Clickbank Affiliate Network – My Love Hate Relationship

Updated April 1st, 2022

As an affiliate marketer, your goal is to find quality products that help your audience and at the same time offer great affiliate commissions for yourself.

And within the Clickbank Affiliate Network, you can find those types of products.

I’ve been both an affiliate marketer of ClickBank products as well as a vendor, so I know both sides of this network.

So, today I want to give you a good overview of Clickbank so you can see why it’s a really great resource for any affiliate marketer wanting to promote digital and physical products.

Plus, I’m going to answer the most asked questions regarding ClickBank

Alright, let’s start by answering the most asked question…

What Is Clickbank?

Clickbank is both an affiliate network for affiliate marketers and an e-commerce platform for digital product creators.

Vendors (product creators) can also have physical products but the vast majority of products found in the ClickBank marketplace are digital.

And what makes marketing products from ClickBank so attractive to many affiliate marketers are the huge commissions that are available from the vendors.

In fact, some vendors offer commissions as high as 75%. And some vendors even offer a 100% commission. Yep, not a typo – 100% commission.

Is ClickBank Legit And Safe?

In a word, YES. ClickBank is legit and very safe.

ClickBank was founded in 1998 by Tim and Eileen Barber making it one of the oldest e-commerce platforms online.

They currently have over 200 million customers in over 190 countries. The marketplace has over 275 categories with over 21,000 products.

Can You Really Make Money With ClickBank?

It makes no difference if you are a vendor or an affiliate marketer you have the opportunity to make money with ClickBank.

But as with all marketing, no one is going to do the work for you. ClickBank provides the products and platform to help you make money.

But it’s always going to come down to your own individual effort as to whether or not you do or not. No free ride here.

Is A ClickBank Account Free?

If you’re an affiliate looking for a product(s) to promote there is no cost to become part of the ClickBank affiliate network.

You simply follow the signup process and you’re good to go. (I’ll be going through signing up in a moment).

Now if you are a product creator and wish to become a vendor in ClickBank, there are some fees involved.

There is a one-time activation fee of $49.95. And this fee must be paid at the time your product has been approved. If it’s not approved you don’t have to pay the fee.

To learn more about their pricing structure and other fees you can read all about that on their website knowledge page.

How Do I Start Using ClickBank?

Getting started with ClickBank as an affiliate begins with opening an account.

To get things going you’re going to click the Start Here button on the home page.

When you do that you’ll see this popup appear.

Now at the time I’ve done this update, you’ll be asked a series of questions and then you’ll end up on this page which is a sales pitch to join Spark.

Spark is an educational platform that offers courses and tools to help you build your affiliate marketing business. Now you don’t have to join. That’s up to you.

If you want to pass on this offer simply click the “No Thanks” link below the Join Spark Today tab.

Next, you will be brought to the signup page, where you will start with some basic information. Below the signup form is the terms and conditions. You must read and accept the terms and conditions.

Now I know most people will blow past reading the terms and conditions, but it is in your best interest to do so. Once you’ve done that then click the Join ClickBank button below the terms and conditions button.

Now you’re just going to carry on filling out your profile, which includes filling out your street address, and how you want to be paid. This is your payee name it can be your own name or a company name. and so on.

After you’ve completed that, your information will be verified and then you’re good to go.

You’ll then continue on and you’re going to create a nickname for your account.

Your nickname is a unique identifier that tracks all your sales of all ClickBank products.

Some things you need to know about your nickname:

• It’s used as part of signing into ClickBank
• It is visible to customers
• You cannot change your nickname once you’ve picked one (so be mindful)

Once you’ve done that you’ll be forwarded to the ClickBank dashboard.

Next, you need to confirm your email address. And once you’ve done that your account signup is complete.

Once your account has been created you’ll see this page each time you log in. Here you can see your weekly stats as well as your daily stats regarding the commissions you’ve earned.

The Marketplace

The marketplace is the listings of all the vendors within ClickBank. You’ll find the link to the marketplace in the top navigational bar of the site.

There are 24 different categories within the marketplace. You can find products by choosing a category. When you do a drop-down menu will appear.

You can then choose from the subcategories that appear. You can also find products by using the basic and advanced search feature, which you’ll find at the top of the marketplace page.

So, for example, I picked Health and Fitness from the main categories, and then I picked the sub-category Diets & Weight Loss.

So, you’ll find several product listings on the page, here’s a snapshot of one of the listings.

You can see there is a lot of information regarding this product.

Let me go over this so you’ll have a better understanding of what information you have available and then how to get your Hoplink (affiliate link) so you can promote a product

Product & Vendor Information

I’ve highlighted everything in the image below.

The first part gives you a quick overview of the product and the commission percentage. You’ll also find a link to the vendors affiliate page.

On the vendors affiliate page you’ll find resources to help you promote the vendors product. This can be everything from banners, to email swipes. If you’re not sure what an email swipe is, it’s email copy you can use to send out to your mailing list if you have one.  

To the right of the quick overview you’ll see AVG $/sale. That number is the average affiliate commission percentage for a sale. That includes both initial sale and rebill commissions.

Below the AVG $/sale info, you’ll see the Promote button. If you want to promote this product all you need to do is click that button. A popup window will appear, which is the Hoplink generator. 

Remember the nickname you created when you opened your account? This is your affiliate ID. It tracks your referral and credits your account when you make a commission. 

Simply click the Generate Hoplinks tab and the generator will create your hoplink (affiliate link) You now have your affiliate link for this product.

The Stats

Now along the bottom of the offering, you’ll see the Stats section. There you’ll find: Initial $/conversion, Recurring $/rebill, Grav, and Cat.

So, what’s this all mean?

Well with this information you can determine the success of the product regarding sales, as well as the commissions you can earn initially and if there is recurring billing. 

Instead of writing everything out, here’s a screenshot that explains what each of these stats represents.

The number I look at before anything else is the Gravity. And the reason I check this score first is that it represents the number of different affiliates who have made money (earned a commission) over the past 12 weeks.

Now while that is a good thing, it also indicates there is a lot of competition when it comes to promoting the product. So, you’ll need to weigh those 2 factors.

Personally, I look for average to lower gravity. Less competition but you can still make great money. 

Next, you’ll see My Stats.

If I was promoting this product I can see the performance I’m having marketing this product.

Here’s the information you’ll find in this area.

And finally, at the very bottom of the product offer’s information, you’ll see tiny icons.

Here’s a screenshot.

Each one of these means something, they are not clickable but at a glance, you can get the info about the offering:

The Flag: This tells you what language.

The Dollar Sign: This is the billing type.

The Blue Arrows: This is recurring billing. So you see the dollar sign and the blue arrows you know it’s a one-time charge plus recurring billing.

The Clock: This tells you if the product has a trial offer.

The Box: This means it is a physical product (shippable media).

The Up Arrow: This is Pitch Plus; this means the product has upsells (as many as 3).

The Tools: This means there is a link to the vendor’s affiliate tools page (affiliate resources).

The Cell Phone: This means Mobile Hoplink Target URL is supported.

The Chain Link: This means that there are additional targeted hoplink URLs.

The Coin: This means that they offer CPA commissions.

The Spotlight: It’s not shown on this offer. But the spotlight tells you there is a link to the Vendor Spotlight. And that link is found under the Promote button.

A vendor spotlight is another snapshot of the product and the vendor. Here’s what a vendor spotlight looks like.

What Training Can You Expect?

Clickbank has lots of training available. And you’ll find everything you need to know about Clickbank and how to use ClickBank through its knowledge base.

You’ll find the knowledge base link in the top menu, then once on that page click the Affiliate Help link, there you’ll find out how to find products, work with vendors, and earn commissions through your promotions. 

You’ll also find some FAQ’s on this page as well as some related articles. All of this will give you a really good understanding of Clickbank and how to be successful in promoting Clickbank products.

How’s The Support For Affiliates?

You can also chat with a live chat agent. You’ll see the green chat tab in the bottom right corner of the dashboard. This is what the chat window looks like when you open it up.

Live chat is available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. MST (except on US Holidays).

How Do I Get Paid Through ClickBank?

ClickBank offers payments by:

• Direct Deposit
• Wire Transfer
• Check

If you’re receiving payments by direct deposit or wire transfer you will be paid your commissions weekly.

If you’re getting paid by check your commissions will be paid to you every 2 weeks.

A few other things you should be aware of when it comes to getting paid.

And they are:

Payment Threshold

You must meet a minimum threshold before you will be paid. The default is $100. But you can set it as low as $50.00.

There is also a $2.50 processing fee charged against each payment they issue.

Pay Period End Time

This payment period end time depends on the payment frequency you’ve selected.

If you’re getting paid weekly the pay periods end at 12:00:00 a.m. Pacific time every Wednesday.

If you’re getting paid every 2 weeks the pay periods end at 12:00:00 a.m. Pacific time every other Wednesday.

You’ll find all of ClickBanks Accounting Policies on this page.

How Do I Choose A ClickBank Product?

Now I would love to tell you every product in ClickBank is a gem. But that’s not true.

There are some real garbage products. So here are some tips for weeding out those less-than-great products.

Oh, and these tips don’t apply just to ClickBank. This holds true for other affiliate networks too.

Watch Out For Over The Top Product Claims

While there is no doubt that you can make money through ClickBank.

Watch out for vendors that claim that their offer can make you tens of thousands of dollars overnight with little to no work on your part. All you have to do is set it and forget it.

Yeah, that’s never going to happen. This is a con artist vendor. The best thing to do is run far, run fast, and don’t look back.

If you do come across such a vendor you can contact ClickBank and make them aware of this vendor.

Make Sure To Check The Gravity Score

As I mentioned the gravity of a product is showing you how many affiliates have earned a commission over a 12 week period. If a product has high gravity you know it’s doing well. By how well the affiliates are marketing the product.

But also, it shows that people (customers) trust, and believe that the product is going to deliver on what it is promising. In essence, the product has high trustworthiness.

Check Customer Reviews

Don’t rely on the reviews or testimonials found on a product’s sales page. Go well beyond that. Do a search on Google. Go to trusted sites like Trust Pilot. Even check out your favorite social channels.

You need to play detective. Because any product you represent good and/or bad is a reflection on you.

Try The Product For Yourself

What better way to evaluate a product than trying it yourself? You can contact the vendor and see if they will give you the product for a review.

If they say no (many will) then just buy the product. Also, if the product passes your evaluation and you proceed with promoting it.

Anything you say about the product holds a lot more weight when it comes to your potential customers because your credibility is much higher because you are/have used the product.

That level of credibility can skyrocket your conversions.

Check Out The Vendors Affiliate Page

By doing this you can find out more about the product. You can also see what assets the vendor provides you for marketing their product.

Good vendors will provide you with many different assets when it comes to helping you market their products.

Remember the Custom Keto Diet listing I showed you? I went into their affiliate area and here’s what’s available to you if you picked this product to market.

• VIP Facebook group
• A variety of pre-sale and lading page links
• Safe Facebook/Instagram links
• Promotional guidelines
• Customer demographics
• Lead magnets
• Banners
• Keyword lists
• Email swipes
• Videos
• And a FAQ section and contact information if you need to get in touch

This vendor wants you to succeed because they’re giving you all the tools to do so.

How To Sell A ClickBank Product

You have several marketing options when it comes to selling ClickBank products.

Now I’m not going to sit here and tell you that things will be a walk in the park. Because as with all marketing it takes hard work and trial and error to get things to work.

So, as with all marketing, you’re going to need patience and determination to succeed.

Don’t Obsess Over Gravity

I know I mentioned this already but it is important to remember. The higher the gravity the higher the competition.

No point in making things harder than they have to be. You are far better off if you’re just starting with ClickBank to find products that have low or average gravity scores.

With less competition and a solid product, you’ll have much better conversions. Find the balance and you’ll do well.

Don’t Sell – Help

Now I know that sounds goofy – don’t sell. But when is the last time you liked being sold too? Never I bet. No one likes to be sold. If you focus on helping people first the sales will come.

For example, you have a website all about weight loss. You could write a blog post that talks about something specific when it comes to weight loss and then naturally have a link within your post to the product you’re marketing from Clickbank. 

Now instead of in your face selling, you’re providing people with a solution. And it’s done all within the right context. So, no selling. 

Make Sure The Product Fits

What do I mean – make sure the product fits? I mean make sure any product you decide to market from ClickBank fits your audience.

All the products you market must resonate with your audience.

If your offer does resonate with your audience, you won’t make a dime. End of story.

Only market products that provide value to your audience.

Here’s What I Like About Clickbank

#1) High Affiliate Commissions

Clickbank and its vendors offer some of the highest commissions for affiliates. On average you’ll find commissions for products between 50% and 75%.

And if you’re a super affiliate you’ll find vendors offer commissions as high as 100%.

There are many Clickbank affiliates that have created 6 figure per month businesses.

#2) Lots Of Products To Choose From

Clickbank’s marketplace gives you 1000’s of products to choose from, both digital and physical. Mind you ClickBank is more known for digital products. And that’s why it’s such a popular network.

#3) Great Customer Support

Customer support is a big deal for me, I’ve even quit programs because the customer support sucked. Hey, if the company you’re dealing with does not have your back, then you’re better off dealing with a different company.

And ClickBank does have great customer support. I’ve had to talk to them both as an affiliate and as a vendor and they are committed to solving whatever challenge you may have.

#4) No Approval Process

Unlike other networks such as a CPA network (cost per action) where you have to jump through a bunch of hoops to be approved, not so with ClickBank.

Simply provide the necessary information during the account creation process and you’ll be a ClickBank affiliate in a matter of minutes. Easy peezy.

#5) Paid On Time Every Time

One thing ClickBank is solid on. Is paying your commissions on time, every time. The most requested method of payment is by direct deposit into your bank account. Love that feature! You can also be paid by Check, Wire Transfer, and Payoneer.

What I Didn’t Like About Clickbank

#1) Low-Quality Products

Now many years ago ClickBank was known for allowing shall we say having less than quality products, ok, let’s be real. They had some very shitty, scam products and vendors. But then ClickBank cleaned house and got rid of those products and vendors.

Well unfortunately there are still some very low-quality products that have found their way back into the ClickBank marketplace.

I’m hoping that ClickBank keeps cleaning house and gets rid of these low-quality products, it’s not doing them any good and it’s not any good for affiliates either.

Just remember, when you’re looking for a product to market, make sure you do your homework when it comes to the product and the vendor. You certainly don’t want to be associated with a low-quality product.

#2) Dormant Account Fees

If you have an account that has money in it but has not made sales for an extended period of time. You’re going to be charged for having a dormant account.

It works like this:

• $1 per pay period after 90 days of no earnings
• $5 per pay period after 180 days of no earnings
• $50 per pay period after 365 days of no earnings

On the upside, ClickBank will notify you when your account is considered dormant.

#3) Lots Of Competition

Because ClickBank has such great commissions it does attract a lot of affiliates. Many of these affiliates will have a lot more experience and resources than a newbie affiliate marketer.

But with that said as a newbie don’t let that stop you from jumping in and making your mark. Competition is a good thing. Just find the low competition products and you’ll do well.

#4) Need A Minimum Sales Requirement To Get Paid

In order to start getting paid you need at least 5 sales from customers who have used at least two of the following payment methods listed below.

And once you’ve met this requirement you will be issued payments regularly.

• American Express
• Carte Bleue
• Diners Club
• Discover
• Maestro
• MasterCard
• PayPal
• Visa

My Final Opinion Of Clickbank

I love ClickBank, it’s a great resource for finding good products that offer huge commissions. You just have to do your due diligence about any product that you’re considering marketing.

Clickbanks platform is not perfect and yes there’s a lot that can be improved, but it’s just a platform.

As I mentioned earlier it’s unfortunate that ClickBank is and has allowed some low-quality products back into its marketplace. But that can be said about any other affiliate network too.

Now with that said if you’re just starting out as an affiliate marketer or you’ve been looking at affiliate marketing as a way to make money online.

I can tell you from personal experience that affiliate marketing is one of the most powerful and proven methods of making money online.

And I’ve been supporting my family 100% with my affiliate marketing business since 2005. And in 2012 I teamed up with Wealthy Affiliate which helped me grow my business even more.

Plus, it’s given me the opportunity to help people build their own thriving online affiliate marketing businesses.

Now it’s true you can find great products to market inside ClickBank.

But if you don’t know how to properly build your business so you can market those products effectively. Well, the truth is you’re dead in the water and won’t see the success you so richly deserve.

So, if affiliate marketing sounds like a way you would like to make money online. And that can be as a side hustle or a full-time business. You really should take a few minutes and see what wealthy affiliate has to offer you.

I hope you found this review helpful and I hope I answered any questions you may have had about the ClickBank affiliate network.

So, do you have a personal experience that you would like to share about ClickBank affiliate? If you do, I would love to hear about it. Your feedback is always welcome and it can help others make an informed decision about products such as this one.

And if you did find this review helpful and enjoyed it please feel free to share it with your audience. And as always anytime you need a hand you can Email Me anytime.

I believe in you!!
Leo