Amazon Associates payment threshold: the minimum payout in every store.
What each store pays out at, by which method, when the money actually arrives, and the one fee worth avoiding. Every figure from Amazon’s own help and policy pages.
The short version
- US: $10 by direct deposit or gift certificate, $100 by cheque. Below $10, Amazon carries the balance into next month.
- Payment lands about 60 days after the month ends. January’s commission arrives in late March.
- Avoid cheques. Amazon US takes a $15 processing fee from every one. Direct deposit and gift certificates are free.
- Each store has its own minimum. Australia pays only by bank deposit, at 100 AUD. India pays by NEFT from ₹1,000.
Your first Amazon commission is usually small, and the first question after it is when it turns into money. The answer depends on two things you control, the store you joined and the payment method you chose, and one you do not: Amazon’s 60-day lag. This page puts all three in one place.
The minimum payout, store by store
| Store | Bank deposit | Gift card | Cheque | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $10 | $10 | $100 (minus a $15 fee) | Rolled into the next month below $10 |
| United Kingdom | £25 | £25 | £50 | The cheque minimum is double the bank one |
| Canada | 10 CAD | 10 CAD | 100 CAD (minus a 15 CAD fee) | Mirrors the US almost exactly |
| Australia | 100 AUD | Not available | Not available | Bank deposit is the only method |
| India | ₹1,000 (NEFT) | — | — | Bank transfer by NEFT |
The US figures come from Amazon’s US help pages on payment thresholds and cheque fees. The other four come from each store’s own programme policies, the same pages behind our full rate tables for the UK, Canada, Australia and India. All were checked on 1 October 2026. A dash means the store’s policy page gives no minimum for that method.
Each store is a separate account. Earning £20 in the UK and $8 in the US does not add up to a payment anywhere. Each balance has to clear its own store’s minimum on its own.
When the money actually arrives
Amazon describes payment as about 60 days after the end of the month the earnings belong to. Two smaller rules sit underneath that. A sale only becomes commission once the order has shipped, so a late-month order can land in the following month. And Amazon says a direct deposit can take up to five business days to reach your bank after it is sent.
The cheque fee, and why to avoid cheques
Amazon US deducts a $15 processing fee from every cheque. Its help page says the fee is waived only when your billing address is outside the United States and direct deposit is therefore unavailable to you. There is no fee for direct deposit or gift certificates.
Canada has the same shape, with a 15 CAD fee on cheques. If you are still on cheques, change the payment method under Account Settings.
Living outside the US? Use the bank transfer option
Amazon runs an international bank transfer option for associates of the US store who live elsewhere. Its FAQ says Amazon charges no fee for it, the exchange rate is the one applied by its banks on the day of payment, and the US thresholds stay the same. Your own bank may still charge to receive the money.
- Where to set it: Account Settings → Change Payment Method → Pay Me By Direct Deposit, then choose the country your bank is in.
- Check your country is listed. The UK and many euro-area countries are; Amazon’s FAQ has the current list.
- Do the tax interview first. Without it nothing is paid by any method. Non-US associates should read the tax interview guide before choosing how to be paid, because one wrong answer withholds 30%.
If a payment has not arrived
- Is your tax information on file and validated? Amazon says no payment can be made without it.
- Has the balance passed the threshold for your method? $10 is for bank and gift card; a cheque waits for $100.
- Has enough time passed? Count 60 days from the end of the month the sale shipped in, not from the sale.
- Is the account still active? If Amazon has closed it, see what happens to an account that is closed or not approved.
What you earn per sale is a separate question from when you are paid; the US commission rate guide has every category’s rate. If you earn from more than one store, localising your links by country explains which stores can share one account and which pay separately.
Part of The Amazon Affiliate Site Playbook — the whole job in six stages, from choosing a niche to keeping a mature site earning.
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Start a 14-day trialCommon questions
What is the Amazon Associates minimum payout in the US?
$10 for direct deposit or an Amazon.com gift certificate, and $100 for a cheque. Below the minimum, Amazon rolls your earnings into the next month instead of paying them.
When does Amazon Associates pay?
About 60 days after the end of the month the earnings belong to. Amazon’s own example: January’s earnings are paid in late March.
Does Amazon charge a fee to pay associates?
Not for direct deposit or gift certificates. In the US, Amazon deducts a $15 processing fee from every cheque, waived only if your billing address is outside the US and direct deposit is unavailable to you.
Can I get paid by bank transfer if I live outside the US?
In many countries, yes. Amazon’s international bank transfer option pays US earnings into a local bank account with no Amazon fee, using the exchange rate on the day of payment. Your own bank may still charge.
What happens to earnings below the minimum payout?
They are not lost. Amazon carries them forward and adds them to the next month, and pays once the balance reaches the threshold for your payment method.
Why has Amazon not paid me even though I passed the threshold?
The most common reason is tax information. Amazon says it must be on file before any payment can be made. The second is timing: a sale only counts once the order has shipped, and payment follows about 60 days after that month ends.