Commission rules
The Amazon bounty program: every US bounty, what it pays, and the rules that cancel it.
Fixed payments for free trials and sign-ups, from $0.25 to $30. Every rate below is copied from Amazon’s own US commission statement, including the Audible numbers most guides get wrong.
38 bounties
Audible $20 trial
US store
The short version
- A bounty is a fixed fee for a sign-up, not a percentage of a sale. Same account, same tag, no application.
- The best-paying US bounties: Prime for Young Adults $30, Audible Premium Plus annual $25, Audible Standard trial $20, Amazon Business $15.
- The common ones are small: a Prime free trial pays $3.00, a Prime Video free trial $2.00.
- Link to the bounty’s own homepage, and the sign-up must happen in the same 24-hour session. Signing up yourself is forbidden.
Most of what an Amazon affiliate earns is a percentage of what readers buy. Bounties are the other half of the programme: a flat fee when someone you send starts a free trial or creates an account. They suit some sites far better than product links. A book blog sells few books at a few percent each, but an audiobook trial pays a fixed fee. This page lists every US bounty as Amazon publishes it, then the rules around them.
How a bounty is earned
Amazon’s Commission Income Statement defines a Bounty Event in two parts. An eligible customer clicks your link to a bounty-specific homepage on Amazon, and then, during the session that click starts, completes the action Amazon describes for that bounty. Three consequences:
- Link to the right page. Amazon’s table gives a homepage for most bounties, such as amazon.com/prime for Prime. A link to a product page will not earn the bounty.
- The session rules apply. The sign-up must happen inside the same session as normal purchases, which ends after 24 hours at the latest. How the Amazon session works covers the details.
- “Eligible” is Amazon’s call. Each bounty pays only for a customer who meets that programme’s eligibility rules, and Amazon decides.
Every US bounty and what it pays
Copied from the Appendix of Amazon’s US Commission Income Statement on 1 October 2026. Rates are per eligible event, in US dollars.
| Bounty | What the customer does | Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Prime | ||
| Prime Free Trial | Signs up for a Prime free trial | $3.00 |
| Prime Paid Membership | Buys a Prime membership | $3.00 |
| Prime for Young Adults Trial | Signs up for the trial | $30.00 |
| Prime for Young Adults Paid Membership | Buys the membership | $30.00 |
| Prime Access Free Trial or Paid Membership | Signs up or buys | $3.00 |
| Prime Sign Up at Checkout | Signs up for Prime while checking out | $3.00 |
| Prime Exclusives | Signs up for a Prime free trial | $3.00 |
| Prime Gaming | Signs up for a Prime free trial | $3.00 |
| Prime Video | ||
| Prime Video Free Trial | Signs up for a Prime free trial | $2.00 |
| Prime Video First Stream | A Prime member’s first eligible stream | $5.00 |
| Prime Video Stream | An eligible stream by a Prime member | $0.25 |
| Add-on Subscriptions: Free Trial | Starts a channel free trial | $2.50 |
| Add-on Subscriptions: Paid | Buys a channel subscription | $3.00 |
| Audible | ||
| Audible Standard Free Trial | Starts a Standard free trial on Amazon | $20.00 |
| Audible Standard Monthly Membership | Starts a paid Standard plan on Amazon | $20.00 |
| Audible Premium Plus Free Trial | Starts a Premium Plus free trial | $5.00 |
| Audible Premium Plus Monthly Membership | Starts a Premium Plus monthly plan | $10.00 |
| Audible Premium Plus Annual Membership | Buys a Premium Plus annual plan | $25.00 |
| Audible Audiobook (cash purchase) | Buys an audiobook for cash | $0.50 |
| Audible Gift Membership: 1 month | Buys the gift | $5.00 |
| Audible Gift Membership: 3 or 6 months | Buys the gift | $8.00 |
| Audible Gift Membership: 12 months | Buys the gift | $10.00 |
| Kindle Unlimited | ||
| Kindle Unlimited Free Trial | Signs up for the free trial | $3.00 |
| Kindle Unlimited Special Promos | Buys a special promotion | $3.00 |
| Kindle Unlimited Membership: 6 months | Buys the plan | $3.00 |
| Kindle Unlimited Membership: 12 months | Buys the plan | $5.00 |
| Kindle Unlimited Membership: 24 months | Buys the plan | $10.00 |
| Music | ||
| Amazon Music Unlimited Free Trial | Signs up for the free trial | $3.00 |
| Amazon Music Unlimited Paid Subscription | Buys a subscription | $3.00 |
| Amazon Music Unlimited Special Promotions | Signs up for the promotion | $3.00 |
| Prime Music Free Trial | Signs up for a Prime free trial | $3.00 |
| Everything else | ||
| Amazon Business | A business registers an Amazon Business account | $15.00 |
| Amazon Haul | First purchase from Amazon Haul | $4.00 |
| Amazon Baby Registry | Creates a registry and adds at least 1 item | $3.00 |
| Amazon Wedding Registry | Creates a registry and adds at least 1 item | $3.00 |
| Amazon Kids+ Free Trial | Signs up for the free trial | $3.00 |
| Amazon Kids+ Special Promotions | Buys a special promotion | $3.00 |
| EBT Card Registration | Adds an EBT card | $2.00 |
Amazon also lists two small “bonus events”: $1.00 when a Prime member makes a first purchase from the Amazon Fresh store, and $3.00 for a first purchase from the Pet Food & Supplies store.
The Audible detail that changes which link to use
Audible has two plans, and Amazon pays very differently for them. An Audible Standard free trial or paid monthly Standard plan, started on Amazon, pays $20.00. A Premium Plus free trial pays $5.00, a monthly Premium Plus membership $10.00, and an annual one $25.00. Amazon’s table gives each its own homepage. If your readers are new to audiobooks, the Standard trial page pays the most per sign-up. Check the current table before you build a page around it, because bounty rates change more often than category rates.
The rules that cancel a bounty
Amazon says it will not pay bounties that are disqualified for a violation or other abuse, and it decides what counts. Its own examples:
- Registrations with invalid email addresses.
- Bots or automated software.
- Several bounty events by one person, or repetitive events.
- Events that did not come from links on your Site.
Separately, the policies forbid taking a bounty action through your own links, or asking friends, relatives, employees or business contacts to. And a product covered by a bounty does not also earn the normal percentage: the Commission Income Statement excludes it from standard commission.
US only on this page. Amazon says bounty events are available in select countries, with each store’s own table. If you are in another store’s programme, open that store’s commission statement; the UK, Canada, Australia and India rate pages linked from the US commission rate guide cover their category rates.
Which sites bounties suit
| Site type | Bounty that fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Books, reading, self-improvement | Audible, Kindle Unlimited | A trial is an easier yes than a book purchase, and pays more. |
| Students and young adults | Prime for Young Adults | The highest single bounty in the table. |
| Small business and office | Amazon Business | $15 per registered business account. |
| Baby and wedding | Baby and Wedding Registry | Registry creation fits the moment readers are planning. |
| Film, TV, gaming | Prime Video, Prime Gaming | Small per event, but natural in the content. |
Bounty links follow the same disclosure rules as product links: a label near the link and Amazon’s sentence on the Site. See the disclosure guide. To see whether bounty pages pay their way, give them their own tracking ID; the tracking ID guide shows how.
Part of The Amazon Affiliate Site Playbook — the whole job in six stages, from choosing a niche to keeping a mature site earning.
Put the right link on the right page
Ama Affiliate Pro adds tagged Amazon links, including links to any Amazon page such as a bounty homepage, and shows which articles earn the clicks.
Common questions
What is the Amazon bounty program?
Part of Amazon Associates that pays a fixed amount when someone you refer signs up for an Amazon service, such as a Prime or Audible free trial, instead of a percentage of a sale. In the US it covers Prime, Prime Video, Audible, Kindle Unlimited, Amazon Music, registries, Amazon Business and a few more.
How much does Amazon pay for an Audible free trial?
In the US, $20.00 for an eligible Audible Standard free trial or paid Standard monthly plan started on Amazon, and $5.00 for a Premium Plus free trial. A Premium Plus annual membership pays $25.00. Figures from Amazon’s US Commission Income Statement, checked October 2026.
How much is the Amazon Prime bounty?
$3.00 for an eligible Prime free trial or paid membership in the US. Prime for Young Adults pays $30.00 for a trial or paid membership.
Do I need a separate account for bounties?
No. Bounties are part of the normal Associates account. You earn them by linking to the bounty-specific homepages Amazon lists, with your normal tag.
How long does a customer have to sign up?
The sign-up has to happen during the session that starts with the click on your link, the same session that limits normal commissions, which ends after 24 hours at the latest.
Can I sign up for a free trial through my own link?
No. Amazon’s policies forbid taking a bounty action through your own links, or asking friends, relatives or colleagues to. Amazon also disqualifies repeated events by one person.