The Official Amazon Associates Blog

Cool October Deals: Costumes, Fall Boots and More

We are excited to highlight several promotions during October for you to share. The following deals all start today so get started now. Read on to see our offers and how to build links to earn money!

Trick or Treat: Halloween Deals

We've selected popular deals for Halloween ranging from costumes to candy. We've also created special Halloween Banners for you to publish on your site. Browse the deals below and earn referral fees on subsequent qualifying purchases by copying the link format below and replacing "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

•    For a limited time, when you spend $50 or more on qualifying costume items with one of the sellers indicated on the site you will get $10 off the total cost of your order at checkout. Only purchases from participating sellers qualify for this promotion, and purchases from multiple sellers cannot be combined to qualify.  Offer valid through Oct. 22, 2009. Also explore kids' costumes and choose from Transformers, Disney Princesses, and many more.  http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?node=258061011&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20
•    Scare up savings on Halloween Candy: $15 off when you spend $39 or more on Hershey's, Mars, Nestle, or Wonka chocolate and candy products shipped and sold by Amazon.com Offer valid through Oct. 31, 2009. http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000428481&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20
•    To celebrate Halloween, our DVD Halloween Sale has DVDs as Low as $5.49 & Blu-ray up to 50% Off. And for the horror fans, there is a buy one, get one free Horror DVD Sale. Offer valid through Oct. 31, 2009.http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?docId=1000427401&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20
•    Get Free Shipping on qualifying orders of $25 or more of scary automotive skull accessories to dress up cars, trucks, and SUVs. Offer valid through Oct. 31, 2009. http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_p_6_0?rh=n%3A15684181%2Cn%3A!15690151%2Ck%3ASkull+Accessories%2Cp_76%3A1-%2Cp_6%3AATVPDKIKX0DER&bbn=15684181&keywords=Skull+Accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1253814188&rnid=331541011&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20
•    Create an eerie fog effect in your haunted house and save 10% on the Bel-Art Dry Ice Maker. Shop all of our dry ice makers here. Offer valid through Oct. 31, 2009. http://www.amazon.com/Bel-Art-F388740000-Dry-Ice-Maker/dp/B0013J1UTM?tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Fall for October Deals:  Fashion and Home

There are many other deals going on for the start of fall as well. Browse the deals below and earn referral fees on subsequent qualifying purchases by copying the link format below and replacing "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

•    Check out our picks for the biggest trends this season. Save $25 on $125 orders of select Fall Boots on Endless.com: Includes Nine West, BCBGeneration, Steve Madden, Jessica Simpson, and more! Offer valid through Dec. 24, 2009. http://www.endless.com/s/?keywords=fall+promotion&sort=-product_site_launch_date&node=242261011&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20
•    Save up to 35% on Halloween and harvest tableware perfect for fall entertaining and adding spooky delight to your dining room. Offer valid through Oct. 31, 2009. http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000425441&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20
•    For a limited time, enjoy savings of up to 25% on select Invicta watches sold by Amazon.com.  Offer valid through Oct. 10, 2009. http://www.amazon.com/s/?node=377110011&brand=Invicta&hidden-keywords=Fall-Mad&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE020

Build Links and Make Money

There are several simple ways for you to earn referral fees on any of the above promotions:

•    Browse our banners page in Associates Central and select from several different categories. There are many new banners that have been created with various sizes for you to easily publish on your site
•    Text links are also an easy way to link to these promotional pages
•    Visit product links and select the category and/or ASIN you want to promote from the drop down menu
•    Build a widget from our widget gallery to showcase the latest deals or let your readers know what you recommend with My Favorites!

Stay connected and follow us on Twitter and join our Facebook Page!

Take advantage of these limited time promotions, but please be sure to remove the links at or before 11:59:59 pm PST on the respective end dates when the promotions expire.

Announcing a New Low Price on Wii; Earn up to 8.5%

We are pleased to announce that starting tomorrow, Oct. 1, 2009, the Wii video game console will be removed from the excluded ASIN list and Associates will now be eligible to earn referral fees on qualifying purchases.

A new low price for the Wii video game console from Nintendo has also recently been announced!  On September 27, 2009, Nintendo released the news that the price for the Wii console was dropped from the original $249.99 to only $199.99.  Let your readers know the Wii console is available at Amazon.com with the new, low price of $199.99.

Build Links and Earn Money

Amazon Associates can take advantage of the buzz surrounding this new console price and earn up to 8.5% commission on each qualifying sale of the console that you refer.

To link directly to Wii console detail pages and earn referral fees on subsequent qualifying purchases, just copy the following link format, replacing “YOUR_ID_HERE-20” with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/Wii-Nintendo/dp/B0009VXBAQ?tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

You can create also create new Wii product links featuring the new price in Associates Central.

Save up to 60% on Select Athletic Shoes at Amazon.com

Let your readers know they can shop select athletic shoe closeouts on Amazon.com and save up to 60% on top brands like Adidas, Puma, Reebok and New Balance.  Use the links below to direct your readers to a special set of search results.

Build Links & Earn up to 8.5%

Men's & Women's
http://www.amazon.com/s/?url=search-alias%3Dshoes&field-keywords=fallcloseouts2009&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Men's
http://www.amazon.com/s/?url=node%3D679255011&field-keywords=fallcloseouts2009&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Women's
http://www.amazon.com/s/?url=node%3D679337011&field-keywords=fallcloseouts2009&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Announcing Widget Enhancements

We’ve launched two new features that make creating widgets a whole lot easier. You can now:

1. Create My Favorites, Slideshow and Carousel widgets from Listmania! lists

2. Create or update My Favorites, Slideshow, Carousel and MP3 Clips widgets from the Associates Site Stripe

How do I create widgets from Listmania?
Listmania! is a popular feature on Amazon.com which Amazon customers have created millions of product lists on various topics.

You can now use these lists to create widgets. To use this feature, first navigate to the widget creation page for My Favorites, Slideshow or Carousel. Then search for a topic that you are interested in (for example, ‘Valentine’s Day gifts’). Finally pick a product list from the results and you are done!

How do I create widgets from the Site Stripe?
The Associates Site Stripe appears at the top of every Amazon.com page and lets you build your Associates links and widgets right from the Amazon page itself.

You will now see an ‘Add to widget’ button on the Site Stripe while you are browsing a product detail page. Clicking this button will bring up a dialog box where you can choose to add the product being viewed to an existing widget or create a brand new widget. You can also modify a few convenient settings such as the widget size and basic color options. Finally, click the ‘Save and Get Code’ button to grab the widget code right from the dialog box itself:

More tips:
1. Use the Site Stripe to keep your widget content up-to-date. Remember, if you add a product to an existing widget, current widget placements are automatically updated with the latest product selection. You need not copy-paste the widget code again.

2. All widgets created from the Site Stripe will appear on your ‘My Widgets’ page on Associates Central as usual.

3. The Site Stripe currently supports the following widgets: My Favorites, Slideshow, Carousel and MP3 Clips.

Get started by browsing Amazon.com and clicking the ‘Add to Widget’ button on the Site Stripe. (Note: you need to be signed in to your Associates account for the Site Stripe feature to be visible).

Amazon Digital Deals for September; Earn 10%

Amazon invites you to go digital this month with exciting new offers and features from Amazon MP3, Video Game Downloads and Video on Demand. We've gathered our broadest selection of digital entertainment for you and your readers.

Below are just a few of the featured programs in September we wanted to share with you to help boost your referral fees. Remember, you get 10% for all qualified purchases of Amazon digital products! Also, if you haven’t done so already, learn more about marketing digital products with these great Amazon Associate Tools for Digital.

Amazon MP3
This month, Amazon MP3 has a great selection of new releases, 50 hand selected MP3 albums for $5 each, and their editors' picks for the 100 greatest world music albums of all time, plus over 25 world music sampler albums, which are all free for a limited time. Let us help you make 10% on all your qualifying referred sales at Amazon MP3. Pick up our fresh set of new releases, 50 for $5 MP3 Albums or our take a look at our World Music event. Check them out!

50 Albums for $5 Each
This month, our editors picked 50 great albums for just $5 each. This month’s selection includes something for everyone, including: Rolling Stones, Steely Dan, John Coltrane, The Roots, Willie Nelson, Gloriana, Marie Digby, Crystal Method, Fabolous and Shinedown. Below is an example of a banner to help you earn more referral fees- click on the image to take you to the banners:

50 for $5 Referral Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?ie=UTF8&docId=1000371251&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

New MP3 Album Releases Including Black Crowes “Before the Frost…”, $3.99, today only.
Today’s new Amazon MP3 releases includes The Black Crowe’s new MP3 album, “Before the Frost…Until the Freeze” at special deal price of $3.99 today only. We also have John Fogerty’s new album “The Blue Ridge Rangers Ride Again”, on a special limited-time sale of $3.99 (this week only). Other popular new releases include Whitney Houston, Willie Nelson, Ingrid Michaelson, Colbie Caillat, Arctic Monkeys, Jet, Phish, Chris Young, John Fogerty, Imogen Heap, and Drive By Truckers.

This month, we've gone a step further by offering the most popular new releases complete with banners to help you sell more. Click on the image to take you to the banners:

Not interested in a banner? To link directly to these artists’ new album pages you find on the New Releases page and earn referral fees on subsequent qualifying purchases, copy the link format and replace "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:  http://www.amazon.com/New-Future-Releases-MP3-Downloads/b/?ie=UTF8&node=307026011&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

100 Greatest World Music Albums – Plus Hundreds of Free Songs
This month we’re celebrating the 100 Greatest World Music Albums of all time. Editorially scrutinized and hand-picked, these are the quintessential world music albums by artists from around the world.

We have also gone a step further, and have compiled over 25 Free World Music Album samplers. This adds up to hundreds of free world music songs. Available for a limited time. Click on the image to take you to the banners:

100 Greatest World Music Albums and Free World Music Album Samplers: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?ie=UTF8&docId=1000410281&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Amazon Game Downloads: Buy 1, Get 1 Free Promotions
Are visitors to your website interested in casual video games? Millions of people are addicted to these games and Amazon Game Downloads is the perfect destination. This Fall is a good time to introduce your audience to Amazon’s latest digital store. Amazon Game Downloads invites gamers to play… and play again for free. Gamers get a free game from a selection of popular titles with the purchase of any game download in the store.

Satisfy everyone’s need to take a break and play a game while making 10% on all your referred sales at Amazon Game Downloads. Let us help you with one of our fresh banners. Click on the image to take you to the banners:

Game Downloads referral link: http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=979455011&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Amazon Video On Demand: Hit TV Seasons in HD Available to Watch Instantly
TV is back early this year and we’ve got a great offer for your audience.  This September, customers can catch up on hit shows like Battlestar Galactica, Kings and Heroes in HD for as low as $5.  Better yet, highlight Amazon Video on Demand’s $9.99 rental exclusive of Burning Plain before it hits theaters and let your customers decide if Charlize Theron’s latest film is worthy of early Oscar buzz.

The latest way to watch Amazon Video On Demand on your TV is also a great way to earn referral fees. Take advantage of the buzz around the launch of Amazon Video On Demand on Panasonic Bluray players and introduce customers to the latest way to instantly watch their favorite movies and TV shows, with over 1,500 titles available in stunning HD. Click on the image to take you to the banners:

Announcing New Low Prices on PS3 and Xbox360; Earn up to 8.5%

We are pleased to announce new low prices on the latest video games consoles from Sony and Microsoft.

On August 25, 2009, Sony released the newest member of the PS3 family. Slimmer, lighter, and only $299, the PlayStation 3 120 GB has Wi-Fi and a Blu-ray player built in. Additionally, PlayStation 3 80 GB and PlayStation 3 160 GB consoles are available on Amazon.com at new, low prices of $299 and $399, respectively.

The Elite and Pro versions of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console are also available at new, low prices on Amazon.com: $299 for the Xbox 360 Elite and $249 for the Xbox 360 Pro. Featuring a large library of great games, and an online community with over 20 million people to play with or against, the Xbox 360 is a must-have experience.

Build Links and Earn Money

Amazon Associates can take advantage of the buzz surrounding these new console prices and the launch of the PlayStation 3 120 GB, and earn up to 8.5% commission on each qualifying sale of a console that you refer.

To link directly to the Xbox 360 Elite and PlayStation 3 120 GB detail pages and earn referral fees on subsequent qualifying purchases, just copy the following link format, replacing “YOUR_ID_HERE-20” with your Associates ID:

Xbox 360 Elite: http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Elite/dp/B002KJ9XDE?tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

PlayStation 3 120 GB: http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-3-120-GB/dp/B002I0J4VQ?tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

There are brand new PlayStation 3 120 GB banner graphics available to you in Associates Central, including those shown below:

Mac OS X Snow Leopard Now Available; Earn up to 8.5%

Starting today, Mac OS X Snow Leopard is available for shipping at Amazon.com. Current Mac OS 10.5 Leopard users are eligible to upgrade to Snow Leopard at the very low price of $29.

Snow Leopard is a truly exciting addition to the Mac OS X line, with half the footprint of previous versions, great new features in Expose & Stacks, quicker Time Machine backup, and faster wireless network interaction. It’s the world’s most advanced operating system, finely tuned.

Build Links and Make Money

Amazon Associates are eligible to earn up to 8.5% on all qualifying purchases of Snow Leopard. There is no limit on the number of items on which referral fees are earned.

To link directly to the Snow Leopard landing page and earn referral fees on subsequent qualifying purchases, just copy the following link format, replacing "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000410511&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

We have also created new Snow Leopard banners available to you in Associates Central, including those shown below:

Earn 6% on Amazon Gift Cards, Just in Time for Back to School

Help send your favorite scholar off to school with an Amazon.com Gift Card – and earn 6 percent referral fees on qualifying Amazon.com Gift Card purchases. Your readers can choose from two Back to School designs aimed at school kids and college students, and can e-mail or print them for immediate delivery, or schedule up to a year in advance.

There are 3 easy ways your readers can give Amazon.com Gift Cards to their favorite students:

1) E-mail a personalized gift card for immediate delivery.
2) Print a personalized gift card on your own printer. (Remember to have your credit card handy when you're ready to print).
3) Schedule an e-mail gift card up to 12 months in advance.

Build Links & Earn Money
To link to the Gift Card page and earn referral fees on subsequent qualifying purchases, use the following link format replacing "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067L6TQ/?tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

We also have Amazon.com Gift Card Banners available to you in Associates Central.

Also, did you know you can get paid in Amazon.com Gift Cards? Take yourself shopping on Amazon.com (and avoid check processing fees) when you receive your referral fees as an Amazon.com Gift Card! Simply go to your "Account Settings" in Associates Central and change your payment method.

Promote Pet Goods with Amazon in August

Happy summer! Amazon continues to offer a broad selection of brands found in specialty pet stores for low prices. Amazon has an expansive range of pet products from carriers and crates, to food and treats, to health care supplies and more.

Below are just a few of the featured programs we wanted to share with you to help boost your referral fees. Remember, you can earn up to 8.5% for all qualified purchases of Amazon pet products!

Amazon Pet Products: New Banner Ads

We are pleased to showcase a new set of banner ads that you can use to promote Amazon’s broad selection of pet products. It's easy to advertise Amazon products by using our high-impact graphical banners. When you add these banners to your web page and visitors click on them from your page, you can earn up to 8.5% on all qualified purchases made during their shopping sessions.

- Many standard banner sizes and shapes available.
- Easy to add.
- Add Banners Now.

Build Links & Earn Money – Amazon Pet Store gets a face lift

Are visitors to your website interested in a specific type of pet? As the Amazon’s selection of pet products has increased, we have made it easier to locate the products for a specific type of pet.

To link directly to the promotions mentioned above and earn referral fees on subsequent qualifying purchases, copy the link format replacing "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

Dogs: http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=492846011%2C12923371&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Cats: http://www.amazon.com/b/?ie=UTF8&node=492845011%2C12923371&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Fish & Aquatic Pets: http://www.amazon.com/b/?ie=UTF8&node=492847011%2C12923371&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Birds: http://www.amazon.com/b/?ie=UTF8&node=492840011%2C12923371&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Small Animals: http://www.amazon.com/b/?ie=UTF8&node=492874011%2C12923371&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Also, save 30% on pet toys right now. From dogs to birds, all pets love to play. Save up to 30% everyday on our top-selling pet toys:

Pet Toys: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000409631&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Top Deals in Pet Products

Display the hottest deals from Amazon on your web page with the Deals Widget. You can narrow your selection by choosing “Pet Supplies” within “Home and Garden.” Start by selecting the widget size and the type of deals to display. Learn more.

To create a Pets Products Top Deals Widget, select “Deals by Category” with the following category selection: All Categories --> Home & Garden --> Pet supplies.

Amazon Movies & TV Sales: Art House, International DVDs, and Blu-ray

The Amazon Movies & TV Team is offering several special sales during the month of August.
First is our Art House & International Sale with DVDs as low as $5.99, from Aug. 3 through Aug 31, 2009, while supplies last.

To link directly to the Art House & International Sale page and earn referral fees on the subsequent qualifying purchases, use the following link format, replacing "YOUR_ID_HERE-20" with your Associates ID:

http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=672574011&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

Next is a great opportunity to build your Blu-ray collections with our Blu-ray 2 for 1 Sale. From Aug. 11 through Aug. 21, 2009 if you buy 2 Blu-ray discs from the sale selection you get one additional free Blu-ray disc while supplies last:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000413281&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

We are also celebrating our friends across the pond with savings of up to 50% off British TV & Movies on DVD. Sale dates are Aug. 4 – Sept. 1, 2009, while supplies last:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?docId=1000193711&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

And finally we are offering up to 60% off DVDs of our favorite funny TV families from July 28 through Aug. 17, 2009, while supplies last:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?ie=UTF8&plgroup=1&docId=1000404741&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

And as always we have great everyday savings on new TV and Movies releasing on DVD and Blu-ray. This month’s offerings include I Love You, Man, Gossip Girl: The Complete Second Season, Flight of the Conchords: The Complete Second Season, Hannah Montana The Movie and many more:

http://www.amazon.com/b/?&node=404332&tag=YOUR_ID_HERE-20

And we have NEW DVD Banners available to you in Associates Central, so check them out.
Take advantage of these limited time promotions, but please be sure to remove the links at or before the conclusion of each event (11:59:59 pm Pacific on the day each promotion expires). We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to terminate or modify the promotions described here.