Amazon India launches Creator Connections to pay influencers for clicks, not just sales

Amazon India has launched Creator Connections, a programme that matches creators with brand campaigns from about 50,000 advertisers selling on its marketplace, and pays them for clicks as well as for purchases. The programme is being rolled out in phases, starting with a group of 5,000 selected creators. Campaigns are recommended to a creator based on their profile, audience and the kind of content they make, and creators can also browse campaigns themselves. Participation runs through their existing affiliate links, and earnings come from eligible engagement and conversions. What changes for a creator Until now, a creator on Amazon India earned in one of two ways. They took a brand deal, negotiated directly or through an agency, and were paid a fee regardless of what the content sold. Or they joined the Amazon Influencer Program, shared affiliate links, and earned a commission only when someone actually bought something. But why paying for clicks matters more than it sounds? Normally, a pure affiliate model pays on conversion. If a creator's video sends 10,000 people to a product page and none of them buy, the creator earns nothing. All of the risk that the product is overpriced, out of stock, or badly reviewed sits with the person who made the content. Adding a cost-per-click component moves part of that risk back to the advertiser. The creator is paid for delivering interested traffic, and paid more if that traffic converts. For a creator with a modest but engaged following, that means earnings no longer depend entirely on whether the traffic they send ends in a purchase, making the income less dependent on unpredictable conversions. Creator Connections also removes the negotiation. A creator does not have to pitch a brand, agree a fee or wait for a campaign to be commissioned. The campaigns are already there, and eligibility is decided by the platform. According to Amazon, nearly 70% of creator-led purchases on Amazon India come from non-metro locations. That figure cuts against the picture of the Indian creator economy that usually reaches print, which is built around a few hundred large accounts in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru working with consumer brands. The volume is coming from smaller cities and towns, from creators most brand managers have never heard of, in categories including lifestyle, electronics, beauty and home. It also explains the design of the programme. Creators of that size are the ones least able to secure direct sponsorship contracts, and the ones for whom a system that hands them campaigns automatically is worth most. As of now, Amazon's creator base has gone from roughly 50,000 in late 2024 to about 1.65 lakh now, more than tripling in under two years. Amazon has said creator-led discovery reached more than 2 crore shoppers in 2025, and that 40 lakh customers found products through creators during the 2025 festive season alone. Commissions under the Influencer Program vary by category and can run to as much as 10% on some products. Amazon has not disclosed what it will pay per click under Creator Connections, or how eligible engagement is defined.