Unboxing videos, camera comparisons, smart home tours, and “best laptop under $1,000” roundups all share one thing: nearly every product on screen can carry a commission link in the description box. The tech review niche sits at an unusual intersection of affiliate marketing — reviewers link to both big-box retailers carrying thousands of SKUs and individual gadget brands running their own in-house programs, often at very different commission rates.
That variety is also what makes program selection confusing. A retailer affiliate link might pay 1% on a $1,200 laptop, while a single smart plug brand might pay 10% on a $30 accessory. Picking the wrong mix means leaving money on the table; picking the right mix means every product mention actually earns.
This article profiles 10 real, currently operating affiliate programs for tech reviewers and gadget YouTubers: general electronics retailers, camera/AV specialists, and individual hardware and software brands that regularly show up in tech content. Rates, cookie windows, and payout terms below come from each program’s own affiliate page or verified third-party program directories, with sources linked throughout.
Key Takeaways
- Retailer programs (Best Buy, B&H, Newegg, Amazon Associates) offer the broadest catalog for reviewing whatever product you’re covering that week, but commissions typically run 1%-8% with short cookie windows (often 24 hours to 7 days)
- Direct-to-brand programs (Anker, DJI, Wyze, Eufy) pay higher percentage commissions (5%-15%) with longer 30-day cookies, but only cover that brand’s catalog
- VPN and cloud storage software (ExpressVPN, pCloud) pay flat CPA bounties or recurring percentages that can exceed $30-$40 per conversion or 20%-30% recurring, useful for tech channels that also cover software
- Most reviewer channels stack 4-6 programs: one or two broad retailers for catalog coverage, plus several niche brand programs for the specific products they review most
- Cookie duration matters more in this niche than raw commission percentage, since gadget buyers frequently research for days or weeks before purchasing
Retailer Affiliate Programs: Broad Catalog Coverage
Retailer programs make sense as a reviewer’s default link — they cover almost any gadget you might feature, from a $15 cable to a $2,000 camera body.
1. Best Buy Affiliate Program
Commission Structure: Roughly 0.5%-1% on most electronics, with a 5% bounty on wireless plans
Payout Frequency: Monthly (via the hosting affiliate network)
Cookie Duration: 24 hours
Description: Best Buy’s affiliate program covers its full US electronics catalog — TVs, laptops, cameras, and smart home gear — through a standard retail affiliate setup (Best Buy Affiliate Program overview, Geniuslink).
Why it fits tech reviewers: For channels reviewing whatever’s trending that week, Best Buy reliably covers almost any consumer electronics product, including items too new or niche for a dedicated brand program. The tradeoff is the short 24-hour cookie, which requires viewers to buy almost immediately after clicking — a real constraint for gadgets people research before buying (Odi Productions Best Buy Affiliate Review).
2. B&H Photo Video Affiliate Program
Commission Structure: Roughly 2%-8% depending on category and performance tier
Payout Frequency: Monthly, $80 minimum threshold
Cookie Duration: 60 hours (2.5 days)
Description: B&H runs one of the largest photography and video retailers in the US, with an affiliate program applied for directly through its own affiliate page (B&H Affiliate Partner Site).
Why it fits tech reviewers: Camera, mirrorless, and audio/video gear channels gravitate to B&H because it stocks professional and prosumer equipment general retailers don’t carry as deeply — lenses, audio interfaces, and lighting (B&H Photo Video Affiliate Program details, Lasso).
3. Newegg Affiliate Program
Commission Structure: Roughly 1.5% (US) to 2.5% (Canada) on most items, with select promotions paying more
Payout Frequency: Monthly
Cookie Duration: 7 days
Description: Newegg is a PC hardware and components retailer with an affiliate program available through major affiliate networks (Newegg Affiliate Program, FlexOffers).
Why it fits tech reviewers: PC building and component review channels rely on Newegg for GPUs, motherboards, and peripherals that don’t always show up in general retail catalogs. The 7-day cookie is more forgiving than Best Buy’s, useful for a considered purchase like a full PC build (Newegg Affiliate Program, getlasso).
4. Amazon Associates (Electronics Category)
Commission Structure: Roughly 1%-4% for most electronics categories, varying by product type and updated quarterly
Payout Frequency: Roughly 60 days after the month of sale, direct deposit or gift card
Cookie Duration: 24 hours (extends to 90 days if the item is added to cart within the initial window)
Description: Amazon Associates remains the largest general affiliate program, with electronics commission rates that are modest compared to niche brand programs but backed by an enormous catalog and near-universal buyer trust (Amazon Associates commission rates by category, EarnifyHub).
Why it fits tech reviewers: Almost every gadget reviewed on YouTube is also listed on Amazon, making it the practical fallback link for products without their own affiliate program, even though rates run lower than direct brand programs.
| Program | Typical Max Commission Rate | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Best Buy | 1% | Retailer |
| Newegg | 2.5% | Retailer |
| B&H Photo | 8% | Retailer |
| DJI | 5% | Direct brand |
| Wyze | 10% | Direct brand |
| Anker | 8% | Direct brand |
| Eufy | 15% | Direct brand |
Rates reflect top of published range per each program’s own affiliate page; actual payout varies by product and tier.
Direct Brand Programs: Higher Rates, Narrower Catalog
Gadget brands running their own programs generally pay more than retailers because they capture the full margin on a direct sale.
5. Anker Affiliate Program
Commission Structure: 8% commission on all sales (US), 7%-15% depending on region and volume (EU/UK/Nordics)
Payout Frequency: Via LinkShare or Impact network terms
Cookie Duration: 30 days
Description: Anker runs its affiliate program directly, covering its portable chargers, charging cables, speakers, and the SOLIX power station and AnkerWork webcam/audio lines (Become an Affiliate, Anker US).
Why it fits tech reviewers: Anker products appear constantly in “best charger” and “desk setup” content, and the 30-day cookie is a major upgrade over most retailer windows for products researched across a few days before purchase (Anker affiliate program cookie and commission details, Webgains).
6. DJI Affiliate Program
Commission Structure: 2% on drones, 5% on handheld products (gimbals, action cameras)
Payout Frequency: Standard network terms
Cookie Duration: 30 days
Description: DJI’s own affiliate program is accessible through its affiliate portal and covers its full drone, gimbal, and Osmo action camera lineup (DJI Affiliate Program, u.dji.com).
Why it fits tech reviewers: Drone channels are built around DJI hardware, and while the drone commission rate is modest, high average order values ($500-$3,000) make even 2% meaningful per sale (DJI Affiliate Program commission breakdown, getlasso).
7. Wyze Affiliate Program
Commission Structure: Up to 10% commission on eligible Wyze.com purchases
Payout Frequency: Managed through Pepperjam/Impact-style network terms
Cookie Duration: Standard network cookie window (check current terms at signup)
Description: Wyze’s “Wyze Insiders” program is free to join and covers its budget smart home lineup — cameras, video doorbells, and robot vacuums — sold on wyze.com in the US (Wyze Insiders Affiliate Program).
Why it fits tech reviewers: Wyze is a mainstay of budget smart home comparison content, and its program is straightforward to get approved for, typically within about a day (Wyze Affiliate Program setup guide).
8. Eufy Affiliate Program
Commission Structure: 7%-15% commission on approved sales
Payout Frequency: Standard network terms
Cookie Duration: 30 days
Description: Eufy (Anker’s smart home sub-brand) runs its own affiliate program covering security cameras, video doorbells, and robot vacuums, with commission rates that scale with sales volume (Affiliate, eufy US).
Why it fits tech reviewers: Home security and robot vacuum channels regularly feature Eufy alongside Wyze as budget-to-midrange comparisons, and the 30-day cookie plus double-digit commission ceiling make it one of the stronger direct brand options here.
Software and Subscription Programs for Tech Channels
Reviewers who also cover software or privacy tools have access to a different model: flat bounties or recurring percentages instead of a cut of a physical sale.
9. ExpressVPN Affiliate Program
Commission Structure: Flat CPA bounty — reported around $13 per monthly plan signup, $22 per 6-month plan, and $36 per annual plan
Payout Frequency: Monthly via PayPal or wire transfer
Cookie Duration: 30 days
Description: ExpressVPN’s affiliate program runs on the Impact platform and pays a one-time bounty per new subscriber rather than a recurring cut (ExpressVPN Affiliates; commission figures per ExpressVPN Affiliate Program review, getlasso).
Why it fits tech reviewers: VPN reviews and privacy-focused content are common on gadget channels, and a flat $22-$36 bounty on a single annual signup often outperforms percentage-based hardware commissions per conversion.
10. pCloud Affiliate Program
Commission Structure: 20% commission on lifetime plan payments and 20% recurring on monthly/annual subscriptions
Payout Frequency: Monthly, $10 minimum via PayPal ($500 minimum for bank transfer)
Cookie Duration: 45 days
Description: pCloud is a cloud storage service with lifetime-plan and subscription options, and its affiliate program pays a flat 20% regardless of plan type (pCloud Affiliate Program).
Why it fits tech reviewers: Cloud storage is a natural companion topic for camera and drone reviewers whose audience generates large video files, and the 45-day cookie outlasts most hardware retailer windows.
How to Pick the Right Mix for Your Channel
Not every program here belongs in every tech channel’s link stack. Match the program to what you review most often.
- General unboxing/review channels: Amazon Associates plus Best Buy or Newegg for catalog breadth, supplemented with direct brand programs (Anker, Wyze, Eufy) for accessories and smart home products featured regularly.
- Camera, drone, and AV-focused channels: B&H Photo Video as the primary retailer link, plus DJI’s direct program for drone- and gimbal-specific content.
- Budget smart home comparison channels: Wyze and Eufy side by side, since these brands are frequently compared directly against each other.
- Channels that also cover software: Add ExpressVPN and pCloud, both of which pay well above typical hardware commission rates per conversion.
Whichever combination you choose, verify current commission rates and cookie windows directly on each program’s affiliate page before publishing, since retail commission structures change more often than brand programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do retailer affiliate programs pay so much less than brand programs?
Retailers like Best Buy and Newegg split thin margins across a marketplace of competing brands, so their commission is a small slice of an already-thin margin. Direct brand programs (Anker, Wyze, Eufy, DJI) keep the full retail margin, which is why they can afford rates several times higher.
How many affiliate programs should a tech review channel run?
Most established channels stack around 4-6 programs: one or two broad retailers for catalog coverage, plus niche brand programs matching the categories they cover most. Running too many at once makes disclosure and link management unwieldy without meaningfully increasing earnings.
Conclusion
Tech reviewers and gadget YouTubers have more affiliate program variety than almost any other content niche, spanning general retailers, single-brand programs, and software subscriptions. The programs profiled here — Best Buy, B&H Photo Video, Newegg, and Amazon Associates for catalog breadth, Anker, DJI, Wyze, and Eufy for higher direct-brand commissions, and ExpressVPN and pCloud for software content — cover most of what a typical gadget channel reviews in a given month.
Start by mapping which programs match the categories you already cover most, apply directly through each program’s own affiliate page, and prioritize longer cookie windows for higher-consideration purchases like cameras and drones. Confirm current rates and terms before publishing, since commission structures change at the program’s discretion.