Commission Junction (CJ Affiliate) Program Review (2023)
Interested in joining Commission Junction (aka "CJ Affiliate), but want to learn more about this affiliate program first? In this article, I'll be sharing my personal experience with Commission Junction affiliate marketing by reviewing this affiliate program. I will share info on how to sign up, what products and brands they offer, commission rates, and more.
What is CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction) and how does it work?
According to the official cj.com website, "the world's largest and most established affiliate marketing ecosystem designed to help you achieve intelligent, scalable, and sustainable growth powered by our best-in-class platform."
According to Wikipedia: "CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction) is an online advertising company owned by Publicis Groupe operating in the affiliate marketing industry, which operates worldwide." It was founded in 1998.
In my experience as a veteran affiliate marketer, who has been a member since it was still called "Commission Junction", I do believe CJ Affiliate is probably one of the biggest affiliate networks, if not the biggest.
Similar to other affiliate networks, CJ Affiliate allows thousands of advertisers (brands) to join their platform and recruit affiliates. As an affiliate, you will first need to join the network, then you have access to these thousands of brands. However, you will also need to apply to each individual brand within the network to work with them and get affiliate links. This process is much more streamlined within a network, and also brands may reach out and recruit / pre-approve you if you show good performance with other brands first.
Is CJ Affiliate real or fake? Is it legit?
CJ Affiliate (formerly Commission Junction) has been around for over 25+ years and works with some of the largest corporations in the world such as Nike, Overstock, TurboTax, and much more. So needless to say, it is very much real and not fake at all.
In my own personal experience, CJ affiliate is 100% legit and have never had an issue with payments or support whatsoever.
Keep reading to see a much longer list of brands that are available on the network below.
CJ Affiliate list of Brands, Advertisers, and Companies
Here is a list of some of the most recognizable Brands, Advertisers, and Companies on the CJ Affiliate Network:
REVOLVE
TurboTax
TripAdvisor
Zappos
Overstock
Walgreens
Vrbo
Verizon
Wayfair
Barnes & Noble
Blue Apron
Hello Fresh
Priceline
Office Depot
TireRack
NordVPN
Hertz
GNC
Expedia
eHarmony
Costco
Bose
This list is by no means comprehensive and there are THOUSANDS more large and recognizable brands that are not listed.
Going through the available brands myself, I was overwhelmed with how many household names I recognized that are offered on CJ Affiliate, and in every niche imaginable.
The possibilities are endless!
How much does CJ Affiliate pay in commission rate?
It depends on the product and how much the Advertiser (brand) has designated. Also, whether the commission is CPL (cost per lead) or CPA (cost per action). "Cost per lead" typically means you get paid for an email or phone signup. "Cost per action" typically is for verified purchases or sales, but it can also just be a free trial signup or inquiry. In short, it varies widely from one brand to another, so you will need to open up their program details page to get the exact commission rates.
How many affiliates does CJ Affiliate have?
According to the CJ.com "About Us" page, there are over 167,000 publishers and brands on the platform. Typically, "publishers" refers to the affiliates, and "brands" refers to the Advertisers/Merchants.
CJ Affiliate vs ClickBank
Based on the numbers, there is no doubt that CJ Affiliate is a much larger affiliate network than ClickBank. The brands on CJ Affiliate are also much more well-established and recognizable as household names compared to the brands offered on ClickBank. In my personal opinion, I would choose CJ Affiliate over ClickBank as the selection of well-known brands is not even a competition. That said, both networks are free to join so there wouldn't be a valid reason to have to choose one over the other.
I wrote my thoughts and review of ClickBank here, along with a list of their best-selling products so you can get a clear idea if it's the right type of affiliate network for you based on your niche.
Is CJ Affiliate good for beginners?
In my experience, CJ Affiliate is better-suited for slightly more established affiliates who have a website that is already receiving a decent amount of traffic (1,000+ visits per month). My reasoning is that, aside from requiring a website for the application, their application process seems to be a bit stricter than Amazon Associates for example. Working with thousands of students, it is rare to hear someone get rejected from Amazon Associates, but it is far more common to hear someone get rejected from CJ Affiliate.
One way that I have been able to successfully compete my way to over $1 million in affiliate commissions is by focusing on building real topical authority with niche authority websites. By building these brands over time, I'm able to establish authority and trust in certain niches, which further boosts my SEO over competitors. The #1 mistake most beginners make is not building any credible authority over time, and taking the easy route of just spamming affiliate links without a clear strategy.
If you need help creating a professional affiliate website quickly, check out my affiliate marketing for beginners guide.
My personal experience with Commission Junction affiliate marketing
I've been doing affiliate marketing for close to 10 years now, having reviewed dozens of affiliate programs. Commission Junction is one of the top affiliate networks in the industry, with tons of recognizable brands and household names as you can see from the list above in this article.
What I like most about CJ Affiliate is that there is a wide variety of brands in many industries from physical products like Nike, to digital services like GoDaddy.
My only critique of Commission Junction is mostly that the user experience could be a lot better, and actually they just redesigned it so we'll see if it's an improvement.
Overall, I do recommend Commission Junction but I recommend having a bit more of an established website and steady traffic before applying, since their application process is a little stricter than something like Amazon Associates in my experience.
Best Alternatives to Commission Junction affiliate marketing
Having reviewed dozens of affiliate programs and networks, here are my best recommendations for alternatives and similar to Commission Junction affiliates: