Most brands set affiliate KPIs without industry context. Here are the actual EPC, CVR, commission, and active publisher rate benchmarks across four major verticals — so you can stop guessing and start measuring against real data.
Quick Answer
What are the affiliate program benchmarks by industry?
Electronics programs benchmark at $0.08–0.18 EPC, 1.2–2.8% CVR, 2–5% commission, and 18–25% active publisher rate. Beauty programs benchmark at $0.18–0.35 EPC, 2.5–4.5% CVR, 8–15% commission, and 28–40% active publisher rate. Home goods: $0.22–0.45 EPC, 1.8–3.2% CVR, 5–10% commission. Health and wellness benchmarks highest: $0.25–0.55 EPC, 3–5.5% CVR, 10–18% commission.
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Why Benchmarks Matter: Most Brands Are Flying Blind
Setting affiliate program KPIs without industry benchmarks is like setting a sales quota without knowing your market size. Every week, brands tell us their affiliate program is "performing fine" — and every week, our analysis reveals they're generating 40–60% less GMV than comparable programs in their category.
The problem isn't effort. It's context. Without knowing what healthy looks like for your vertical, you can't distinguish underperformance from normal variation. You can't tell whether a 1.8% conversion rate is a problem to fix or a benchmark to celebrate. You can't know whether your active publisher rate of 22% means you're doing well or leaving significant revenue on the table.
Benchmarks solve this. They give brand managers, affiliate managers, and agency partners a shared, objective reference point for program health. They reveal where optimization dollars will have the highest impact. And they change the nature of quarterly reviews — from "here's what happened" to "here's how we compare and where we're going."
This guide covers benchmark data across four major verticals: electronics, beauty, home goods, and health/wellness. All figures are drawn from Xark's proprietary client data and publicly available affiliate network performance reports.
Electronics Benchmarks
Consumer electronics is one of the most competitive affiliate verticals — high AOV, sophisticated publishers, and razor-thin commissions that make every percentage point matter.
EPC (Earnings Per Click): $0.08–$0.18
Electronics EPC sits at the lower end of the affiliate spectrum, reflecting modest commission rates applied to high-AOV transactions. Programs at the high end ($0.15–$0.18) typically combine competitive commissions with high-converting product landing pages and a strong content publisher mix. Below $0.08 is a warning sign — publishers will deprioritize your program in favor of higher-EPC alternatives.
Conversion Rate: 1.2–2.8%
The wide range reflects the difference between content publisher traffic (typically 0.8–1.5% CVR) and deal/comparison site traffic (2.5–4%+). Programs that skew toward coupon and deal publishers will show higher CVR but lower incrementality. A balanced electronics program targeting 1.8–2.2% CVR across a mixed publisher base is healthy.
Commission Rate: 2–5%
Consumer electronics brands pay some of the lowest commissions in affiliate marketing, constrained by thin margin profiles and intense price competition. The sweet spot for attracting quality content publishers is 3–4%. Programs paying below 2% will struggle to recruit T1 content publishers. Commissions above 5% in electronics tend to over-attract coupon sites rather than review and comparison publishers.
Active Publisher Rate: 18–25%
A healthy electronics affiliate program activates 18–25% of approved publishers (meaning they generate at least one sale in a 90-day window). Below 15% indicates a structural problem — commission rates too low, creative assets inadequate, or poor publisher-product fit. Programs consistently above 25% are typically running aggressive activation bonuses or a highly targeted outreach strategy.
Beauty Benchmarks
Beauty is the affiliate vertical with the most publisher supply, highest commission tolerance, and strongest content publisher economics. It's also where the gap between well-managed and poorly-managed programs is widest.
EPC (Earnings Per Click): $0.18–$0.35
Beauty EPC reflects the combination of strong conversion rates and above-average commission rates. Programs at the high end ($0.30–$0.35) typically feature prestige positioning, strong editorial publisher relationships, and above-market commissions. Luxury beauty can push EPC to $0.50+ with the right publisher mix.
Conversion Rate: 2.5–4.5%
Beauty traffic converts well because the purchase intent is high and product discovery is naturally affiliate-friendly — consumers are genuinely looking for recommendations. Content publishers (beauty bloggers, YouTube reviewers) in this vertical drive 2.5–3.5% CVR; comparison and deal sites push 4–6%. Programs hitting 3.5%+ CVR across the board have typically done significant work on landing page optimization and publisher selection.
Commission Rate: 8–15%
Beauty commissions are among the highest in consumer affiliate marketing. A 10% commission is table stakes for attracting quality content publishers in this vertical. Programs paying below 8% will find quality editorial publishers choosing higher-commission competitors. Luxury and prestige beauty brands successfully pay 12–15% to maintain exclusivity with T1 editorial publishers.
Active Publisher Rate: 28–40%
Beauty has the highest active publisher rates of any consumer vertical — a function of abundant content creation supply and consumers' natural appetite for product discovery content. Programs below 20% in beauty have structural issues worth investigating: creative assets, product quality, or commission positioning.
Home Goods Benchmarks
Home goods covers a broad range of products from kitchen appliances to furniture to home décor. The category has favorable affiliate economics: relatively high AOV, strong seasonal peaks, and a diverse publisher ecosystem.
EPC (Earnings Per Click): $0.22–$0.45
Home goods EPC reflects a combination of solid commission rates and decent conversion rates. Kitchen and small appliances sit toward the high end; décor and textiles toward the lower end. Programs above $0.40 EPC tend to have strong editorial publisher relationships in lifestyle and home design media.
Conversion Rate: 1.8–3.2%
Home goods conversions are driven heavily by editorial and lifestyle content. Programs with strong Pinterest and home décor blogger relationships hit the high end. Programs relying on generic comparison sites and coupon publishers typically land at 1.8–2.2%. Seasonal peaks (holiday, summer, back-to-school) can push CVR to 3.5%+ for well-positioned programs.
Commission Rate: 5–10%
Home goods commissions offer more flexibility than electronics, reflecting better margin profiles on branded and proprietary products. The 7–8% range attracts a strong mix of content and comparison publishers. Programs below 5% will struggle with T1 publisher recruitment. Above 10% makes economic sense for premium brands with strong retention and LTV.
Active Publisher Rate: 22–32%
Home goods programs typically achieve 22–32% active publisher rates. The category benefits from strong content publisher supply (home design, DIY, lifestyle), which activates more naturally than categories requiring technical expertise to review.
Health & Wellness Benchmarks
Health and wellness is consistently the highest-performing affiliate vertical by commission rate and EPC. The category includes supplements, fitness equipment, personal care, and wellness devices — a diverse mix with strong consumer demand and loyal, purchase-ready audiences.
EPC (Earnings Per Click): $0.25–$0.55
Health and wellness publishers earn meaningfully higher EPC than other consumer verticals, reflecting strong CVR and above-average commission rates. Programs at the high end ($0.45–$0.55) typically feature supplement brands or premium wellness devices with loyal, subscription-oriented audiences. Below $0.20 in this vertical warrants immediate investigation.
Conversion Rate: 3.0–5.5%
Health and wellness traffic converts at some of the highest rates in affiliate marketing. Consumers actively researching health solutions have strong purchase intent. Supplement and wellness brands with strong social proof, clear benefit claims, and subscription offers push CVR above 4.5% consistently.
Commission Rate: 10–18%
The highest consumer affiliate commissions are in health, beauty, and supplements. Brands paying 10% are at the entry threshold for quality content publishers. The strongest programs — those attracting T1 health and fitness publishers with dedicated audiences — operate at 14–18%, particularly for first-order commissions. New customer bonuses are especially impactful in this vertical.
Active Publisher Rate: 30–45%
Health and wellness consistently achieves the highest active publisher rates of any vertical. Consumer demand, content creator enthusiasm, and high EPC combine to drive strong publisher engagement. Programs below 25% in this vertical are leaving significant revenue uncaptured.
How to Use These Benchmarks
Set realistic targets. If your electronics program is targeting a 3% CVR across all publisher types, you're setting a target that only coupon-heavy programs achieve — and at the cost of incrementality. Use benchmarks to calibrate targets to your publisher mix and vertical.
Identify underperforming publishers. EPC and CVR benchmarks reveal outliers in your publisher roster. A publisher consistently generating EPC below 50% of your program average despite significant traffic volume is either driving low-quality audiences or converting poorly due to poor page-publisher fit.
Negotiate with your network. When presenting benchmark data to your affiliate network during quarterly business reviews, you have objective evidence for commission adjustments, placement opportunities, and publisher activation support. Benchmarks give you negotiating leverage that intuition alone cannot provide.
Where Xark Gets Its Benchmarks
The figures in this guide draw from two sources: Xark's proprietary performance data from managed client programs across consumer electronics, beauty, home goods, and health/wellness verticals, and quarterly network performance reports published by Impact, Awin, and CJ Affiliate. We update our benchmark database quarterly to reflect current network conditions, commission trends, and publisher behavior shifts.
Our clients receive quarterly benchmark reports comparing their program performance against vertical averages, with specific identification of gaps and optimization opportunities. This is not industry-average data recycled from three-year-old reports — it's live benchmark data from active programs in your category.
Ready to see how your program benchmarks against competitors? Visit our [benchmarks page](/resources/benchmarks) for a full breakdown by vertical, publisher tier, and network platform — and request a free benchmark audit of your existing affiliate program.
