giving different results.
      
      I looked at your first post again. So that means you have only 90 days to get a sale even though you're in the USA as I am. According to another post (I think it was Sally), Australia gives three years to get at least one sale. Funny how Amazon does not have standard terms for all countries.

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         sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Hi Glen,
         I am based in the UK.  Amazon were under investigation for tax avoidance in the EU, this may or may not be the reason for the difference.  I have three years to get a sale, sounds easy but I have not achieved it yet on my own site. However, I have regular sales on HubPages.  Wish I could achieve the same.

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            Glenn Stokposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Wow, I hadn't heard about that. I wonder if it's the same in Australia. I looked back over this thread and found who said it. It was Peter (agvulpes), who is in Australia and also got the notice that he has three years.

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4. 0

   Snakesmumposted 8 years ago

   I've just checked my Amazon account, and found that it had been closed!
   Not that I mind at all, that's why I went there in the first place, to close it, because I never make sales on my own sites from it.   HP does a little better, so it doesn't make sense to stay with a program I hoped would make money, but now wants to charge me for having an account.

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