Chewy Affiliate Program Review

If you are an avid pet enthusiast, you have most probably heard about Chewy once or twice. This would be true, especially if you run a pet-related blog, social media pages, or other related sites. It would interest you to know that you can earn a lot of cash promoting the company. Sounds good? Now is the time to capitalize on your interests and switch it up into a money-making enterprise through the Chewy Affiliate Program. As a fast-growing establishment, the Chewy Affiliate Program is one of the pet industry’s most talked-about affiliate marketing schemes.

Straightaway, Chewy is one of the fastest-growing pet e-commerce stores in the US. Secondly, if you know about affiliate marketing, you would understand it is a veritable means of earning passive income. Finally, the Chewy Affiliate Program is an arrangement between marketers and Chewy to promote products on Chewy’s website. Simply put, marketers, which in this case are online publishers or content creators, advertise available items on Chewy’s site. On the other hand, Chewy compensates the publishers for motivating their audiences to buy a product.

Are you wondering what makes the program unique? The good thing is that this article discusses the highlights and prospects of this scheme in all practicality. However, before you sign up, we would love to show you the upsides and drawbacks of the Chewy Affiliate Program. This way, you fully understand what you are up for.

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Company Overview

Chewy swung open its doors in 2011 to make the reality of pet care more convenient through the provision of quality supplies and services. The subscription-based pet service also seeks to offer pet parents round-the-clock assistance regarding their pets in time of need. The company remains true to the vision, and it took only six years to grow into a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Though originally started in Florida, the company now has a second headquarters in Boston.

Chewy is currently a subsidiary of PetSmart, one of the biggest names in the pet industry, with over three decades in business. The former only came under operation by PetSmart following the 2017 acquisition, which was the most expensive online retail store acquisition at the time. In a bid to expand the scope of its services, Chewy Pharmacy saw the light of day in mid-2018. The mission is to ease the process of getting pet prescriptions. Chewy went public in 2019, and according to Nasdaq, the stock price may double by 2027.

Chewy undeniably checks all the boxes of a modern e-commerce destination. The website houses an inventory of over 100,000 products from 2000+ brands in its catalog. Also, it has one of the most excellent logistics, with a strict policy of delivering orders in one to two days. Speaking of swift delivery, during the hay days of the Covid-19 pandemic, the company came through for millions of pet owners. It is no coincidence it added over 7.2 million new customers to its long list of active users in only two years. In fiscal 2021, sales shot up by about 47%, and the company recorded over 8.9 billion in net sales.

If you run a multi-niched pet blog and are looking to monetize it, then Chewy is for you. The company’s products are useful to any audience of pet lovers. In fact, it is almost impossible to run out of products to promote. The inventory spans animal necessities, including food, medical care, toys, and other pet supplies. What’s more, Chewy’s product catalog caters to virtually all categories of domestic animals, including birds, cats, dogs, fishes, and horses. Other categories include farm animals and small pets like the ferret, hamster, rabbit, goat, pig, cow, and even bees. Reptiles are not left out.

Becoming a partner in the Chewy affiliate program is pretty easy, and membership approval takes about 48 hours. We will discuss the process subsequently. The company is open to all partner mediums within the confines of its quality and content standards; websites, social networks, etc. Upon approval, each affiliate can now generate product links. Leads and conversions through each link are monitored through Partnerize and CJ Affiliate, and partners earn commissions accordingly.

Regarding commissions, Chewy offers affiliates a flat-rate commission of $15 for every new customer who purchases through each unique affiliate link. By implication, second-time purchases even through a different affiliate link do not qualify for commissions. According to the contract terms, a new customer is anyone who has not bought anything from the company since 2012.

Note that Chewy has a cookie window of 15 days. Therefore, only purchases completed through affiliate links within that time frame qualify for the $15 compensation. Marketers get paid every month either via checks or direct bank deposits.

Pros

Well-known brand
Broad catalog of products
Easily marketable products
Excellent customer support
Straightforward application process with minimum requirements
Timely payment of commissions

Cons

Second-time purchases do not qualify for commissions
Short cookie window

Commission: 15$ from any purchase made by a new customer

Cookie window: 15 days

Affiliate program: Chewy Affiliate Program

How to Join Chewy Affiliate Program

First off, we would like to state that anyone with a special interest in animal care and wellness is welcome to join the Chewy Affiliate Program. If you already operate a pet-niched website, even better. It boosts your chances of being accepted.

Application into the Chewy Affiliate Program follows a structured but straightforward procedure. CJ Affiliate and Partnerize are the two affiliate marketing solution providers that manage the process. You can join via either; avoid signing up on both. If you are already a member of either platform, you do not have to create a new account; login directly. If not, begin the registration process by navigating to the Chewy Affiliates page. Drag your mouse to either “Apply To Partnerize” or “Apply To CJ Affiliate.” Follow the step-by-step guide below.

1. Partnerize

Tap the “Apply To Partnerize” button and sign up for a member account on the subsequent page. The account creation procedure is divided into three phases: Contact, Address, Extras & terms. Summarily, you will have to submit your basic details, including name, email, etc., then website URL, contact address, and zip code. Verify your email and log in to your account. Click “Campaign” on the navigation bar, find Chewy, submit your application, and wait till you get feedback.

2. CJ Affiliate

If you click the CJ Affiliate button, you will arrive on the platform’s sign-up page. Needless to say, you would need to create an account. So, input your email address, name, and preferred password. You can change the language if you wish to receive subsequent instructions in another language other than English. Tap “Verify Email,” and you will receive a verification email within the minute. Follow the accompanying link to complete your account creation, then log in on the CJ Affiliate website. Locate “Advertiser” on the homepage and search for “Chewy” using the search button on the next page. Click the greenish “Apply To Program” by the top right and submit your application.

Products to Promote

Chewy has a vast catalog and collection of products from several reputable brands running into hundreds of thousands. The product inventory caters to pets and pet parents/owners. In fact, you can’t possibly run out of items to promote.

Food: This is perhaps the widest category of Chewy’s product collection – over 4000 pet food items. Sub-categories under “Food” include dry, freeze-dried, frozen, human-grade, raw, and wet, where “Dry Food” is the broadest. Other sub-categories are food toppings and veterinary diets.

Pet Supplies: This category includes all necessary provisions that make pet care seamless. Pet supplies include pet beds, bowls, collars, crates, feeders, grooming tools, leashes, pods, toys, treats, etc. All these are essentials for pet development. You will also find pet tech products like cameras, GPS trackers, automated feeders, and treat dispensers.

Medication: Unlike the other product categories, Chewy offers medication for only cats, dogs, and horses. The two sub-categories under medication are “Healthcare” and “Vitamins and Supplements.” Healthcare includes dental, ear, eye, and skincare products. Other available items are allergy relief, antibiotics, first aid kits, pain relief, test kits, etc.

Personalized Products For Parents/Owners: Besides pet products, Chewy dedicates one segment for pet parents where they order a wide variety of customized items. The items include doormats, home decor, mugs, picture frames, stockings, wallpapers, etc. The good part is that customers can have their pets’ pictures on these products.

How to Earn Extra Income From the Chewy Affiliate Program

• Curate Compelling Content Regularly

If you must succeed as an affiliate marketer, your content management and marketing game must be tight. Tight as in on point. Your viewers will only come back to your page or website if your content is valuable to them. At the same time, if they visit and find nothing new over a while, they may never return. Therefore, curating content appealing enough for customers to purchase products through your affiliate links is crucial.

• Learn Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization positions your website among the top results when people search specific keywords relating to your niche. Speaking of keywords, we strongly suggest you invest time in analyzing the most-searched ones. This optimizes your article for recognition by search engines. Here’s a compilation of some of the best keyword research tools.

• Email Marketing

This involves building a subscriber base of your website visitors. A simple way to collect emails is by appealing to your audience to sign up for your newsletter. Apart from getting email addresses, you get to know them by name. We believe strongly that this is an excellent shot at customer retention because readers will have no doubt you want the best for their pets. In fact, they may recommend your website to friends and family members with pets.

• Create a Pinterest Account

According to Statista, Pinterest has over 430 million monthly active users currently. More than a platform to surf for inspiring content, it is a destination for people to find shopping ideas. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, 83% of users come to make buying decisions. Therefore, it makes for a good destination to promote products.

• Promote Discounts

This is another simple way to improve your affiliate performance; draw attention from customers and increase sales. An increase in sales is directly proportional to your earnings. Candidly, no one will say no to a jaw-dropping deal of a 50% price slash. A report by Statista shows that about 50% of people look out for discounts before making a purchase decision. Chewy offers a 35% discount to customers who subscribe to Autoship on their first order.

Chewy Affiliate Program vs Amazon Associate

Amazon is undoubtedly one of the biggest online retail stores today, and consumers can find absolutely any legit product on the platform. On the other hand, Chewy is an e-commerce store that is dedicated to pets and pet-related services. So, which of the affiliate programs should you sign up for as a pet enthusiast? Only you can make that decision; however, follow the comparison below.

Direct/Third-party Seller

While both platforms make a wide range of products available, one is solely a direct seller while the other has multiple third-party sellers. Amazon is an everything platform and features numerous third-party sellers, many of which offer sub-standard goods. Though Amazon tries as much as possible to eliminate these brands, many remain. On the other hand, Chewy handpicks the brand it features on its website and acts as a direct seller. Therefore, there’s a great deal of guarantee on products and, in fact, a low return rate.

Return Policy

Chewy has a 100% refund policy if customers are unsatisfied with purchased items upon return. While Amazon also has a return policy, it does not apply to pet products. At best, customers get in-store credit. However, bear in mind that a 100% refund means a deduction in affiliate earnings. On the other hand, customers are not satisfied with their products and cannot return a product against their wishes.

Pricing

In terms of pricing, it is a tie between both companies. In other words, prices are largely the same.

Commissions

Amazon recently slashed affiliate commissions. Therefore, we do not recommend signing up on Amazon Associates if you do not have a large audience of readers or viewers. While this is true, you can earn commissions on every verified purchase. On the other hand, you only earn a one-time, flat rate of $15 for every new customer that buys using your affiliate link on Chewy.

Easy Website Navigation

With the vast inventory both platforms offer, easy navigation is crucial. In our opinion, Chewy has a better product arrangement than Amazon. Chewy arranges products according to each pet and type, while Amazon’s catalog is based on brand and price range. If you do not have a specific product in mind already, the latter may be much of a hassle.

Auto-ship Discounts

Customers who subscribe to Chewy’s Auto-ship enjoy up to 35% discount on initial orders while subsequent ones are 5% to 10%. But on Amazon, there is no guaranteed discount because of an auto-ship subscription. Customers will have to pay the same market price each time.

Delivery Speed

Both companies deliver products within one to three days. Therefore, it’s a tie. However, some third-party sellers on Amazon may not be able to meet up with this speed.

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Final Thoughts

While you ponder the facts and weigh your options, we will answer this article’s main question. Is the Chewy Affiliate Program worth your time? Unequivocally, yes! But at the end of the day, it is your decision to make. Understandably, the deal-breaker for many is that there is no affiliate commission on purchases made by returning customers. However, look on the bright side. First of all, it is a great way to monetize your website. Secondly, it offers some of the goods and best services in the pet industry. Furthermore, Chewy is a well-known e-commerce store; therefore, marketing products will not be much of a hassle. Also, the online retail store caters to virtually all categories of pets, including fishes, horses, birds, and even farm animals like pigs, cows, chickens, etc. Therefore, you can branch out to and explore other niches.