Sephora is a popular beauty retailer, offering nearly everything from high-end luxury beauty, hair, and makeup products, to niche products to Sephora brand products! The Sephora affiliate program is a dream come true for the wannabe beauty guru and gives beauty fanatics the opportunity to earn passive income while promoting the products they are passionate about.
The Sephora Affiliate Program is one we would highly recommend, as it has more pros than cons.
Sephora is an incredibly popular brand, and the Affiliate Program offers an 8-10% commission on purchases with no brand restrictions. The earning potentials are high with this one if you market correctly.
Sephora is a well-known brand based out of Paris. They do service customers internationally and are quite trendy in the US.
Beauty products are consistently in demand as beauty products are typically part of most women’s everyday routines. This review will give an in-depth look at the Sephora affiliate program.
Sephora Affiliate Program’s Commission Rates and Rules
The commission rate for the Sephora Affiliate Program is very high compared to some beauty competitors’ affiliate programs. The commission rate for Sephora’s Affiliate Program is stated on their website as
- Ranging from 8%-10%
- Sephora has a 1-day cookie, meaning your customer must purchase within 24 hours for you to get a commission on their purchase.
This is much a higher earning potential to the Ulta Affiliate program, which has a 2% commission rate. Sephora Affiliates also earn commissions on any brand they get purchases on, with no brand restrictions.
This is nice for Sephora Affiliates who can manage to sell the higher-end, expensive luxury products that Sephora stocks their shelves with.
In addition to this, the commission rate does not vary from product to product. It stays the same for every item that you sell, meaning that they do not lower the commission rate on high-end products. They sell roughly 45,000 products from over 400 brands, so the possibilities are endless.
Sephora Affiliate Program Tools and Support
Sephora’s Affiliate Program is partnered with a company called Rakuten. Rakuten handles tools related to affiliate commissions, while Sephora handles the ordering, shipping, and billing processes. Rakuten and Sephora do a wonderful job at making advertising and earning commissions the easiest it could possibly be for members of their affiliate program.
Together, they offer all the tools an affiliate could possibly need to ensure as much success as possible.
- Processing orders and handling customer service
- Exciting promotions, banners, and creative ads
- Providing 24/7 Customer Support through Rakuten
- Helping Affiliates handle advertising and commissions
How do you join the Sephora Affiliate Program?
It is currently completely free to join the Sephora Affiliate Program. To join the Sephora Affiliate Program, you simply fill out the online registration form found on their website.
The Sephora Affiliate Program page can be found by going to Sephora’s website, navigating to the “About Sephora” tab, and then clicking on “Affiliates”. Sephora will reach out and contact you after reviewing your website if they find that you will be a good fit for their program.
Once you get to the online registration form, you will have to read the requirements and recommendations document before proceeding. The information that the online registration form requires is the information for your company.
Next, they will ask for your personal and contact information. After this, they will ask for the information for your primary website. They will also ask you for a payment threshold, or the amount you would like to reach to trigger payment each month. Rakuten notes that they will withhold your payment if it is less than $50.
Sephora does require applicants to have a website. Although you can have multiple websites under one Sephora Affiliate Partnership, you must have at least one. You cannot become a Sephora Affiliate without a website.
The Sephora Affiliate program website states that while most websites are eligible to participate in their program, they do reserve the right to deny any website that has objectionable material on it.
If you are accepted into this program, a Sephora Affiliate does not have too many responsibilities as the program is pretty much hands-off after the startup. The program was designed to be as simple as possible.
As a Sephora Affiliate, I have found that the biggest responsibility that comes with this role is putting links on your website. Sephora and Rakuten handle everything else for you.
Pros and Cons of the Sephora Affiliate Program
Like any affiliate program, the Sephora Affiliate Program has its pros and cons. The Sephora Affiliate Program is a great program for anyone and everyone interested in beauty. Hopefully, this list will be helpful in determining whether or not this program is a good fit for your needs.
Pros of the Sephora Affiliate Program
- Earn commission on all products, without brand restrictions
- Everyday free shipping over $50 & free samples with every order
- Exclusive newsletters and product sneak peeks
- Exciting promotions, banners and creative
- Affiliate-only special offers & promotions
- It is completely free to join the Sephora Affiliate Program
Cons of the Vistaprint Affiliate Program
- You are only paid once per month
- Rakuten will withhold payment if you earn less than $50 in a month
Overall, for this program, there are definitely more pros than cons.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Sephora pay its affiliates?
Sephora pays its affiliates anywhere between 8% to 10% on each commission.
What products are eligible for affiliate sales?
All products are eligible for commission via affiliate sales. There are no brand restrictions under the Sephora Affiliate Program.
How long do you have to make a sale from someone who uses your Sephora Affiliate link?
Because of the fact that Sephora has a one-day cookie, your customer must make a purchase within 24 hours of opening your link for you to make a commission off of their purchase.
Does Sephora run its affiliate program?
Sephora runs this program in partnership with the advertising company Rakuten. Sephora and Rakuten work together in collaboration to split responsibilities. Sephora handles the ordering, shipping, and billing processes while Rakuten handles the commissions and affiliate tools.
How to promote Sephora online
Sephora is a trendy, in-demand, well-known brand. High demand for a brand and its products means more commission for you if you know how to promote your product well. In order to know what to promote, it is important to keep up with what beauty products are currently trending and the most popular.
An easy way to figure this out is to visit Sephora’s main web page. On their main web page at www.sephora.com, they have a tab called “Selling Fast’.
Here, you are able to view products at Sephora are currently the most popular, and alter what you advertise on your affiliate links based on this information.
Currently, the Sephora “Selling Fast” products page lists the following products as their most popular is Anastasia Beverly Hills Empty 4 Well Refillable Eye Palette.
Other Popular Products
- Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops
- LYS Beauty Higher Standard Satin Matte Cream Blush
- Too Faced Born This Way The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Pallette
- Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40
- KVD Beauty Good Apple Skin-Perfecting Hydrating Foundation Balm
- NARS Mini Radiant Creamy Concealer
- The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum
- HERMÈS Mini Replica Coffret Set
- The INKEY List Retinol Anti-Aging Serum
- Yves Saint Laurent Mini Black Opium & Libre Eau de Parfum Duo
- Paula’s Choice Mini Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
- Mount Lai Gua Sha Facial Lifting Tool
- Dior Rouge Dior Refillable Lipstick
- The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Acne + Pore Cleanser
- SEPHORA COLLECTION Face Mask
- Huda Beauty Life Liner Double Ended Eyeliner Liquid & Pencil
- Pat McGrath Labs Mini Lust: Lip GlossTM Trio
- SEPHORA COLLECTION Cream Lip Shine Liquid Lipstick
To make sure that you are effectively marketing towards potential consumers or customers, it is important to know the items that consumers are most likely wanting to buy and to create the kind of content that will help you attract more viewers who will purchase a product using your affiliate link.
For example, if you are a Home Decor blogger, Sephora Affiliates is probably not the right program for you or your wallet. On the other hand, a beauty-guru YouTuber or blogger would probably do great in this program.
Programs related to the Sephora Affiliate Program
Another similar program is the Ulta Affiliate Program. Personally, I believe that the Sephora Affiliate program is better than the Ulta Affiliate Program because even though both Ulta and Sephora are well known and respected beauty stores, Ulta only offers a 2% commission rate for their affiliates.
If you are interested in Ulta’s program and a frequent shopper there, you would probably be much better off just signing up for their cash back credit card or their rewards program.
Sephora and Ulta also sell most of the same products, especially on the luxury end. The biggest difference between Ulta and Sephora is the fact that Ulta sells drugstore brand beauty products, while Sephora does not.
If your website fans and viewers are looking for more budget brands, you may want to look into the Ulta Affiliate program.
Should you become a Sephora Affiliate Program
If you are a beauty blogger, beauty YouTuber, lifestyle blogger, or anyone who makes content that falls under the beauty niche, I would say absolutely!
Even outside of the commission and the potential for big bucks being made on luxury sales, Sephora offers special perks just for the Affiliate. This can help you save money while you make money, and give you access to deals you would not have necessarily been able to use before.