Christmas is always one of the most important holidays for US citizens at the end of the year. People are more willing to spend a large amount of money on decorating or buying gifts during this holiday. This festive season offers affiliate marketers a chance to earn serious income.
In this article, we’ve collected the top 13 affiliate programs for the Christmas holiday. These programs come from the top brands with high-quality products and lucrative benefits.
Quick Comparison
| Program Name | Commission (%) | Cookie Duration (Days) | Niche Suitable | Affiliate’s Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handmade X-mas | 11% (up to +4% incentives) | 60 | Christmas décor, handmade crafts, ornaments | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| OrnamentShop.com | 5% | 30 | Personalized ornaments, Christmas gifts | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| ClickMas Trees | 10% | Not stated | Fresh Christmas trees, décor accessories | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Uncommon Goods | 5% | 30 | Handcrafted gifts, holiday items, artisan products | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Ollny | 6–10% | 180 | Christmas lights, smart holiday lighting | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| UglyChristmasSweater.com | 10% | 30 | Christmas sweaters, novelty apparel | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| The Gift Experience | 5–17% | 30 | Personalized gifts, gift experiences | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Minted | 15% | 7 | Greeting cards, wall art, personalized stationery | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Christmas Lights By Design | 30% (courses) | 30 | Christmas lighting décor, installation training | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Not On The High Street | 3% | 30 | Unique gifts, multi-vendor holiday marketplace | ⭐⭐⭐ |
13 Best Christmas Affiliate Programs (Decorations & Clothing)
1. Handmade X-mas
Handmade X-mas handcrafts a diverse collection of Christmas ornaments for the tree and household decoration. They sell these colorful items in sets with different sizes and designs for consumers to find matched species for their place.
The Handmade X-mas affiliate program offers affiliates an 11% commission rate on every successful sale. Plus, you can earn up to a 4% added commission rate for specials and incentives. You’ll earn a commission if customers make a purchase within 60 days of clicking your link.
The brand pays you monthly after checking on all referral sales from the previous month. Payments are made exclusively through PayPal, so be sure to provide your account details during the application process.
You can download any banner template that suits your website from the marketing dashboard. Handmade X-mas will also regularly update their banners for affiliates to renew campaigns for Christmas.
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2. OrnamentShop.com
OrnamentShop has every Christmas item for decoration and gifting following the latest trends and family sizes. They personalized ornaments for each family with their photos to put on the Christmas tree annually.
Managed by CJ Affiliate, their Christmas decorations affiliate program allows affiliates to earn a 5% commission on each successful order. You can get approved commissions if customers purchase within a 30-day cookie duration.
OrnamentShop regularly updates its fresh creatives and text links to help you create visually appealing promotional campaigns. They also collaborate with Gen3 Marketing to offer you dedicated support in promotional content.
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3. ClickMas Trees
ClickMas Trees is a top online shop for finding fresh Christmas trees in all sizes. Besides, they provide numerous decorative items such as tree stands, lights, ornaments, and more colorful items.
When joining the ClickMas Trees affiliate program, you can enjoy a 10% commission on the sale value of each order. You can track your payouts in your dashboard and receive them on a weekly basis.
You’ll have a full collection of creative banners for your campaigns. Their eye-catching Christmas banners can drive more engagement from new audiences to your marketing channels.
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4. Uncommon Goods
Uncommon Goods sells unique and hard-to-find goods for holiday gifts, including Christmas. They specialize in selling handcrafted and ethically sourced items from independent artists and artisans around the world.
Once you join the Uncommon Goods affiliate program via Impact, you can earn a 5% commission rate on every referred sale and your own purchases. With a 30-day cookie duration, you can get a commission for purchases made within a month of customers’ initial clicks.
Uncommon Goods consistently updates their categories and promotions, including rare items for affiliates to boost conversions.
You also get high-performance product links to embed on various marketing channels. Plus, feel free to ask their affiliate management team for advice on your promotional strategies.
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5. Ollny
Ollny develops an exclusive range of smart decoration lights for special holidays like Christmas, Halloween or Thanksgiving. Their collection includes string, clusters, curtains, and more types of lights for different places in the house.
The Ollny affiliate program offers affiliates commission structure depending on each sale value:
- $0-100: 6% commission
- $100-200: 8% commission
- $200+: 10% commission
The cookie duration lasts for up to 180 days, which means you get a commission if customers purchase within 6 months after clicking on your link.
Ollny covers all the transaction fees when paying your commission payouts via PayPal. However, you only receive affiliate payouts once your account balance reaches $50.
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6. UglyChristmasSweater.com
UglyChristmasSweater.com has every funny and ugly holiday sweater in their shop for Christmas. Their sweaters are all inspired by trendy humor, movies, and even 3D designs.
UglyChristmasSweater.com runs their affiliate program through CJ Affiliate, a top affiliate network. The commission rate on each successful sale is up to 10% of the sale value.
Their 30-day cookie duration lets you earn a commission for purchases within a month of your customer’s first click.
The brand helps you boost sales with exclusive coupons and promotions. They will regularly update these special discounts during the holiday seasons for you to give your audience.
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7. The Gift Experience
The Gift Experience provides various gift suggestions on special occasions like Christmas holidays or birthdays. The brand also offers gift experiences such as spa days or helicopter rides.
You can join their affiliate program and enjoy earning up to 17% commission rate based on product types:
- Gift experiences without discount codes: 17% commission
- Gift experiences with discount codes: 10% commission
- Products without discount codes: 10% commission
- Products with discount codes: 5% commission
The cookie duration is 30 days, so you’ll earn a commission if your customer orders within a month of clicking.
You can find potential products in their product feed to promote to your target audience. Plus, you’ll have full access to their banners and links library to get suitable templates for your website.
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8. Minted
Minted sells custom-designed greeting cards, invitations, and other announcements from independent artists. They also create personalized wall art and home decor based on special themes such as Christmas, weddings, baby showers, and more.
After joining their affiliate program, you can earn a 15% commission rate per successful order. The cookie lasts for only 7 days, counting exactly a week from the customer’s first click on your affiliate link.
Minted regularly sends newsletters to announce promotions or advise affiliates on boosting sales. You can use these exclusive promotions to create appealing promotional content and persuade your audience to make purchases.
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9. Christmas Lights By Design
Christmas Lights By Design specializes in selling Christmas lights for both home and commercial decoration. They also create training courses on how to install Christmas lighting decorations safely on houses and trees.
As their affiliate, you can earn a 30% commission on every course subscription. If customers purchase within 30 days after clicking your link, you’ll earn a credit for their purchases.
Christmas Lights By Design pays affiliates monthly via PayPal or handwritten checks. As they check commissions on a net 40 basis, you’ll receive payment at the end of the following month.
The brand often sends affiliates email marketing tips on boosting sales and engagement. You can also leverage landing pages with detailed information and eye-catching images of their products. Any direct purchase on these pages will be tracked and counted toward your account balance.
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10. Not On The High Street
Not On The High Street has holiday and normal gifts from over 5,000 small businesses. Their diverse Christmas gift options cater to various recipients, personalities, and decor styles.
Their affiliate program is run by Awin, offering a 3% commission rate for affiliates on each qualified sale. As the cookie window is 30 days, you have a full month to earn credit for purchases from customers after their first click.
Not On The High Street provides a wide selection of updated banners and text links with attractive product images. These tools can help you create eye-catching content to attract a larger audience. Plus, the brand regularly sends newsletters to announce new launches so you can constantly update your promotions.
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11. Elf For Christmas
- Commission rate: 5%
- Cookie duration: Not mentioned
Elf For Christmas creates holiday-themed products following the Elf tradition. Their main offerings include toys, books, gift cards, and other fun items designed to bring joy to children during the Christmas season.
12. Christmas Tree World
- Commission rate: 5%
- Cookie duration: 30 days
Christmas Tree World designs artificial trees for Christmas with a natural look for home space and workplace. They also hold an annual contest for Christmas tree decorations to give ideas to their customers.
13. The Christmas Sleigh
- Commission rate: 5%
- Cookie duration: Not mentioned
The Christmas Sleigh sells handmade and quality Christmas-related products, from decoration items to clothes and food. The brand also crafts special Williamsburg Christmas decorations within 2 weeks upon special order.
Why Do Christmas Affiliate Programs Convert Better Than Year-Round Programs?
Holiday shoppers are ready to spend money and have a strict deadline to meet. The sense of urgency makes them much more likely to click your links and buy right away.
This section explains why Christmas offers generate more sales than year-round programs.
The Purchase Intent Difference: From Browsing to Buying Mode
The biggest mistake affiliates make is treating a December visitor like a June visitor. They are not the same person.
Think of year-round affiliate marketing like running a museum. Visitors wander in, look at the exhibits (your content), maybe read a plaque (your review), and then leave to think about it.
Christmas marketing is different. Visitors are sprinting through the aisles with a list. They want to grab specific items and get to the checkout counter before time runs out.
You can easily see it in the words they type into a search bar. Their search terms tell the whole story:
In October: A user searches for general terms like “kitchen gadgets” or “is an air fryer worth it?” They are just researching.
In December: That same user searches for specific phrases like “best kitchen gadgets for mom Christmas 2025” or “air fryer deals under $100.”
They have already decided to buy. They are just deciding which one and from whom.
Usually, a customer needs to see a brand seven times before they feel ready to buy. They need to be taught and guided.
But during the holidays, that slow process disappears. People move fast, and you must be ready to meet them at the finish line. ⚡
The Time Compression Effect: Why People Stop Waiting
If high intent is the engine of holiday sales, shipping deadlines are the gas pedal.
Most of the year, the biggest enemy is waiting. A visitor reads your review and likes the product.
But then they think, “I’ll buy it after my next payday” or “I’ll think about it tomorrow.” Usually, that delay kills the sale.
During the Christmas season, you can’t wait.
Around December 10th, shoppers start to feel a little bit of panic. They know they must order by a specific date, usually December 18th, or the gift won’t arrive on time. If they miss that window, they have nothing to give.
People will realize that buying a “good enough” gift is much better than showing up with no gift at all. This fear of an empty Christmas tree makes them act fast.
Normal times: A person might wait 3 to 7 days after their first click to buy something.
Holiday season: That same person buys within hours. ⚡
The numbers prove it. In the two weeks before Christmas, same-day sales jump by 250%.
The “Wallet Open” Psychology: Why Price Sensitivity Drops
When people buy things for themselves, they are very careful. They hunt for coupons, wait for sales, and worry over small price differences.
But when they buy a gift, their goal flips. They care less about saving money and more about making a good impression.
Psychologists call this “mental accounting.” A shopper might feel guilty spending $50 on a gadget for themselves.
However, they have already decided to spend $50 on a gift for their brother. As long as the item fits that $50 budget, they will buy it without a second thought. 🎁
Data from Shopify shows that shoppers spend 15% to 30% more during the holidays. They are looking for a gift that is high quality, so it won’t be returned.
Because people are willing to spend more, you can promote more expensive items.
- Year-Round: You promote the “best value” headphones ($50).
- Christmas: You promote the “best overall” headphones ($150) because the buyer wants the recipient to feel spoiled.
Higher conversion rates on higher-priced items create the “revenue multiplier” that makes December so profitable.
How to Choose the Right Christmas Affiliate Program?
Don’t be fooled by high commission rates. A 50% payout is worthless if the product is boring or arrives too late for Christmas.
Success in December isn’t just about the money. It is about reliability and fast shipping. The wrong program can ruin your sales right when your traffic is at its highest.
Here is the framework for picking programs that help you drive sales during the holiday rush.
Match Program Categories to Your Audience Demographics
The golden rule of Christmas marketing is simple: match your products to your audience. You cannot force people to buy things they don’t want just because the commission is high.
If you run a tech blog, don’t try to sell beauty products. Your readers trust you for tech advice, not skincare tips. To make money, you must match your gift ideas to the people who already visit your site.
You should look at your data to see who is reading your content. Once you know your audience, you can pick the right gifts for them:
- Young women: Focus on beauty, fashion, or home decor.
- Tech fans: Focus on gaming gear and smart gadgets.
- Parents: Focus on toys, board games, and home items.
- Professionals: Focus on office tools and high-end tech.
You don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket, but you also don’t want to confuse your readers. Consider this simple balance:
70% core products: These are a perfect fit for your niche. This is where most of your money will come from. 🏠
30% fun extras: These are seasonal items that are slightly different but still related. For example, a tech site could promote “geeky” Christmas sweaters. 👕🎄
Evaluate Commission Structures Beyond the Headline Rate
Don’t be fooled by the “Headline Rate.” A program offering 20% commission might actually pay you less than a program offering 5%.
You need to do the math on the True Earning Potential.
Let’s look at two scenarios:
Program A: Sells $30 t-shirts with a 20% commission => You earn $6.00 per sale.
Program B: Sells $300 coffee makers with a 5% commission. => You earn: $15.00 per sale.
To match Program B’s revenue, you would need to sell 2.5 times as many t-shirts. In the noisy holiday season, getting volume is hard. Getting value is easier.
However, even if the math looks good, you must check the fine print for these holiday killers:
- Payment Terms: If they are on “Net-60” terms, sales you make in December won’t hit your bank account until March. Can your cash flow handle that?
- Cookie Duration: During Christmas, people browse today and buy later. A 24-hour cookie is tough. A 30-day cookie is a goldmine.
- Commission Caps: Some programs cap your earnings after a certain amount. Avoid these.
- Return Policy: January is “Return Season.” Ensure the program doesn’t have a long window for taking back commissions on returns.
Verify Program Reliability and Payment Track Record
You could make a million dollars in sales, but it means nothing if the company disappears in January.
If they “ghost” you, all your hard work is wasted. You must ensure your partner is reliable before sending them any traffic.
Don’t just believe what a company says on their website. You need to do your own research:
🔍 Search for red flags: Look up the program name along with the words “scam” or “payment issues.”
🚩 Check the forums: Read sites like Reddit to see what other people are saying. If you see a pattern of late payments or bad managers, stay away.
📧 The “Hello” test: Send their support team a simple email. If they don’t reply within two days in October, they definitely won’t help you when things get busy in December.
Once you know they are honest, you have to decide how to sign up. There are two main choices.
First, you work directly with the brand. These often pay more because there is no middleman taking a cut.
Meanwhile, these are large platforms that host many brands. They are safer because the network handles tracking and ensures the brand follows the rules.
No matter what path you choose, what program you join, you should double-check the contract for two “holiday killers”:
Payment timing
“Net-30” is the standard. It means you get paid 30 days after the sale.
But watch out for “Net-90.” That means you have to wait three months for your money. Make sure you can wait that long before you sign up.
The “Breakup” rule
Look at the termination clause. You want to make sure they can’t close your account for no reason and keep your unpaid money. Some shady companies use this trick to avoid paying their affiliates after a big season.
Consider Program Promotional Resources and Support
In December, time is your most valuable asset. You don’t have time to take custom photos of 50 different products or manually copy-paste specs.
The best affiliate programs don’t just give you a link; they give you a toolkit.
High-quality images: If a program provides a folder of hi-res lifestyle photos, you save 2-5 hours of image sourcing per article.
Data feeds: A CSV file of product specs allows you to auto-populate comparison tables instead of typing data manually.
The seasonal calendar: The best managers send you a “Q4 Cheat Sheet” in October, listing every upcoming sale and shipping deadline. This lets you schedule your content in advance.
One important thing is to ask the affiliate manager: “How is your inventory depth for December?” Nothing kills conversions faster than sending traffic to a “Sold out” page.
✅ Good answer: “We have 3x stock for Q4 and backup SKUs if we run out.”
❌ Bad answer: “We’re hoping our shipment arrives in time.”
What Are the Best Traffic Sources for Christmas Affiliate Promotions?
During the rest of the year, you can afford to test traffic sources slowly. But Q4 is a sprint. You have a strict 60-90 day window to make your money. If you pick a traffic source that takes four months to mature, you’ll miss the entire season.
The “best” source depends entirely on two variables: your budget and when you start.
Here is the breakdown of which channels can actually deliver results before December 25th.
Organic Search (SEO): Best for Early Planners with Time to Rank
SEO is the gold standard for ROI, but it has one major weakness: It is slow.
If you are reading this in November and starting a brand new site, skip this section. You won’t rank in time.
But if you plan ahead (August-September) or have an existing site, SEO offers the highest conversion rates in the game.
Google doesn’t trust new content instantly. You need to match your site’s authority to the calendar.
New sites (0-6 months old): You need 3-6 months to rank. Start writing in July or August. Focus on ultra-specific keywords (Keyword Difficulty < 15).
Established sites (6+ months): You can rank in 4-8 weeks. Start publishing in September. Target medium competition terms (KD 15-30).
Authority sites (Years old): You can rank in 2-4 weeks. You can wait until October to target high-volume terms.
SEO costs very little money, but it takes a lot of time. You might spend 20 to 40 hours on one single guide.
The reward is worth it because the “traffic quality” is excellent. When someone types “best gaming headset” into Google, they are ready to buy. You don’t have to personade them; you just have to show them the right choice. 💳
Because SEO takes so long, you must change your plan based on the calendar. Here is how to spend your time:
- Start in Aug-Sept: Make SEO 60-70% of your strategy.
- Start in Oct: Drop it to 40-50%.
- Start in Nov: Drop it to 20-30% and pivot to paid or social.
Pinterest: Visual Discovery for Gift Ideas and DIY Content
If Google is for people who know what they want, Pinterest is for people looking for inspiration.
This makes it the perfect “Gift Discovery Engine.” Users flock to Pinterest to find ideas, often starting as early as September.
The content that wins usually looks like this:
📚 Beautiful gift lists: Use pretty picture collages like “10 Cozy Gifts for Book Lovers.”
🏷️ Price guides: Everyone loves a bargain. Try “20 Stocking Stuffers Under $30.”
🛠️ How-to guides: Show people how to make a craft and link to the supplies they need.
To reach the most people, you need to follow a seasonal schedule. Your timing matters just as much as your photos:
- Aug-Sept: Create your boards and seed them with 50+ pins.
- October: Ramp up activity. Pin 10-15 times daily. Join Group Boards to expand reach.
- Nov-Dec: Stop creating new content. Focus purely on re-pinning your top performers.
Email Marketing: Highest Conversion Rates for Engaged Subscribers
If SEO is the long game and Pinterest is the volume game, Email Marketing is the revenue game.
This is the only channel you truly own. Google can de-rank you. Facebook can ban you. But your email list is yours forever. And during Christmas, it is a money-printing machine.
Why is email so much better than other methods? It is because your readers already trust you.
New visitors: Only 1% to 3% of people from Google or social media will buy something. They don’t know you yet.
Email subscribers: Between 5% and 15% of your subscribers will buy. They already like your work. 📈
Even better, people who click on emails usually spend 20% to 30% more than other shoppers. They aren’t just looking; they are ready to shop.
What you should do is to prepare a smart plan that follows the holiday season:
| Period | Strategy & Content |
| Early October | Preparation: Share gift planning guides and engage audience without hard selling. |
| November | Targeted Guides: Focus on specific personas (e.g., “Gifts for Dad”) to help find exact items. |
| Black Friday Week | Daily Deals: Increase frequency to daily; highlight major savings and top discounts. |
| Mid-December | Last-Minute: Focus on fast-shipping products and instant digital gift cards. |
YouTube: Product Reviews and Unboxing for Visual Shoppers
Reading about a drone is one thing. Watching it fly is another.
For niches like Tech, Toys, and Beauty, YouTube beats a blog post because it solves the “Trust Gap.” Shoppers are terrified of buying junk gifts. Video proof eliminates that fear.
YouTube allows you to demonstrate quality in a way that text cannot. There are high-performing formats for your videos:
- Roundups: “Top 10 Gifts for Gamers Under $100” (Massive search volume).
- Unboxing: Show exactly what the recipient will see when they open the box.
- “Vs” Battles: Compare two popular items (e.g., “Kindle vs. Kobo”).
However, you should note down that YouTube is high effort. A quality video takes 5-10 hours to script, shoot, and edit. For new channels, you may expect a 3-6 month ramp-up time.
FAQs
1. What are Christmas affiliate programs?
Christmas affiliate programs allow affiliates to earn commissions by promoting seasonal holiday products such as gifts, decorations, apparel, toys, ornaments, trees, lights, and personalized items during the Christmas shopping season.
2. How much commission do Christmas affiliate programs pay?
Most Christmas affiliate programs offer 5%–20% commissions, with some personalized or handmade product programs paying up to 30% or more.
3. What is the average cookie duration for Christmas affiliate programs?
Most programs offer cookie durations between 7 and 60 days, depending on the network and merchant.
4. Can Christmas affiliate programs work with TikTok and Reels?
Yes. Short-form video platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts perform extremely well for Christmas affiliate marketing, especially for gift ideas, unboxings, and last-minute gift recommendations.
5. Do Christmas affiliate programs accept international affiliates?
Most Christmas affiliate programs accept affiliates worldwide, but commission payouts, shipping availability, and conversion rates may vary by country.
6. Can Christmas affiliate programs be combined with email marketing?
Yes. Christmas email gift guides often produce some of the highest affiliate ROI of the year.
Conclusion
Your Christmas affiliate program can turn your holiday sales from okay to amazing. When you pick the right products, offer fair payments, and find people who really love your brand, you build a team that wants to help you succeed.
The secret is keeping things simple for your affiliates while giving them what they need to do well. With good tracking, you’ll quickly see what’s working and do more of it.
You don’t have to fight for customers all by yourself during the busy holiday season. Start building your affiliate team now, and watch as excited fans help spread the word about your products while your sales grow bigger and bigger
Ellie Tran, a seasoned SEO content writer with three years of experience in the eCommerce world. Being a part of the UpPromote team, Ellie wants to assist Shopify merchants in achieving success through useful content & actionable insights. Ellie's commitment to learning never stops; she's always eager to gain more knowledge about SEO and content marketing to create valuable content for users. When she's not working on content, Ellie enjoys baking and exploring new places.
