Ways to make money with Amazon (without selling a single product)

When people think of making money with Amazon, they usually picture selling products and warehouses full of stock. That's one route, and an expensive one. But Amazon runs a whole ecosystem of programs that pay people who never sell a physical product at all: writers, designers, drivers, recommenders and people with a spare hour.

Here are nine ways to make money with Amazon without holding inventory, who each one suits, and the rules to know before you start.

9 ways to make money with Amazon

Program	What you do	Best for
Amazon Associates	Share product links, earn commission	Bloggers, creators, reviewers
Amazon Influencer Program	Build an Amazon storefront of recommendations	Creators with a social following
Kindle Direct Publishing	Self-publish eBooks and paperbacks	Writers and experts
Merch on Demand	Upload designs printed on products	Designers
Amazon Flex	Deliver packages with your own vehicle	People who like driving
Mechanical Turk	Complete small online tasks	Spare minutes at a computer
Trade-In	Trade old devices for Amazon credit	Everyone with old tech
Shopper Panel	Upload receipts from other stores	Invite-only, small amounts
Vine	Review free products	Invite-only, trusted reviewers

1. Amazon Associates

Amazon's affiliate program pays a commission when people buy through your links. It works best on blogs, YouTube videos and social posts that help people choose products. New accounts need qualifying sales within 180 days of signing up to be accepted, and you must follow the Associates operating agreement, including clear disclosure.

2. Amazon Influencer Program

Creators with a social media following can apply for an Amazon storefront where they curate product recommendations and earn commissions, including from shoppable videos. It's a natural next step for creators already using affiliate links.

3. Kindle Direct Publishing

Self-publish eBooks and paperbacks and earn royalties on every sale. For eBooks, KDP offers two options, 35% or 70%, and the 70% option applies to eligible books within KDP's list price requirements and territories, as explained on its eBook royalties page. Non-fiction guides, niche how-to books and genre fiction do best. Writing is the easy part; getting found takes marketing.

A self-published book can keep selling for years, if readers can find it. Photo by Irina Rybcko on Unsplash.

4. Merch on Demand

Upload designs, and Amazon prints them on T-shirts, hoodies and other products when customers order, paying you a royalty per sale. No inventory, no shipping. You can apply through Merch on Demand. Original designs only: trademarks, characters and brand names get removed.

5. Amazon Flex

Deliver Amazon packages in blocks of time you choose, using your own vehicle, in areas where Flex operates. It's closer to a gig job than an online side hustle, and pay varies by location and time; you can check availability on the Amazon Flex site. Factor fuel and vehicle costs into what you actually earn.

6. Mechanical Turk

Amazon's microtask marketplace pays per small task, like categorising images, checking information or answering short surveys, at Mechanical Turk. Flexible, but hourly earnings are often low. Our guide to data entry jobs from home covers microtasks in more detail.

7. Trade-In

Old phones, tablets, e-readers, game consoles and some books can be traded for Amazon credit. It's a one-off rather than income, but it turns clutter into something useful. Our guide to free Amazon gift cards covers this and other legit ways to earn Amazon credit.

8. Amazon Shopper Panel

An invite-only program that pays a small amount each month, as Amazon balance, for uploading receipts from other stores and answering short surveys.

9. Amazon Vine

Amazon invites trusted reviewers to try free products in exchange for honest reviews. It pays in products, not cash, and you can't apply. Be careful with "review for refund" groups outside Vine: they break Amazon's rules and US law on fake reviews, as we explain in how to get paid to test products at home.

How fast each one pays

Program	Time to first money
Trade-In	Once your item is received and checked
Mechanical Turk	As tasks are approved
Amazon Flex	After approval and your first delivery blocks
Associates and Influencer Program	Weeks to months, depending on your audience
Kindle and Merch on Demand	Months, depending on sales and marketing

Rules to know before you join

• Disclose affiliate links clearly, near the recommendation.
• Use only original work for books and designs. Copyright and trademark problems get accounts closed.
• Never pay for reviews or trade reviews. It breaks Amazon's rules and US law.
• Keep records for tax. Royalties, commissions and delivery pay are all taxable income.

Which one should you choose?

• You create content: Associates, then the Influencer Program.
• You write: Kindle Direct Publishing.
• You design: Merch on Demand.
• You want hourly pay and like driving: Flex.
• You have spare minutes at a computer: Mechanical Turk.

And if you do want to sell physical products on Amazon one day, read is Amazon FBA worth it first, so you know the real costs before buying any stock.