Share A Sale Affiliate Network Review: Key Takeaways

If you’re just getting your feet wet in affiliate marketing, you’ve probably asked the big question: “Is ShareASale actually any good?” Let me cut to the chase—yes, it absolutely is. For beginners and even intermediate marketers, it’s a solid, reliable platform that has been a cornerstone of the industry for a long time.

Our Verdict on the ShareASale Affiliate Network

The world of affiliate marketing is noisy. You’ve got dozens of platforms all screaming for your attention, and it can be tough to know where to start. ShareASale has managed to stay relevant by nailing the fundamentals: it’s easy to use, has a mind-boggling number of merchants, and their payment system is dependable.

This combo makes it a fantastic starting point. You can get in, find products, and start monetizing your content without needing a PhD in affiliate marketing. Of course, success isn’t just handed to you—you still need a real content strategy. But the platform gives you all the tools you need to make it happen.

The network’s reputation is built on being transparent and offering a huge variety of merchants. It holds a respectable 6.27% of the global affiliate market share, making it the fourth-largest network on the planet. That’s not just a vanity metric; it shows that tons of affiliates and brands trust it across countless industries, from fashion and tech to home decor. If you want to see the bigger picture, you can discover more insights about affiliate marketing statistics to see how ShareASale fits in.

A First Look at the Platform

When you land on the ShareASale homepage, you’re greeted with a clean, no-nonsense layout. It clearly separates its users into three camps: merchants, agencies, and affiliates.

There’s no confusion here. The navigation points you right to the “Affiliate Sign Up,” making it obvious that they want to make the process as smooth as possible for publishers like us.

ShareASale at a Glance for Affiliates

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, here’s a quick snapshot of what ShareASale brings to the table for an affiliate marketer.

All in all, ShareASale is a workhorse. It might not be the flashiest network out there, but it delivers where it counts: variety, reliability, and usability. It’s a platform built to help you get down to business and start earning.

Understanding Affiliate Networks vs Sub-Networks

To really get where a platform like ShareASale fits into the big picture, you first have to understand a key difference in how affiliate platforms are structured. Not every service that helps you make money from your content works the same way. The affiliate world is basically split into two camps: traditional affiliate networks and what are often called sub-networks (or content monetization platforms).

Let’s use an analogy. Think of traditional affiliate networks like ShareASale, AWIN, Commission Factory, and Impact as massive, exclusive shopping malls. Every store inside that mall is an individual brand with its own products and its own set of rules.

To promote a store from this mall, you have to walk up to that specific store, introduce yourself, and formally apply to be one of their partners. If they say yes, you’ve got a direct relationship.

This direct partnership is the bedrock of the traditional network model. It usually comes with some nice perks, like higher commission rates, a direct line to the brand’s affiliate manager, and super-detailed analytics on how you’re performing with that specific merchant. The catch? It takes more work upfront because you have to get approved by each brand, one by one.

The Rise of Automated Convenience

On the flip side, you have sub-networks like Skimlinks and Brand Reward. Sticking with our analogy, these guys aren’t the mall itself—they’re more like a helpful concierge who happens to hold a master key to every single store.

Instead of applying to each store individually, you just get approved by the concierge once. Boom. You get instant access to thousands of merchants across all sorts of networks, many of which are the same brands you’d find on ShareASale or AWIN. The whole thing is pretty much automated. These platforms use a bit of code on your site to automatically turn any regular product link into an affiliate link. Easy peasy.

This model is all about convenience and is a great fit for creators who want to monetize their content without the headache of managing dozens of individual applications. If you’re curious about this more hands-off approach, our detailed Skimlinks affiliate network review digs into how this automated system works in the real world.

Of course, that convenience comes at a price. The concierge (the sub-network) takes a small slice of your commissions for their trouble, usually around 25%. This means the cash you take home from each sale will be a bit lower than if you had that direct relationship with the merchant yourself.

Comparing the Two Models

Let’s break down the key differences so you can figure out which path makes the most sense for your affiliate strategy.

Ultimately, the choice between these two models comes down to your goals. If you’re looking to build high-value, lasting relationships with a handful of key brands, a traditional network like ShareASale is the way to go. But if you just want to monetize a wide variety of content with as little fuss as possible, a content monetization platform offers a powerful, automated solution.

No matter which network you choose, getting targeted traffic is what makes you money. To really monetize your content effectively, you need solid strategies for bringing in visitors. I’d recommend digging deeper into how blogging grows organic traffic to understand its importance for your online visibility.

A Look at ShareASale’s Key Features and Tools

A good affiliate network is more than just a big list of brands; it’s your toolbox for building a real business. ShareASale gives you a bunch of solid, practical tools that get the job done. They might not win any design awards, but they’re powerful enough to grow your income.

Getting a handle on these core features is the first real step to turning your content into a reliable paycheck.

Finding the Right Partners with Merchant Search

The Merchant Search tool is pretty much your command center. This is where you’ll dig through the thousands of affiliate programs to find the ones that actually make sense for your audience. It lets you slice and dice the massive directory with real precision.

You can’t just pick brands you like; you need data to make smart choices. This tool helps you cut through the noise and zero in on programs that have the best shot at making you money. It feels less like wandering through a mall and more like having a treasure map.

You can filter merchants using a few key stats:

• Earnings Per Click (EPC): This number tells you the average earnings for every 100 clicks sent to a merchant. A high EPC is a huge green flag, suggesting the program converts well and pays decently.
• Power Rank: This is ShareASale’s own internal ranking. A high Power Rank means the merchant is a top performer on the network, usually with a solid history of sales and happy affiliates.
• Commission Rate: You can filter by percentage or a flat-rate commission. Whether you’re after high-volume, low-commission products or the other way around, this filter gets you there fast.

Using these filters smartly helps you build a lineup of affiliate programs that are not just a good fit for your audience but are also statistically likely to perform. This data-first approach is what separates the pros from the amateurs. While ShareASale gives you the tools, brushing up on general campaign optimization strategies will only sharpen your results.

Getting the Hang of the Linking Tools

Once a merchant approves you, it’s time to create and place your affiliate links. ShareASale has a handful of different tools for this, which is great because they cater to different needs and tech skills.

The most basic options are Text Links and Banners. These are exactly what they sound like: pre-made links and images you can just copy and paste into your blog posts, emails, or wherever. They’re perfect for beginners or for when you just need to get a link up quickly.

If you want to get a little more creative, ShareASale has advanced widgets that can seriously boost engagement and sales—without you having to touch a line of code.

For instance, the Product Showcase tool lets you build a clean, grid-style gallery of specific products from a merchant. You can hand-pick the items yourself, which is perfect for “Top 10” lists or holiday gift guides. The Make-A-Page widget is another cool one; it lets you build a custom storefront of a merchant’s products right on your own site, creating a really smooth shopping experience for your visitors.

Making Sense of the Reporting Dashboard

Data is everything in affiliate marketing. If you can’t see what’s working, you’re just guessing. ShareASale’s reporting dashboard gives you real-time feedback on how your campaigns are doing, so you can make smarter decisions.

The dashboard lets you track all the essential metrics:

• Clicks: See how many people are actually clicking your links.
• Sales: Watch the conversions roll in as they happen.
• Commissions: Track your earnings in real-time.

You can break this data down by different timeframes, merchants, or even by specific links. This level of detail helps you pinpoint your best-performing content and most profitable partners. From there, you just double down on what works and tweak the rest. This constant loop of trying, tracking, and adjusting is what will ultimately make you successful.

How to Navigate the ShareASale Dashboard

Jumping into a new affiliate platform can feel like being handed the keys to a spaceship with no instruction manual. Let’s be honest, the ShareASale dashboard looks a bit dated. But once you know your way around, you’ll see it’s actually pretty straightforward and packed with all the data you need.

This walkthrough will get you from sign-up to finding your first merchant, so you can start earning commissions without fumbling around. The first step is getting your account approved, which is easy as long as you have your ducks in a row.

Your Step-by-Step Onboarding Guide

Getting approved is the first hurdle. ShareASale needs to see that you’re a real person with a legitimate way to promote products, whether that’s a blog, a website, or a solid social media presence.

1. Create Your Account: This is the easy part. Just enter your username, password, and country.
2. Detail Your Promotional Method: Pay attention here, because this is the most important step. You have to clearly explain your main promotional strategy. Get specific about your niche, who your audience is, and how you plan to send traffic to merchants.
3. Choose Your Payment Method: You can set up your payment details right away. They offer direct deposit and checks, and the minimum payout is a very reasonable $50.
4. Agree and Submit: Once you agree to the terms, your application is off for review. You can usually expect a decision within 24-48 hours.

After you get that approval email, you can log in and get to the good stuff: the affiliate dashboard. This is where you’ll manage everything.

A Tour of the Affiliate Dashboard

At first glance, the dashboard can seem a little busy. It throws a lot of information at you—your account balance, messages from merchants, and a quick look at your recent clicks and sales. You’ll spend most of your time using the main navigation menu at the top.

Here’s the login screen you’ll be using to get into your dashboard once you’re all set up.

It’s a simple, no-frills page, but it’s your gateway to all the tools and reports you’ll be checking daily.

Pro Tip: Your success on ShareASale comes down to building good partnerships. Your application is the first impression you make. Don’t just send a generic request—always customize it and explain why you’re a perfect match for that specific brand.

Writing a Winning Merchant Application

Once you’re comfortable with the dashboard, it’s time to start applying to merchant programs. This isn’t just about clicking a “Join Program” button and hoping for the best. Good brands get tons of applications, and they’re looking for affiliates who will actually bring them value.

To give yourself the best shot at getting approved, here’s what I’ve learned works:

• Look Professional: Make sure your website is polished and your content is high-quality. The first thing a merchant will do is check out your site.
• Explain Your Strategy: Don’t just say, “I’ll promote you on my blog.” That’s not enough. In the application box, briefly explain how you’ll promote them. Mention who your audience is and why they’d be interested in the products.
• Show Your Numbers (If You Can): If you’ve got decent traffic or an engaged social media following, mention it. Concrete data makes your pitch much more convincing.

If you treat every application like a professional pitch, merchants will see you as a serious partner, not just another random affiliate. This is the key to building profitable, long-term relationships on ShareASale.

Understanding How You Get Paid on ShareASale

Let’s be real—for any affiliate marketer, getting paid is the bottom line. You put in the work to drive sales, so you need a system you can count on to turn those commissions into cash. I’ll break down the ShareASale payment process so you know exactly what to expect.

One of the things I appreciate about the platform is its clear and consistent schedule. It removes a lot of the guesswork you find with other networks, which is a big reason so many affiliates stick with ShareASale for the long haul.

The Payment Threshold and Schedule

ShareASale keeps it simple with a standard payment threshold of $50. This means your account balance just needs to hit that amount before a payment is triggered. It’s a pretty low minimum, which is great for new affiliates who are just starting to see their first commissions roll in.

Payments go out like clockwork on the 20th of each month. But here’s the key detail: this payout covers commissions that were “locked” during the previous month. So, for example, any earnings that are finalized in March will land in your bank account on April 20th.

This predictable schedule is a huge plus. You can actually plan your finances knowing exactly when money is coming in, which is crucial when you’re running a business.

Demystifying the “Locking” Period

You’ll probably notice a delay between making a sale and seeing that commission ready for payout. That’s because of the locking period, and it’s standard practice across the industry. Merchants need a bit of time to review all the transactions.

Essentially, they’re just doing their due diligence and checking for things like:

• Product Returns: Making sure the customer didn’t return the item and get a refund.
• Fraudulent Activity: Verifying the sale was legit and not a bogus transaction.
• Order Cancellations: Confirming the order wasn’t canceled before it shipped.

Each merchant sets their own locking date, but it’s typically around the 20th of the month after the sale happened. Once a commission is locked, it’s officially confirmed and gets added to your next payment. Understanding this delay helps you forecast your income more accurately. Knowing how much affiliates make is tied directly to these payment cycles, and you can learn more about what to expect in our detailed guide.

Payout Methods Available

Getting your money should be easy, and ShareASale offers a few solid options to make sure it is.

You can choose to receive your earnings through:

• Direct Deposit (ACH): This is usually the fastest and most convenient method, especially if you have a U.S. bank account.
• Wire Transfer: A good option for international affiliates, though you’ll want to keep an eye on potential bank fees.
• Mailed Check: The old-school option. It works just fine if you prefer getting a physical check sent to your address.

You can set all this up in your account settings. Once you hit the threshold and your commissions are locked, getting paid is a smooth process.

A Balanced Review of ShareASale’s Pros and Cons

Let’s be real—no platform is perfect. To give you the full picture in this ShareASale review, we need to look at both sides of the coin. Understanding what it does well and where it falls short is the only way to know if it’s the right fit for you.

ShareASale has been around for over two decades, which in the digital world is an eternity. So how does it hold up today?

Its biggest strength, hands down, is the sheer variety of merchants. With over 25,000 partners, you can find a program for pretty much any niche you can dream up. This is a massive win for bloggers and content creators who cover a wide range of topics.

On top of that, the platform is reliable. Payments are like clockwork, and the core tools for tracking and creating links just work. They might not be flashy, but they’re dependable. Its simple interface also makes it a great starting point for anyone just dipping their toes into affiliate marketing.

Areas for Improvement

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. The most common complaint you’ll hear is about the dashboard’s design. It feels… dated. When you put it next to more modern networks, it can seem a bit clunky and less intuitive, especially if you’re used to slick, modern software.

Another thing to keep in mind is that while ShareASale is a goldmine for small to mid-sized businesses, many of the world’s biggest household names tend to hang out on other networks. This isn’t a dealbreaker for most, but if your strategy is to partner exclusively with massive corporations, you might find more of them on a platform like Impact. You can see how they compare in our detailed Impact affiliate network review.

To give you a clear idea of the payment cycle, here’s a quick visual breakdown of ShareASale’s payout details.

This straightforward, predictable payment system is one of the things I appreciate most. You always know exactly when your money is coming.

A Look at the Competitive Landscape

When you’re sizing up ShareASale, it helps to see where it stands in the wider affiliate world. It’s a major player, particularly in NorthAmerica, which makes up 40% of the global market. With the industry growing at about 20% annually and sales expected to top $1.2 billion, ShareASale continues to be a solid and influential platform.

To help you weigh your options, I’ve put together a quick comparison table pitting ShareASale against two of its main rivals.

ShareASale vs Key Competitors Awin and Impact

Ultimately, while ShareASale could use a design facelift, its core strengths—massive merchant selection, rock-solid reliability, and beginner-friendly setup—keep it a top contender for a huge number of affiliates.

Frequently Asked Questions About ShareASale

Alright, let’s wrap this up by tackling a few common questions. Getting a handle on the different players in the affiliate space helps a lot in figuring out where ShareASale really fits in.

Affiliate Networks vs. Sub-Networks Explained

This is one of the biggest points of confusion for new affiliates, so let’s clear it up. The core difference lies in how you partner with brands.

Traditional affiliate networks like ShareASale, AWIN, Commission Factory, and Impact are like direct hiring managers for brands. You apply to them, they check you out, and if you’re a good fit, you get a direct partnership. You’re working straight with the brand, which usually means higher commission rates and better lines of communication.

Think of sub-networks as the temp agencies of affiliate marketing. They have pre-approved access to thousands of jobs (merchant programs) across a ton of different companies (networks). You get approved just once by the agency, and they can place you in various roles almost instantly.

Platforms like Skimlinks and Brand Reward are sub-networks. They make life easier by bundling thousands of merchant programs—including many you’d find on ShareASale—into a single platform. One approval, one payout. They even automatically turn your regular product links into affiliate links. Super convenient.

But that convenience has a price. The sub-network takes a slice of your earnings for doing all the heavy lifting. Your final commission is always going to be a bit lower than if you’d gone direct.

So, which one should you choose? It really comes down to your goals:

• Direct Networks (ShareASale, AWIN, Impact): These are best if you want to build deep, high-paying relationships with specific brands. It takes more legwork upfront because you’re managing individual applications, but the payoff can be bigger.
• Sub-Networks (Skimlinks, Brand Reward): Perfect for bloggers and content creators who want to monetize a huge range of links without drowning in admin work. It’s all about efficiency and automation.

This review should make it clear that ShareASale is a traditional affiliate network. It hits that sweet spot of giving you access to tons of merchants while still letting you build those valuable direct partnerships.

At Daniel Proctor, my whole focus is on helping people build real, sustainable affiliate businesses. If you’re tired of the guesswork and ready to start earning, check out my step-by-step training and mentorship programs. You’ll join a community of other successful affiliates and get the guidance you actually need.

Start your affiliate marketing journey with Daniel Proctor