If you’ve been promoting Amazon products for 3–4% commissions and wondering whether there’s something better, CJ Affiliate is probably the first network that comes up.
And for good reason. CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction) connects publishers with premium brand advertisers — companies like GoPro, Overstock, Priceline, J.Crew, and Office Depot — at commission rates that make Amazon Associates look like pocket change.
But here’s what the recruitment pages don’t emphasise: CJ Affiliate isn’t a beginner’s playground. Advertisers on CJ actively review applications and reject publishers without established traffic. The approval process, reporting tools, and advertiser expectations are built for people who already have an audience.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use CJ. It means you need to understand what you’re walking into.
This guide covers how CJ Affiliate actually works, what you need to get approved, realistic income expectations, and whether the network is worth your time compared to alternatives.
First A Quick Tip…
Hey, my name is Mark.
After 15+ years testing income methods, CJ Affiliate is a legitimate step up for publishers who’ve outgrown Amazon Associates. But it still requires significant traffic to generate meaningful income — and that traffic takes months to build.
The best method I’ve found for building recurring income is local lead generation. I build simple 2-page websites that show up in Google and generate leads for local businesses. Each site pays $500–$1,200 monthly, recurring, with 92–97% margins.
Go here to see the exact system I use to do this.
If affiliate marketing is your chosen path and you’re ready to move beyond entry-level networks, keep reading.
What CJ Affiliate Is
CJ Affiliate is one of the largest and oldest affiliate networks in the world. Founded in 1998 as Commission Junction, it’s now owned by Publicis Groupe, a global advertising conglomerate. The network acts as a middleman between advertisers (brands that want to sell products) and publishers (content creators, bloggers, and website owners who promote those products).
CJ doesn’t sell products itself. It provides the infrastructure: tracking links, reporting dashboards, payment processing, and relationship management between brands and publishers.
Key stats: Over 3,800 brand advertisers. Active in 200+ countries. Processes billions in annual sales. Pays publishers monthly via direct deposit or cheque.
How it differs from Amazon Associates: Amazon is a single retailer with its own affiliate programme. CJ is a network hosting thousands of individual brand programmes, each with its own commission rates, cookie durations, and approval requirements. Think of Amazon as one shop and CJ as a shopping centre containing thousands of shops.
How CJ Affiliate’s Commission Structure Works
Unlike Amazon Associates where commission rates are fixed by product category, CJ commissions vary by individual advertiser.
Commission types on CJ:
| Commission Type | How It Works | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of sale | You earn a % of each sale | 3%–50% |
| Flat fee per sale | Fixed dollar amount per conversion | $5–$200+ |
| Per lead | Paid when a visitor completes a form, signs up, or requests a quote | $1–$50+ |
| Per click | Paid per click (rare on CJ) | $0.05–$1.00 |
| Hybrid | Combination of per-sale and per-lead | Varies |
Cookie durations: Each advertiser sets their own cookie window — the time between when someone clicks your link and when a purchase still credits to you. Common windows: 7 days, 30 days, 45 days, and 90 days. Compare this to Amazon’s 24-hour cookie, and the advantage becomes obvious.
Real examples of CJ advertiser commissions:
- Travel brands: 3–8% per booking (on bookings worth $500–$5,000+, this adds up fast)
- Software/SaaS: $20–$100+ per sale or 20–40% recurring
- Fashion/retail: 5–15% per sale
- Financial products: $20–$100+ per lead (credit cards, insurance quotes)
- Hosting/web services: $50–$200+ per signup
The commission advantage over Amazon: A $200 sale on Amazon at 4% commission = $8. The same $200 sale through a CJ brand advertiser at 10% commission = $20. Same traffic, same effort, 2.5x the payout. For financial products paying per-lead, a single qualified form submission can earn $50–$100 — something Amazon’s model can never match.
How to Get Approved on CJ Affiliate
CJ’s two-layer approval process separates it from beginner-friendly networks.
Layer 1: CJ network approval. Create a publisher account on CJ.com. Provide your website URL, traffic information, and promotional methods. CJ reviews your application — this is generally straightforward if you have an active website with real content. Most websites with 10+ published articles and some organic traffic get approved.
Layer 2: Individual advertiser approval. This is where it gets selective. After joining CJ, you must apply separately to each advertiser whose products you want to promote. Each brand reviews your website, traffic quality, content relevance, and audience alignment independently.
What advertisers look for:
- Relevant content. A travel blog applying to promote Priceline makes sense. A gaming blog applying to promote Priceline will likely get rejected.
- Traffic volume. Premium brands prefer publishers with 5,000+ monthly visitors. Some accept smaller sites with highly targeted audiences.
- Content quality. Professional-looking website, well-written articles, clear niche focus. Sites that look hastily assembled or stuffed with thin content get rejected.
- Promotional compliance. Brands want publishers who’ll represent them professionally. Your site should have an FTC-compliant affiliate disclosure, privacy policy, and no misleading claims.
Common rejection reasons: Website too new (under 3 months), insufficient content (fewer than 10–15 articles), no clear niche relevance, low traffic, poor site design, missing legal pages (disclosure, privacy policy).
How to improve approval odds: Build your site for 3–6 months before applying to premium CJ advertisers. Publish 20+ high-quality articles in your niche. Get approved by smaller CJ advertisers first to build your publisher profile. Apply to advertisers whose products naturally align with your existing content.
Income Math: What CJ Affiliate Publishers Actually Earn
Let’s run realistic scenarios across different traffic levels and niches.
Scenario 1: Small niche blog (5,000 monthly visitors)
- Niche: Home office equipment reviews
- CJ advertisers: Office supply brands, desk/chair companies, tech accessories
- Average commission: $8–$15 per sale
- Conversion rate: 1.5% of clicks convert
- Click-through rate: 4% of visitors click affiliate links
- Monthly: 5,000 × 4% CTR = 200 clicks × 1.5% conversion = 3 sales × $12 avg = $36/month
Scenario 2: Mid-size content site (25,000 monthly visitors)
- Niche: Travel planning and reviews
- CJ advertisers: Priceline, hotel chains, travel insurance
- Average commission: $15–$40 per booking
- Conversion rate: 2% of clicks convert
- Click-through rate: 5% of visitors click affiliate links
- Monthly: 25,000 × 5% = 1,250 clicks × 2% = 25 sales × $25 avg = $625/month
Scenario 3: Established authority site (100,000 monthly visitors)
- Niche: Personal finance and credit cards
- CJ advertisers: Credit card companies, banks, insurance providers
- Average commission: $30–$100 per lead
- Conversion rate: 3% of clicks convert
- Click-through rate: 6% of visitors click affiliate links
- Monthly: 100,000 × 6% = 6,000 clicks × 3% = 180 leads × $50 avg = $9,000/month
The income curve: CJ earnings scale dramatically with traffic because commission rates are higher than Amazon. Doubling your traffic doesn’t just double your Amazon earnings — it can double or triple CJ earnings if you’re also moving into higher-commission advertiser relationships as your authority grows.
CJ Affiliate vs. Amazon Associates: Direct Comparison
| Factor | CJ Affiliate | Amazon Associates |
|---|---|---|
| Commission rates | 3–50%+ (varies by advertiser) | 1–10% (fixed by category) |
| Cookie duration | 7–90 days (advertiser-specific) | 24 hours |
| Product range | Thousands of brands across categories | Amazon’s product catalogue |
| Approval difficulty | Network + individual advertiser approval | Easy, almost automatic |
| Minimum traffic | Effectively 5,000+/month for premium brands | None specified |
| Payment threshold | $50 minimum | $10 minimum |
| Payment schedule | Monthly (net-20) | Monthly (60-day delay) |
| Reporting tools | Advanced, real-time | Basic |
| Best for | Established publishers with niche authority | Beginners, product reviewers |
When to use Amazon Associates: You’re just starting out, your content covers physical products with many variations, or you rely on Amazon’s massive catalogue and high conversion rate (people already trust and use Amazon).
When to use CJ Affiliate: You have established traffic, your niche aligns with premium brands, you want higher commissions and longer cookie durations, or you promote services/software/travel where CJ advertisers pay significantly more than Amazon.
The smart strategy: Use both. Amazon Associates for product reviews and recommendations where Amazon’s selection matters. CJ Affiliate for brand-specific promotions, service recommendations, and niches where CJ advertisers pay dramatically more per conversion.
CJ Affiliate’s Reporting and Tools
CJ’s reporting dashboard is more sophisticated than most affiliate networks, which is both an advantage and a learning curve.
Real-time reporting. Track clicks, conversions, and earnings in real-time. See which advertisers, pages, and links generate the most revenue. Identify underperforming partnerships quickly.
Deep Link Generator. Create affiliate links to any page on an advertiser’s website — not just their homepage. This lets you link directly to specific products, sale pages, or landing pages that are most relevant to your content.
Content Certification. CJ’s Content Certification programme verifies legitimate content creators and can provide access to exclusive advertiser programmes and higher commission rates.
API access. For advanced publishers, CJ offers API access for automated reporting, product data feeds, and link management.
Comparison to Amazon’s dashboard: Amazon’s affiliate dashboard is basic — adequate for beginners but limiting for serious publishers. CJ’s tools are designed for publishers managing multiple advertiser relationships across high-traffic websites.
Building a CJ Affiliate Strategy
Successfully monetising through CJ requires a different approach than Amazon affiliate marketing.
Step 1: Build your content foundation first. Publish 20–30 high-quality articles in your niche before applying to CJ advertisers. This gives you content to reference in applications and demonstrates your authority.
Step 2: Start with mid-tier advertisers. Don’t apply to the biggest brands immediately. Start with smaller CJ advertisers in your niche who are more likely to approve newer publishers. Build your CJ publisher history and performance metrics.
Step 3: Create content specifically for CJ offers. Write comparison posts (“Brand A vs. Brand B”), detailed reviews, “best of” roundups, and how-to guides that naturally incorporate CJ advertiser products. This content performs better for CJ partnerships than generic informational articles.
Step 4: Optimise for conversions, not just traffic. CJ advertisers track your conversion rate. Publishers with higher conversion rates get access to better commission tiers, exclusive offers, and priority support. Write content that pre-sells — readers who click should be ready to buy.
Step 5: Scale with data. Use CJ’s reporting to identify your highest-EPC (earnings per click) advertisers. Create more content around those partnerships. Drop underperforming advertisers and replace them with better options.
Building a CJ Affiliate Strategy
Successfully monetising through CJ requires a different approach than Amazon affiliate marketing.
Step 1: Build your content foundation first. Publish 20–30 high-quality articles in your niche before applying to CJ advertisers. This gives you content to reference in applications and demonstrates your authority.
Step 2: Start with mid-tier advertisers. Don’t apply to the biggest brands immediately. Start with smaller CJ advertisers in your niche who are more likely to approve newer publishers. Build your CJ publisher history and performance metrics.
Step 3: Create content specifically for CJ offers. Write comparison posts (“Brand A vs. Brand B”), detailed reviews, “best of” roundups, and how-to guides that naturally incorporate CJ advertiser products. This content performs better for CJ partnerships than generic informational articles.
Step 4: Optimise for conversions, not just traffic. CJ advertisers track your conversion rate. Publishers with higher conversion rates get access to better commission tiers, exclusive offers, and priority support. Write content that pre-sells — readers who click should be ready to buy.
Step 5: Scale with data. Use CJ’s reporting to identify your highest-EPC (earnings per click) advertisers. Create more content around those partnerships. Drop underperforming advertisers and replace them with better options.
CJ Affiliate by Niche: Where It Excels
CJ’s advertiser mix makes it significantly more valuable in certain niches than others.
Travel: CJ hosts major travel brands (Priceline, TripAdvisor, booking platforms, airlines, hotel chains). Travel content with CJ partnerships can earn $20–$100+ per booking compared to Amazon’s near-zero travel commissions.
Finance and insurance: Credit card companies, insurance providers, and financial services on CJ pay $30–$150+ per qualified lead. A single approved credit card application through your affiliate link can earn more than hundreds of Amazon product sales.
Software and SaaS: Many software companies use CJ for their affiliate programmes, paying 20–40% recurring commissions on monthly subscriptions. One referred customer generating $50/month in commissions beats dozens of Amazon product sales.
Fashion and retail: Premium fashion brands on CJ pay 5–15% commissions with 30–45 day cookies. Compared to Amazon’s 4% fashion commission with a 24-hour cookie, CJ is substantially more profitable for fashion content creators.
Web services: Hosting companies, domain registrars, and web tools on CJ pay $50–$200+ per signup. Tech review sites and “how to start a blog/website” content creators can earn significant commissions through these partnerships.
Niches where CJ is weaker: Low-cost consumer goods, niche hobby products, and categories where Amazon’s massive catalogue provides better selection. For a site reviewing $15 kitchen gadgets, Amazon’s broader inventory may serve readers better than CJ’s limited brand partners.
Performance Metrics That Matter on CJ
CJ’s reporting dashboard tracks several metrics that determine your success — and your access to premium opportunities.
EPC (Earnings Per Click): Your average earning per affiliate click. Higher EPC indicates better traffic quality and content relevance. CJ’s network average EPC helps you benchmark performance. If your EPC is significantly below network average, your content may need better pre-selling.
Conversion rate: Percentage of clicks that result in completed sales or leads. CJ advertisers monitor publisher conversion rates. Consistently high conversion rates lead to commission increases, exclusive access, and stronger advertiser relationships.
Click-through rate (CTR): Percentage of page visitors who click your affiliate links. Optimise link placement, call-to-action language, and content structure to improve CTR.
Revenue per visitor: Total CJ earnings divided by total site visitors. This metric reveals your site’s overall monetisation efficiency and helps compare CJ performance against other revenue streams.
Reversal rate: Percentage of commissions reversed (due to returns, cancellations, or fraud). High reversal rates can flag your account for review. Focus on recommending products that genuinely serve your audience to minimise returns.
Timeline Expectations
Month 1–2: Build website, publish initial content, apply to CJ network. Get approved to CJ (network level). Start applying to individual advertisers.
Month 3–4: Get approved by 3–5 initial advertisers. Publish CJ-optimised content. Begin earning small commissions (potentially $0–$50/month depending on existing traffic).
Month 5–8: Traffic grows through SEO. Apply to premium advertisers with your improved metrics. Monthly earnings potentially $50–$300.
Month 9–12: Established advertiser relationships. Content ranking in search results. Monthly earnings potentially $200–$1,000+ depending on niche and traffic.
Month 12–24: Authority site with strong CJ relationships. Monthly earnings potentially $500–$5,000+ for dedicated publishers in profitable niches.
The honest timeline: CJ Affiliate is not a quick-money platform. It rewards publishers who build genuine authority over months and years. Publishers earning $1,000+/month through CJ typically have 12+ months of consistent content creation behind them.
Common Mistakes with CJ Affiliate
Applying too early. Submitting advertiser applications with a 2-week-old website and 3 articles guarantees rejection. Worse, some advertisers won’t reconsider rejected publishers for 6+ months.
Ignoring niche relevance. Applying to every advertiser regardless of fit. A pet blog applying to promote enterprise software wastes everyone’s time and lowers your approval rate.
Neglecting conversion optimisation. Sending untargeted traffic to affiliate links. CJ advertisers monitor publisher conversion rates. Consistently low conversion rates can result in removal from programmes.
Not reading advertiser terms. Each CJ advertiser has specific terms: allowed promotional methods, restricted keywords for paid search, content guidelines, and commission structures. Violating terms can get you removed and forfeit unpaid commissions.
Over-relying on one advertiser. If your top advertiser changes commission rates, adjusts cookie duration, or leaves CJ, your income drops immediately. Diversify across 5–10+ advertisers.
Pros and Cons
Pros: Higher commission rates than Amazon Associates, longer cookie durations (7–90 days vs 24 hours), access to premium brand advertisers, advanced reporting tools, multiple commission types (per-sale, per-lead, hybrid), global advertiser network, Content Certification programme for legitimate publishers.
Cons: Two-layer approval process (network + individual advertisers), premium brands require established traffic, 60–90 day learning curve for dashboard and tools, $50 minimum payout threshold, monthly payment schedule with net-20 delay, individual advertiser terms vary significantly, not beginner-friendly.
Who This Is NOT For
CJ Affiliate is not the right choice if you’re just starting your first website, have no existing traffic, need immediate income, don’t want to manage multiple advertiser relationships, or prefer simple plug-and-play affiliate setups. Start with affiliate marketing fundamentals and Amazon Associates first, then graduate to CJ when you have traffic and content to leverage.
CJ Affiliate Alternatives
| Network | Best For | Commission Range | Approval Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| CJ Affiliate | Premium brands, established publishers | 3–50%+ | Medium-High |
| ShareASale | Mid-range brands, growing publishers | 5–30% | Medium |
| Impact | SaaS and tech partnerships | 10–50%+ | Medium-High |
| Awin | European/international brands | 3–30% | Medium |
| Amazon Associates | Physical products, beginners | 1–10% | Low |
| ClickBank | Digital products, info products | 30–75% | Low |
| Rakuten Advertising | Retail brands | 3–15% | Medium-High |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can you earn with CJ Affiliate? Earnings range from $0 to $50,000+/month depending on traffic, niche, and advertiser mix. Most active publishers with 10,000+ monthly visitors earn $100–$2,000/month. Top publishers in finance and travel niches earn significantly more.
Is CJ Affiliate free to join? Yes. Publishers pay nothing to join CJ or apply to individual advertisers. CJ earns revenue from the advertiser side.
How long does CJ approval take? Network approval typically takes 1–5 business days. Individual advertiser approvals range from instant (automated) to 2–4 weeks (manual review).
Can I use CJ Affiliate without a website? Technically CJ accepts some social media and email publishers, but most advertisers require a website. Having a website dramatically improves your approval rate and earning potential.
Does CJ Affiliate work outside the US? Yes. CJ operates in 200+ countries with advertisers across global markets. However, the largest advertiser selection serves US audiences.
The Bottom Line
CJ Affiliate is a legitimate step up from beginner affiliate networks, offering higher commissions, premium brand access, and sophisticated tools for serious publishers. It’s not where you start your affiliate journey — it’s where you go once you’ve built traffic, proven your content quality, and outgrown the limitations of Amazon Associates.
The publishers who earn meaningful income through CJ treat it as a business relationship platform, not a link-dumping tool. They create high-quality content, build genuine advertiser partnerships, and optimise based on data.
If you’re not at that stage yet, that’s fine. Focus on building your site and audience first. CJ will still be there when you’re ready.
And if the idea of building traffic-dependent income over 12+ months feels like a long road, it might be worth exploring business models with faster return timelines. Here’s the model I recommend for people who want to build real digital assets that show up in Google.
Related reading: Affiliate Marketing Guide · How Much Can You Earn with Affiliate Marketing? · Best Online Business to Start · Realistic Online Income Expectations · Local Lead Generation
Mark is the founder of MarksInsights and has spent 15+ years testing online business programs and tools. He focuses on honest, experience-based reviews that help people avoid scams and find real, sustainable ways to make money online.