Affiliate Commission Calculator
Calculate affiliate marketing earnings from sales, price and commission rate.
How affiliate marketing works
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based model where you earn a commission for referring customers to another company's product. You receive a unique tracking link; when someone clicks it and completes a purchase (or another defined action like a sign-up), you earn the agreed commission. No product to create, no fulfilment, no customer support — you get paid purely for the referral.
The business model scales well: once content or traffic is established, the same piece of content can generate commissions indefinitely with no additional work. This is what makes affiliate marketing attractive for bloggers, YouTubers, newsletter writers, and comparison sites.
Commission structures
| Structure | How it works | Common in | Typical rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay per sale | Fixed % of the sale value when a purchase is made | E-commerce, courses, tools | 5–50% |
| Pay per lead | Fixed fee when a visitor signs up or fills a form | Finance, insurance, SaaS trials | $5–$200/lead |
| Recurring | % of subscription revenue, every month | SaaS, memberships | 15–40%/mo |
| Pay per click | Tiny fee per click, regardless of purchase | Display ad networks | $0.01–$0.50 |
| Two-tier | Commission on your own sales + sub-affiliate sales | MLM-adjacent programs | 5–20% + 2–10% |
Recurring commissions are the most powerful structure for building long-term income. Referring a user to a $99/month SaaS tool at 30% recurring earns you $29.70/month for as long as that customer stays — every month, automatically.
One-time commission: $97 × 30% = $29.10 once
Recurring commission: $97 × 30% = $29.10 every month
→ After 12 months: $349.20 from one referralCommission rates by platform/niche
Key metrics to track
- EPC (Earnings Per Click). Total commissions divided by total clicks. This normalises your performance regardless of traffic volume and lets you compare programs: your current EPC is $29.10.
- Conversion rate. What percentage of your visitors actually buy? Even a small improvement (1% → 1.5%) increases income by 50% with no additional traffic.
- Cookie duration. Most programs attribute a sale to you if the visitor purchases within 30–90 days of clicking your link. Longer windows mean more of your referred traffic eventually converts.
- Chargeback / refund rate. High refund rates in digital product niches can significantly reduce real earnings below calculator estimates.
- LTV of referred customers. If you refer someone to a recurring subscription, track how long they stay. A 12-month average lifetime multiplies your effective commission dramatically.
Frequently asked questions
How is affiliate commission calculated?
Multiply the sale amount by the commission rate. A 5% commission on a 200 sale earns 10. For many sales, multiply by the number of conversions.
What is a typical affiliate commission rate?
It varies widely — often 5–30% for physical products and up to 50% or more for digital products and software, where margins are higher.
What is the difference between per-sale and recurring commission?
Per-sale pays once per purchase; recurring commission pays a share of every renewal for subscription products, which can be far more valuable over time.
What is EPC in affiliate marketing?
EPC means earnings per click — total commission divided by total clicks. It helps you compare how profitable different programs or campaigns are.
Commission = Product price × Commission rate % Total = Commission per sale × Number of sales Typical affiliate rates: Amazon 1–10%, SaaS products 20–50%, info products 30–75%.