Amazon continues to evolve its programs for creators and influencers, with several key updates and trends emerging in 2025. The core of these initiatives remains the Amazon Influencer Program and Amazon Associates Program, which allow creators to monetize their content by recommending products.
Here’s a breakdown of the latest news and what it means for creators:

• Commission Structure and High-Payout Categories

• Targeted Commission Increases: Amazon has strategically increased commission rates in certain high-priority product categories. This is a clear move to incentivize creators to drive traffic to specific, high-growth areas of the business. For example, “Amazon Games” now offers a high commission rate of 20%, while “Amazon Haul” is at 7%.
• Commission Rate Adjustments: While some categories have seen an increase, others have seen a decrease. Categories like Furniture, Home, Lawn & Garden, and Outdoors have seen commission rates reduced from 8-6% to 3% since 2019. This indicates a shift in Amazon’s focus, as they prioritize categories that may require an aggressive push from affiliates.

1. New Programs and Features

• Creator Stars Program: This tiered rewards system, which was introduced in 2024, has become a significant part of the Amazon Influencer Program in 2025. Creators can earn points for driving sales and content engagement, unlocking benefits at Bronze, Silver, and Platinum levels. These benefits can include content placement on Amazon’s site, access to large shopping events, and even opportunities to collaborate on new product lines.
• Creator Central and Creator University: Amazon has launched these platforms to provide creators with a central hub to manage their content, track performance, and access educational resources. Creator University is an education program designed to give content creators the tools and knowledge needed to succeed within the Amazon ecosystem.
• Creator Connections: This program offers creators opportunities for paid brand partnerships, allowing them to earn additional income beyond standard commissions.

1. Focus on Video and Onsite Content

• Video-First Approach: In 2025, video-based recommendations are consistently outperforming text-based content, particularly in categories like beauty, wellness, and technology. Amazon is responding to this by prioritizing video content more prominently on its platform.
• Onsite Earnings: The program emphasizes “onsite earnings,” where creators’ shoppable videos and product reviews are displayed directly to customers browsing Amazon. When a customer makes a purchase after engaging with this content, the creator earns a commission. This provides a way for creators to monetize their work even without driving external traffic.

1. Special Incentives

• Prime Day and Shopping Events: Amazon continues to offer special incentives, such as doubling creator commissions for certain product categories during major shopping events like Prime Day. This is a key way Amazon rewards creators for their commitment and helps them maximize their earnings during high-traffic periods.
  What This Means for Creators in 2025
  The Amazon Creator Rewards program is becoming more strategic and data-driven. While the barrier to entry remains relatively low (typically requiring a public social media profile with at least 2,000 followers and good engagement), success is increasingly tied to:
• Content Quality: Creating high-quality, authentic, and useful video content is crucial for standing out.
• Strategic Niche Selection: Focusing on product categories with higher commission rates or those where you have a strong, credible voice can significantly increase earnings.
• Consistency: The platform rewards creators who post frequently and maintain high levels of audience engagement.
  Overall, Amazon is positioning itself as a major player in the creator economy, not just as an affiliate platform, but as a full-fledged ecosystem that offers a variety of ways for content creators to build a sustainable, performance-based income stream.