Amazon just did it again — they lowered commission rates across the board for Amazon influencers on-site, and out of all the recent changes, this one is the most impactful. I predicted they’d adjust rates (lower some, raise some, keep some the same), but instead Amazon gave on-site influencers a big push-off by lowering everything except one category that was already at zero. In this post, I’m going to break down exactly what this commission change means for your Amazon Influencer Program strategy going forward, why Creator Connections is now more important than ever, and what you should be doing starting today to mitigate these commission losses.
Amazon’s Commission Drop — The Impact on What You’ve Been Doing
Let’s be clear about what just happened. Amazon’s on-site commission rates — the rates you earn when shoppers buy products they discover through your videos on Amazon itself — just got slashed across the board. If you’ve been making your income primarily from on-site, organic product reviews, this directly hits your paycheck.
I’ve been saying for months that Amazon was going to readjust these rates. I expected a mix — some categories going up, some going down, some staying the same. That’s the normal balancing act you’d expect from a mature program. But that’s not what happened. Instead, Amazon lowered nearly everything, and they left one category alone — a category that was already sitting at zero. That tells you exactly what they’re doing: they’re pushing on-site influencers toward a different revenue model.
Why Creator Connections Now Matters More Than Ever
If you’ve been watching Amazon’s moves over the past year, you already know where this is headed. Amazon has been clearly signaling — in everything from their program communications to their UI changes — that they want influencers to move toward Creator Connections. Creator Connections is the brand-funded side of the program, where brands pay up-front bounties and higher commissions to get influencers to make content for their specific products.
With this commission drop, Amazon has essentially de-incentivized non-CC products and doubled down on incentivizing CC products. They didn’t just nudge you toward Creator Connections — they gave you a direct financial reason to prioritize it. If you want to make commissions in this program going forward, you have to follow where Amazon is pointing.
The Shift: Passing on Non-CC Products Going Forward
This is the strategic change I’m making, and I think every serious Amazon influencer needs to consider it: start passing on non-Creator-Connections products. The math just doesn’t work anymore. The time and effort you spend filming, editing, and uploading a video should be compensated in a way that makes the work worthwhile. If you’re making pennies on every sale because the base commission rate has been cut, you need to ask yourself whether that product is worth your time at all.
This isn’t about boycotting Amazon — it’s about being a smart business owner. Prioritize the products that pay you the most per video. That means Creator Connections campaigns with active bounties, higher category commissions, and ideally products you’re actually excited about reviewing.
The Pressure This Puts on Brands to Join Creator Connections
Here’s the interesting ripple effect. As more influencers start refusing to create content for non-CC products, brands are going to feel that pressure. If a brand isn’t running a Creator Connections campaign, they’re going to see their influencer-generated content dry up. That puts brands in a position where they need to participate in Creator Connections to get their products reviewed.
This is exactly what Amazon wants. They want brand dollars flowing into the system. They want brands paying up-front to get creators to make content, because that’s what makes the Amazon Influencer Program financially sustainable for everyone — including Amazon. We’ve speculated about this shift for a long time, and now we’re watching it happen in real time.
Amazon Wants Brand Buy-In — Here’s the Bigger Play
The bigger play here is that Amazon is repositioning the Influencer Program as a brand marketing channel, not just an affiliate marketing program. They want brands to see Creator Connections as a legitimate advertising spend — something they budget for and plan around. The commission drop is the stick; Creator Connections is the carrot.
For us as influencers, that’s actually a good thing in the long run. When brands are paying into the system, the pool of money is bigger. The creators who adapt to this model will end up with better opportunities, higher per-video payouts, and more consistent work. The creators who don’t adapt will be left fighting over scraps.
Strategy Summary: This Stinks, But Here’s What to Do
I’m not going to pretend this doesn’t sting. It does. If you’re doing this as your primary income, seeing rates drop across the board is painful. But complaining about it isn’t going to change Amazon’s mind. The only thing that will protect your income is adapting your strategy.
- Prioritize Creator Connections campaigns for every video you make.
- Use Oink for Influencers to quickly identify which products on your storefront have CC campaigns active.
- Stop making videos for products that don’t have CC campaigns unless you have another reason to make them.
- Build up a library of comparison videos — those are about to become even more important.
- Diversify your income away from Amazon so you’re not entirely dependent on their rate changes.
Follow Where Amazon Is Pointing — And Away From
The pattern is simple: wherever Amazon is pointing, go there. Right now they’re pointing at Creator Connections, they’re pointing at brand-funded content, and they’re pointing at storefront quality. They’re pointing away from low-effort, high-volume content that relies on bottom-tier category commissions. Let them lead you where they want you to go, and you’ll stay profitable.
Diversifying Beyond Amazon: My 2026 Game Plan
I’ve been talking to my community about this for a while, and 2026 is going to be the year I personally diversify hard. Here’s what’s on my plate:
- Facebook group engagement — where you can directly drive traffic with affiliate links.
- Amazon Lives — an underutilized but growing platform with its own commission structure.
- Pinterest pins — great long-tail traffic that keeps paying for years.
- Creator Rewards — Amazon’s bonus program that rewards high-quality content creators.
- Instagram’s new affiliate-link shop — supposedly rolling out soon, and it could be a big opportunity.
Instagram’s Upcoming Affiliate Link Shop
Keep your eye on Instagram. Word is they’re rolling out an affiliate-link shop feature that could give creators a new way to monetize off-platform. If that rolls out the way it’s been described, it’s going to open up a whole new channel for Amazon influencers who already have content built.
Final Thoughts on Amazon Constricting the Program
Look — Amazon is constricting this program. That’s the reality. They want fewer, higher-quality creators making content that brands are paying for. They don’t want a wild-west where anyone uploads anything and gets paid. If you’re building a real business here, you need to understand that and adapt. If Amazon remains a major piece of your income, you need to adapt to these commission changes now. The influencers who treat this as a wake-up call and make the shift are going to do better in 2026 than they did in 2025.
If you want help identifying which products on your storefront have Creator Connections campaigns — so you can prioritize them and stop wasting time on dead commissions — Oink for Influencers does exactly that in a single click.
