Millions of people spend a lot of money to buy merchandise from their famous anime series or characters. This is a booming industry to start doing affiliate marketing and earn some serious cash.
You might confuse anime and manga affiliate programs. While anime is an animated TV show or movie, manga is a type of Japanese comic book or graphic novel.
To save you from being overwhelmed, we’ve compiled the top 18 anime affiliate programs with lucrative perks. Read our list carefully and apply for the most suitable program.
TL;DR
Based on our research, offering 12-15% commission drives sales for low-cost items, while 10-12% works better for mid-range ones. For pricier products, 5-8% strikes a good balance between margins and affiliate motivation.
- AnimexSneakers (Commission: 10%, Cookie: 30 days)
- Entertainment Earth (Commission: 7-10%, Cookie: 5 days)
- Anime Art Academy (Commission: 40%, Cookie: 30 days)
- AnimeGenius (Commission: 30-50%%, Cookie: 60 days)
- Onepiecefans Store (Commission: 12%, Cookie: 7 days)
- Things From Another World (Commission: 7-14%, Cookie: 90 days)
- Senpai Mart (Commission: 10%)
- CDJapan (Commission: 5-7%, Cookie: 30 days)
- Blippo (Commission: 8-20%)
- Xcoser (Commission: 10-15%, Cookie: 90 days)
Affiliate marketing helps brands expand their reach while optimizing their marketing budget. With UpPromote affiliate software, you can set up an affiliate program in under 5 minutes. You can also easily recruit, manage affiliates and encourage them to drive sales.
Brands all over the world achieve $1.1B in affiliate marketing sales with UpPromote.
Top 18 Anime Affiliate Programs for Anime Fans
Don’t want to read through the long article? Take a look at some of the top anime affiliate programs in this table.
The best affiliate programs | Program name |
Affiliate program with the highest commission rates | AnimeGenius (Up to 50%) |
Affiliate program with the longest cookie duration | Saiyan Stuff (120 days) |
Affiliate program with the most payment methods | Anime Art Academy, Things From Another World, Xcoser |
Affiliate program with the most promotional materials | Blippo (Links, logos, banners) |
1. AnimexSneakers
AnimexSneakers designs sneakers with anime characters’ inspiration. Their shoes are handmade with trendy graphics and color schemes to suit streetwear fashion.
Managed through UpPromote, the AnimexSneakers affiliate program offers a 10% commission on each product sale. You’ll have 30 days from customers’ first click to earn commission on their purchases.
You can put their authorized logos in your promotional content to gain more trust from the audience. Plus, they provide banners and text links for you to enhance engagement and boost conversions on your sites.
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2. Entertainment Earth
Entertainment Earth provides a wide collection of licensed toys and accessories from famous anime series and hero franchises. They also sell high-end limited edition pieces and hard-to-find collectibles.
The Entertainment Earth affiliate program allows affiliates to earn commission both in cash and store credit. You can earn up to 15% commission per sale based on your monthly sales.
Sales per month | In cash | Store Credit |
Less than $500 | 7% | 10% |
$500 – $5,000 | 8% | 12% |
$5,000 – $10,000 | 9% | 13% |
More than $10,000 | 10% | 15% |
The cookie duration lasts only 5 days, counting from customers’ first click on your link. You’ll receive payouts monthly via check once reaching a $20 payment threshold.
They give you various links and graphics to create content for social media platforms or blogs. Besides, their special sales tools can assist you in directing customers to the right products and increasing your conversions.
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3. Anime Art Academy
Anime Art Academy teaches anime enthusiasts necessary techniques to become professional anime & manga artists. They also build a Discord community where students can share their work and connect with other learners.
You can join their affiliate program via Awin and enjoy up to a 40% commission on every qualified sale. You can only earn a commission if customers purchase within a 30-day cookie duration.
You can use coupon codes to encourage customers to make a purchase from your link. However, if you use unauthorized coupons, Anime Art Academy will ban you from their affiliate program.
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4. AnimeGenius
AnimeGenius is a top anime AI Generator designed to create anime art from texts or simple drafts. They can also generate high-quality anime AI images from your daily photos.
AnimeGenius pays affiliates based on their performance and promotion types with up to a 50% commission per sale.
- New affiliate: 30% commission
- Youtube KOL: 40% commission
- Bloggers with high-ranked articles of AI tool: 50% commission
Once customers click on your link, the cookie duration will stay on their devices and last for 60 days. You can only receive payouts via PayPal once having at least $50 in your account balance.
You should note that AnimeGenius will not provide any marketing materials for affiliates. You need to create your promotional content or simply use text and URL links.
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5. Onepiecefans Store
Onepiecefans Store is an exclusive online merchandise store for global Onepiece fans. They offer an extensive range of clothes, accessories, decor items, jewelry, and more.
Once joining their anime affiliate program, you can earn a 12% commission across all product sales. The cookie duration lasts 7 days, starting from customers’ first click on your unique affiliate link.
They only pay affiliates via PayPal, so you must have a PayPal account to receive your earnings. However, you can only withdraw earnings if your account balance reaches $50.
Onepiecefans Store encourages affiliates to promote on as many marketing channels as they have. You can upload posts on social media platforms and personal blogs or send newsletters via email.
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6. Things From Another World
Things From Another World distributes over 25,000 pop culture products, such as anime comics, toys, graphics, and statues. Their store includes merchandise from global franchises like One Piece, Dragon Ball, Marvel, DC, and more.
You can sign up for ShareASale to join their affiliate program and earn up to 14% commission on every sale.
- Comics with MSRP (Less than $14.99): 7% commission
- Comics with MSRP (More than $14.99): 14% commission
- Other products: 14% commission
You can also receive a $5 bonus after your first sale. You’ll get up to $25 for $1,000 in monthly sales and up to $50 for $2,000 in monthly sales. The cookie duration is 90 days, lasting on customers’ devices once they click on your link.
You can access their data feed to select potential items for your target audience. Their dedicated affiliate team responds 24/7 with solutions and effective tips on boosting sales.
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7. Senpai Mart
Senpai Mart is a must-go online marketplace for anime and gaming enthusiasts with all the rarest items. Their three main collections include Korekushon, Ava Nice, and TEKI-On!.
Affiliates can join their anime affiliate program and enjoy a 10% commission on every successful sale. Senpai Mart pays affiliates monthly via PayPal if they meet a $50 payment threshold.
The brand gives affiliates various tips on promoting their products on different platforms. You can also customize affiliate links with relevant keywords to boost click rates and conversions.
You can apply for their affiliate program directly on the website. Their admin will review your application and notify you via email within 24 hours.
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8. CDJapan
CDJapan is one of the largest providers of Japanese CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, good characters, or plastic models. They also have limited editions of music albums and merchandise with autographs from famous artists.
The CDJapan affiliate program offers from 5% to 7% commission per sale, depending on your sale amounts.
- Less than ¥499,999: 5% commission
- ¥500,000 – ¥999,999: 6% commission
- More than ¥1,000,000: 7% commission
One special thing about this program is that you can earn a commission on your own purchases. The cookie duration lasts 30 days, starting when customers click on your affiliate link.
CDJapan issues affiliate payments monthly via PayPal. However, you must reach a ¥5,000 payment threshold to receive your earnings.
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9. Blippo
Blippo makes Japanese kawaii-inspired products with colorful and sparkle patterns. Besides fashion items and accessories, they also sell character-themed candy and snacks.
The Blippo affiliate program offers affiliates to earn from 8% to around 20% commission on every sale.
- Base commission: 8% commission
- Ambassador Level: 12% commission
- Blippo-branded products: 20% commission
You can earn more than $10 on each purchase with an average order value of over $50. Blippo pays affiliates on a net 60 basis if they meet a Rs 1,000 payment threshold.
You can make use of their pre-made links and banners in your content to drive more attention from visitors. Blippo also allows affiliates to use logos in all promotional campaigns to build trust with their audience.
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10. Xcoser
Xcoser distributes high-quality cosplay products inspired by anime, manga, and cartoon characters. They are known for their perfect molding and painting, making the items identical to the originals.
You can join their anime affiliate program via ShareASale and earn a 10% commission on all sales. Once you reach $2,000 in total monthly sales, the brand will raise the commission rate to 15%. You can earn $22,5 per sale with an average order value of $150.
You’ll also receive a $5 bonus on your first sale and up to $150 based on your sale performance. A 30-day cookie duration allows you to earn a commission for purchases within this period only.
The brand consistently updates new deals to help affiliates attract attention from the audience. Moreover, you can freely use their coupons to drive more sales from your target audience.
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11. Play Asia
- Commission rate: 12%
- Cookie duration: 6 days
Play Asia is a large online retailer of anime simulation games, music, movies, and toys. Their PLAY Exclusives Program produces thousands of limited-edition games based on famous anime series.
12. Ezcosplay
- Commission rate: 10%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
Ezcosplay designs and tailors over 3,000 different cosplay costumes with high-quality fabrics. They also customize outfits based on customers’ size and the originals’ materials.
13. Saiyan Stuff
- Commission rate: 5%
- Cookie duration: 120 days
Saiyan Stuff is the official distributor of Dragon Ball Z products and inspired items. They also offer the latest merchandise from top anime series like Weed & Stone, Demon Slayer, and One Piece.
14. Otaku Lamps
- Commission rate: 10%
- Cookie duration: Not mentioned
Otaku Lamps collaborates with anime and production studios to provide licensed goods. They specialize in making LED lamps and neon signs for anime and K-pop fans.
15. Champion Cosplay
- Commission rate: 5%
- Cookie duration: Not mentioned
Champion Cosplay custom-made outfits for movie, anime, and game character cosplays. They source unique fabrics and trims from over 200 global suppliers to replicate the originals.
16. StickerYou
- Commission rate: 5%
- Cookie duration: Not mentioned
StickerYou helps users print stickers, tattoos, labels, and decals in all sizes and quantities. Users can also customize items from their uploaded images or the platform’s existing artwork.
17. Anime Corner Store
- Commission rate: 5%
- Cookie duration: Not mentioned
Anime Corner Store is one of the largest manga and anime retailers in the world. They carry in stock over 19,000 anime and manga items, such as DVDs, music, books, toys, cels, and more.
18. Tokyo Otaku Mode
- Commission rate: 5%
- Cookie duration: Not mentioned
Tokyo Otaku Mode is a popular online marketplace for all authentic Japanese pop culture products. They also share the latest trends and create original content about otaku culture on their blogs.
How to create an affiliate program for anime brands on Shopify?
Anime product collecting has become a big part of fandom culture, with fans eagerly buying everything from figurines to clothing. The anime merchandise market is expected to grow fast, from $422.24 million in 2025 to $1.38 billion by 2032 (Stellar Market Research).
Affiliate marketing is one of the strategies that can help you benefit from this increasing demand. You can leverage the influence of trusted voices within the anime community to drive sales to your store.
To help you get started, we’ll show you how to start an anime affiliate program from scratch.
Find an affiliate management tool
Anime brands on Shopify need affiliate marketing software to run their programs smoothly.
While it’s possible to manage an affiliate program manually, it can become overwhelming. Tracking sales, managing partnerships, paying commissions, and handling other tasks will take a lot of time and effort.
So, how do you choose the right affiliate solution for your anime store among the many options available?
Perhaps you’re looking for software with a simple, user-friendly interface to get your program up and running smoothly.
Or maybe you need hands-on support to guide you through the setup process.
For more advanced needs, features like affiliate motivation and management automation tools may be essential.
And, of course, affordable pricing is key to ensuring a low-risk investment.
With UpPromote, you get all of this in one app. As the top affiliate marketing software for Shopify, UpPromote is designed to support businesses of all sizes, from small anime shops to large-scale enterprises.
With a free plan and a 14-day free trial for all paid plans, you can explore everything the app has to offer before making a commitment. At UpPromote, your experience always comes first.
Create an attractive commission structure
Commission rate is one of the first things affiliates consider before joining any affiliate program. After all, they just want to get a “fair” earnings for what they’ve put into promoting your anime products.
There’s no exact definition for a “fair commission rate”. It depends on various aspects, primarily product types, sales cycle, and average prices.
We’ve done a survey of over 133 anime and manga brands in the industry. Upon our survey, we’ve compiled some great insights on how they set up their commission structures.
We recommend you offer 12% to 15% commission on low-cost and small merchandise ($5-25) like phone cases, stickers, or pins.
One anime retailer on UpPromote tested 15% commission on each sale, and this rate works 2-3x better in driving qualified sales.
In terms of mid-ticket items ($30-100), our merchants often set the commission at 10 to 12% commission per sale.
One of our partnered anime stores saw a surge in sales after changing their commission from 5% to 10%. Their overall revenue went straight up 3 times compared to the previous months.
Meanwhile, brands with high-value anime merchandise ($150-500) offer a lower commission rate of 5% to 8% per sale. This rate maintains the brand’s margin while offering meaningful earnings.
Take a quick calculation, a $200 figure with 8% commission allows affiliates to earn $16, high enough to keep them motivated.
Set a cookie duration
Now that you have nailed down how to set a suitable commission rate, the next step is to set up your cookie duration. Basically, it also depends on what type of product your brand sells.
We’ve looked at most of our anime merchants’ offers and noticed some patterns to help you make an informed decision.
- Small merchandise & accessories: 5-7 days
We think 5 to 7 days works best for most anime accessories brands.
Generating sales within a short period is often easier for products like comics, small anime-inspired jewelry, or decorative items.
- Premium figures & collectibles: 60-120 days
However, premium anime merchandise offers cookie durations of 60 to 120 days. Most anime collectors take more time to research and compare the prices before closing the deal.
We once partnered with an online anime retailer, changing the cookie duration from 7 days to 60 days showed the impact. The conversion rate rose from 2% to 5% and the affiliate-driven increased by 120%.
Recruit affiliates for your anime affiliate program
To kick off a successful affiliate program for your anime merchandise Shopify stores, start by identifying the ideal partners. Then we’ll show you how to reach out effectively and bring them on board.
Who should be your target affiliates?
Many anime merchants find it struggle to attract the right fans. That’s why recruiting affiliates who already reach your target audience is essential for effective affiliate marketing.
From what we noticed from our anime brands, these target affiliates are often cosplayers, niche bloggers, and community influencers.
Anime content creators on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram are the most suitable partners for your affiliate program. These creators and bloggers focus their content on merch reviews, anime season updates, and have a genuine interest in anime.
We also think that partnering with fan-favorite cosplayers and artists is a great idea. We asked some of our anime merchants, and they said that reaching macro- and micro-cosplayers often delivers better ROI than chasing mega-name influencers.
That’s why we did some research and found several micro-cosplayers on Instagram with considerable followers. You can review their profile to see if they are the right match for your program.
- @pixelbitter (108,8k followers)
- @hana.cos (96,4k followers)
- @hitomi_okami_cos (88,4k followers)
- @daisy_cosplay (72k followers)
Or, digital artists on social media platforms can also be a great option if your brand is looking for fresh and on-brand content.
They produce creative content around anime series and characters, like fan arts and high-quality video edits. Their original creatives often drive 2–5x the engagement of normal product posts, turning art-loving followers into potential customers.
How to approach these target affiliates?
1. Manually reach out
Manually reaching out to anime affiliates can show your appreciation for their work and serious commitment to partnership. We’ve found some suitable channels for you to reach them and start building genuine trust.
Contacting via email is a great way to reach out to affiliates manually and professionally. After knowing which anime influencers or cosplayers are suitable, send a brief, personalized email pitching your collaboration idea and benefits.
If you don’t know how to write this type of email, follow our sample here:
Hi, [name of the influencers/cosplayers/artists]
My name is [Your name] and I’m the affiliate manager of [Your brand name]. We’ve seen some of your anime-related content, and they were phenomenal. We think that your profile matches our anime products.
Our anime brand is all about [describe your brand briefly].
We’d love to offer you an amazing marketing collaboration. We offer a [your commission rate] on each sale with [other things your brand offers].
If you’re interested in earning money from your content, please respond to this email.
Best,
[Your name] from [Your brand name]
Besides working emails, sending co-create offers through DM to invite micro- or macro-anime influencers can be a powerful icebreaker. A warm and anticipated message can spark their genuine interest. You can take this as an example:
Hi [InfluencerName]! 👋
I’m [YourName] from [Your brand name] – huge fan of your [specific cosplay/series review] on [Platform]. Your take on [detail you admired] was awesome!
I’d love to team up on an exclusive co-created drop: imagine a custom-designed sneaker inspired by your favorite character, plus a mini live unboxing/review for your community.
Here’s what’s in it for you:
• A custom discount code (15% off) just for your fans
• 10% base commission on every sale + bonus tiers
• Early access to new drops & sneaker samples sent your way
Interested in exploring this? If you’re up for it, I can share mockups and jump on a 10-minute call to iron out the details. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Another option is to join anime communities on Reddit and Discord to reach real fans and find your qualified affiliate partners.
It can be confusing since there are thousands of anime communities within these platforms. When we asked our merchants, most said their best affiliates were active members of flagship communities like:
- Discord: Anime Soul (700k members), Animazing Anime Discord (141k members)
- Reddit: r/Anime (14 million guests), r/Animemes (4.1 million guests)
One advice for you is to actively engage in major anime hubs and share your favorite series or characters. Once you’ve built rapport with these fans, naturally mention earning opportunities within your brand’s affiliate program during the conversion.
2. Set up registration form
The affiliate registration form creates the first impression for new affiliates. An on-brand form not only reflects your brand’s professionalism but also encourages affiliates to complete sign-up quickly.
This is the registration form of AnimexSneakers, one of our top anime merchants. You can see that they provide an on-brand theme with clear information about affiliate benefits.
With the help of UpPromote, you can customize your form following your branding and requirements. Besides basic personal information, several questions around anime interests and promotions must be answered to spot the right affiliate for your program.
Here are some suitable questions that can be added to your form:
- Which anime series or genres are you most passionate about?
- What types of anime content do you produce?
- What is your average monthly engagement rate (likes, comments, shares) on anime-related posts?
- Which product categories interest your audience the most? (figures, apparel, prints, accessories)
These questions allow you to review their past work and confirm if their content matches your anime-related products. Moreover, questioning about their monthly viewership and engagement helps you predict potential affiliate sales and boost ROI.
Provide anime-niche affiliates with marketing materials & tools
Whether they’re new recruits or seasoned partners, affiliates can hit the ground running when provided with branded marketing assets. This way, affiliates can easily align their promotional content with your brand’s images.
Affiliates in the anime niche are active on various platforms like Instagram, X, Reddit, and their forums for fans. You can send them fresh marketing assets following seasonal campaigns or special anime events to help them easily create buzz among fans.
The UpPromote Media gallery allows anime merchants to upload unlimited marketing assets within a single dashboard. Your affiliates can view, copy, and download these materials freely and share across multiple platforms.
It’s also a great option to provide affiliates with exclusive coupons and discount codes. Big brands like Anime Art Academy and Xcoser give their affiliates various coupons and exclusive discount deals every month.
Many of our anime merchants also admit that over 70% of their referrals regularly come from affiliates’ unique coupon codes. These codes are powerful assets not only in boosting traffic but also in generating quick conversions.
UpPromote allows merchants to assign a unique coupon code to each affiliate within a few simple steps. Plus, these coupon codes will automatically be sent to affiliates after they join their program.
Motivate your affiliates to boost sales for your Shopify anime brand
It’s always a great idea to keep your affiliates motivated with fair rewards for their efforts. The more rewards you offer, the higher conversions your affiliates bring.
An attractive commission plan is one of the first things to get affiliates excited about promoting your anime accessories or digital arts. You can use UpPromote to set tiered commission rates with specific goals and as many levels as you want.
If most of your affiliates often generate 10-15 sales per month, you can create a three-tiered commission structure to boost their effort. They can move up to the next tier following their sales performance and enjoy a better commission rate. Here’s what your commission structure will look like:
- Tier 1 (0-10 sales): 8% commission
- Tier 2 (11-40 sales): 10% commission
- Tier 3 (41+ sales): 12% commission
Another effective strategy is to layer in monthly cash bonuses around sales milestones. Most of our anime merchants share that giving extra bonuses boosts their affiliates’ monthly performance 2-3x times.
For example, affiliates who hit 20 sales per month can get an extra $50, while those reaching 50 sales get $150.
It’s easy to set up your affiliate program’s bonus within UpPromote in their Bonus & Gift section. You only need to select the bonus conditions, rules, and referral following a monthly or quarterly period.
Moreover, some anime merchants in our system often reward high-performance affiliates with exclusive anime goods. They set quarterly rewards with rare figures or artist-signed prints as a special prize for their best-performing affiliates.
If most of your affiliates are enthusiastic anime fans, this is a great way to motivate them. You can give monthly rewards to your top 3 high-performance affiliates with their favorite items within your store.
Plus, you can make it a sales contest and announce top performers in your private affiliate group on Facebook. This can maintain your affiliates’ excitement and fuel their competitiveness.
Conclusion
An affiliate program can bridge the gap between your anime brand and fans through passionate influencers and creators. Now, it’s time for you to start launching your anime affiliate program and boost revenue.
With powerful affiliate management software like UpPromote, there’s no hard work in doing all the above steps. We will guide you through this affiliate journey, from initial setup to ongoing optimization.
Ready to turn anime fans into your strongest ambassadors? View our pricing plans to choose the most suitable plan for your Shopify anime store.