You cannot use your own Amazon Affiliate link to buy products on Amazon.
Doing this is a violation of the Amazon Associate Program Policy, which states:
“You will not directly or indirectly purchase any Product(s) or take a Bounty Event action through Special Links, whether for your use or for the use of any other person or entity.”
Don’t worry though, if you do accidentally make a purchase through your own affiliate link Amazon will simply remove the commission from your account and no further action will be taken.
Can You Refer Friends & Family To Shop Through Your Amazon Affiliate Link?
No,
The Amazon Associate Program Policies states:
“You will not…encourage any of your friends, relatives, employees, contractors, or business relations to directly or indirectly purchase any Product(s) or take a Bounty Event action through Special Links..”
So you cannot send your affiliate link to any people you know and encourage them to make a purchase.
Purchases should happen without prompting through existing links on your site that people click on of their own free accord.
What Happens If You Or Your Family/Friends Make Purchases Through Your Amazon Affiliate Link?
If you accidentally (or on purpose) make a purchase through your own affiliate link Amazon will record the clicks and the purchase but you will not receive any commission for it.
The same is true if family or friends that Amazon are aware you have a connection with make purchases through your link.
Most people who use affiliate links regularly have at some point made a purchase through their own link and it is rare for Amazon to take any action other than removing the commission from your affiliate account.
However, although it is very rare, Amazon would be within their rights to terminate your account for making a purchase through your own link or if family and friends make a habit of regularly using it.
Unfortunately, there would be nothing you can do about it if they did ban your account, so it is advisable that you avoid doing it.
Some people who have had their Amazon Affiliate account banned in the past have found it impossible to ever make as Amazon can work out who they are from their bank details if they try and create a new account.
How Does Amazon Know Who My Friends & Family Are?
The primary way that Amazon works out who is connected to you is through tracking IP addresses.
For example, if you share your affiliate link with a colleague at work Amazon will know that you have accessed Amazon through the same work IP address so will discount the commission from that sale.
If you visit your parent’s home and access your Amazon account while connected to their Wifi and later your parents try to make a purchase through your affiliate link, Amazon will again assume that you have encouraged them to buy through your link and will remove subtract any commission from the sale.
Also Read: