What commission should my Shopify affiliate program pay?
A Shopify affiliate program should pay what you can afford out of profit. The median we found is 10%. We read the public affiliate pages of 168 Shopify brands on 23 October 2026. The middle half pay a base rate between 8% and 15%.
An affiliate is someone who promotes your product and earns a cut of each sale they send. That cut is the commission. The base rate is the lowest rate you promise a new affiliate.
What do other Shopify brands pay?
For 137 of the 168 programs, the page names a base rate. Here is what those pages say, by category.
| Category | Programs read | With a base rate | Median base rate | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beauty and skincare | 29 | 24 | 15% | 10% to 15% |
| Health and supplements | 27 | 22 | 10% | 10% to 15% |
| Fitness and sports | 21 | 17 | 10% | 5% to 10% |
| Fashion and apparel | 18 | 14 | 10% | 10% to 13.8% |
| Home and garden | 17 | 14 | 10% | 8% to 18.5% |
| All programs | 168 | 137 | 10% | 8% to 15% |
The most common number is 10%. 60 of the 137 programs (44%) state exactly that. Only 6% state a base rate under 5%, and 12% state 20% or more. !Bar chart of the median base commission by category. Beauty and skincare is 15%. Health and supplements, fitness and sports, fashion, home and garden and food and drink are 10%. Tech and gadgets is 8.5%. | Median base commission by category, 168 public Shopify programs, 23 October 2026. Source: RecruitAffiliates.ai.
The full method, limits and CSV are on the commission rates data page.
These are rates on pages, not what brands pay in practice. A brand that hides its rate behind a sign-up form is not in the sample. Treat the table as a map of what affiliates see, not a rule. Shopify's own guide puts physical goods at 5% to 15%, which is close (Shopify, checked 22 October 2026).
How do I check a rate against my margin?
Work backwards from profit. Don't copy a number. Our free affiliate calculator turns a sales goal into a commission bill.
Let's say a mattress topper sells for $100. After the product, shipping and card fees you keep $40. That is your profit per order before you pay anyone.
Now test a rate against it.
- Take the profit. $40.
- Pick a share you would give up. Our view is a third to a half of it, for a sale that came from outside. Half of $40 is $20.
- Turn it into a rate. $20 is 20% of the $100 price. That is your ceiling.
- Start below the ceiling. Say 12%. The affiliate gets $12 and you keep $28.
If you would have spent $30 on ads to win that sale, 12% is cheaper. If your profit is $15, the same sum gives a ceiling of 7.5%, and 10% is too high.
The sum may also be why beauty pays 15%. A high-margin product leaves more room to share.
Should I pay more to start?
Only if you can afford it. A higher rate may get you more yeses in the first email, but it is hard to take back later.
A safer shape is a base rate with a step up. You might say "10% to start, 15% once you have sent 20 sales." Affiliates see a floor and a reason to work harder.
Watch the "up to" trap. 18% of the pages we read show only an "up to" rate, such as "earn up to 15%". A new affiliate cannot tell what day one pays, so some will walk. State your base rate first.
What cookie window should I set?
A cookie window is how long after a click a sale still counts for the affiliate. Say someone clicks a review on Monday and buys three weeks later. A 30-day window still pays the reviewer. A 7-day window does not.
Of the 73 pages that state a cookie length, 78% say 30 days. Twelve say 45 to 90 days, and four say 21 days or less. Start at 30 days. Go longer if your buyers take a while, such as for a mattress.
Where do I find the people to offer it to?
A rate nobody sees pays no one. Once you have a number, the next job is asking the right people. Search your rivals' names next to "review" and "discount code", then email the writers. Our guide on how to find affiliates for your Shopify store walks through it. For the first ten, read how to land your first 10 affiliates.
If you sell software rather than products, rates run higher, often 20% to 30%. See what to offer SaaS affiliates.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good commission rate for Shopify affiliates?
The public median is 10%, and the middle half of programs say 8% to 15%. A good rate is one that leaves you profit and still gives an affiliate a reason to bother. Check it against your margin.
Is 10% enough?
It is the most common base rate (44% of pages that state a rate), so it matches what many affiliates see. If your profit per order is high, you can offer more. If it is thin, 10% may already be too high.
Do beauty brands pay more?
Yes. The median base rate for beauty and skincare pages is 15%. Other large categories are 10%. High margins are a likely reason, but the data does not show it.
What cookie window should I use?
30 days. Of the 73 pages that state a cookie length, 78% say 30 days.
Should I show "up to" or a fixed rate?
Show a fixed base rate first. You can add "rising to 15%" for top performers.
Find people to offer your rate to
We find your first 20 emails free with RecruitAffiliates.ai. It's 7 days free, no card.
Sources
- Our read of 168 public Shopify affiliate programs, 23 October 2026: method, limits and aggregates and the CSV
- Shopify, affiliate commission guide (physical goods 5% to 15%): https://www.shopify.com/blog/affiliate-commission (checked 22 October 2026)