About ShareASale
ShareASale is a long-standing and prominent affiliate marketing network founded in 2000 and acquired by Awin in 2017. It acts as a intermediary that connects merchants (advertisers/companies with products or services) and affiliates (publishers/marketers who promote those products).
For affiliates, ShareASale provides a platform to browse thousands of merchant programs across various niches (retail, travel, finance, software, etc.), generate unique tracking links, access promotional materials, and receive consolidated monthly payments for all the programs they participate in. It’s known for having a vast, diverse merchant base, particularly catering to small and mid-size companies.
ShareASale Affiliate Program Overview
The ShareASale affiliate program itself is part of the larger ShareASale network, which hosts thousands of individual merchant programs. The platform’s overall structure is:
| Factor | Description |
| Industry | Affiliate Marketing Network (Hosts programs across all industries) |
| Product Type | Physical Goods, Digital Products/Services, Subscriptions (Varies by individual merchant program) |
| Affiliate Program Type | Cost-Per-Sale (CPS) or Cost-Per-Lead (CPL), with some programs offering Cost-Per-Click (CPC) (Varies by individual merchant program) |
ShareASale Affiliate Program Offers
ShareASale provides the tools and framework for individual merchants to run their programs.
| Factor | Details |
| Promotional Materials | Text links, Banners, Product data feeds, Custom links/Deep links (Provided by individual merchants through the platform) |
| Affiliate Cookie Duration | Varies by individual merchant program (Often $\text{30 days}$, but can range from $\text{7}$ to $\text{90+}$ days) |
| Accepted Traffic Source | Websites, Blogs, Social Media, PPC campaigns, SEO, Email (All common sources are generally accepted, but individual merchants may have restrictions) |
| Accepted Countries | Worldwide (Affiliates from most countries can join, though individual merchant programs may have country-specific restrictions based on shipping/service areas) |
| Explicit Content | No (The platform generally requires affiliates to have a website/page free of hate speech and adult content, as per its compliance policies) |
| Religious or political content | Yes, generally (While explicit hate speech is banned, general religious or political content is typically permitted, as long as it adheres to the platform’s terms and is not deemed hate speech or unsafe content) |
ShareASale Affiliate Commissions & Payments
Commissions are set by the individual merchant, but the payment and fee structure is managed by ShareASale.
| Factor | Details |
| MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) | No (ShareASale typically offers single-tier commissions, meaning you earn only on sales you generate, not from recruiting other affiliates) |
| Commission Rate | Varies widely (Typically ranges from $\text{4}\%$ to $\text{50}\%$ of sale value, depending on the merchant and product. Digital products often offer higher rates) |
| Commission Structure | Fixed commission, percentage-based, or varied by product/sale criteria (Highly customizable by the merchant using features like conversion lines and tiered commissions) |
| Payout Frequency | Monthly (Payments are sent out on the $\text{20^{th}}$ of the month for all “locked” transactions from the previous month) |
| Payout Methods | Direct Deposit (ACH), Check, Wire Transfer, Payoneer |
| Minimum Payout | $50 in earned commissions |
Note on Fees: ShareASale charges a transaction fee to the merchant, which is typically $\text{20}\%$ of the commission paid out to the affiliate. Affiliates do not typically see this fee deducted from their gross commission earnings; it is a merchant fee.
Suitable Affiliates for ShareASale Affiliate
The ShareASale network is suitable for almost any type of affiliate marketer due to the sheer diversity of its 4,500+ merchants. The key requirement is having a legitimate, active, and content-rich platform (website or social media) to promote offers.
| Affiliate Type | Suitability | Rationale |
| Bloggers/Website Owners | Highly Suitable | Ideal for long-form content, niche focus, and deep-linking to relevant products. |
| YouTubers / Video editors | Highly Suitable | Can include links in video descriptions, promoting tutorials, reviews, and product demonstrations. |
| Influencers (TikTokers, KOL, KOC) | Highly Suitable | Excellent for promoting products to a dedicated audience via social media, stories, and live streams, using tracking links in bios or swipe-up links. |
| Livestreamers | Suitable | Can promote real-time deals and products, placing links in stream descriptions or chat. |
ShareASale Affiliate Software
ShareASale is itself an affiliate management software platform that also functions as an affiliate network.
- Software Used: ShareASale (In-house platform, now part of the Awin Group).
3 Alternatives for ShareASale Affiliate Program
| Factor | ShareASale | CJ Affiliate | Awin | Rakuten Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Bill | Varies widely by merchant | Varies widely by merchant | Varies widely by merchant | Varies widely by merchant |
| Entry Fees | Free for Affiliates | Free for Affiliates | Free for Affiliates (may require a small refundable deposit in some regions) | Free for Affiliates |
| Withdrawal Threshold | $50 | $50 (Direct Deposit), $100 (Check) | $20 (ACH/SEPA payments) | $50 |
| Payment Frequency | Monthly | Monthly | Twice Monthly | Monthly (often Net-60 terms) |
| Commission | Varies (typically 4%–50%+, depending on merchant) | Varies (typically 3%–50%+, depending on merchant) | Varies by merchant | Varies by merchant |
| Conversion | Varies — strong performance due to robust tracking | Varies — strong tracking & powerful tools | Varies — excellent global/local conversion tools | Varies — strong with high-profile brand partners |
| Marketing Materials | Text links, Banners, Data Feeds | Text links, Banners, Widgets, Data Feeds | Text links, Banners, Dynamic Content, Deep Linking | Text links, Banners, Dynamic Ads, Unique Linking Tools |
