Pepperjam Network Review – Are They The Spiciest Affiliate Network Around?
If you’re an affiliate marketer, you’ve probably heard of Pepperjam before. They’ve been around since 2000, and are known as one of the largest in the game. They have quite the backstory, as well. Let’s talk about them.
If you’re an affiliate marketer, you’ve probably heard of Pepperjam network before. They’ve been around since 2000, and are known as one of the largest in the game. They have quite the backstory, as well. Let’s talk about them.
Pepperjam Network
You might find the name peculiar. They have the word “jam” in their name because they first sold it. Throughout the years, the e-commerce site evolved, eventually becoming a successful affiliate marketing network. The company was eventually bought by eBay. First known to the public as the eBay Enterprise Affiliate Network, they went back to their roots and renamed themselves Pepperjam.
Signing-Up on Pepperjam Network
When you enter their registration page, you’ll be met with three account options. Choosing one depends on what you want to get out of the site. These are the options available:
- Merchants (Brands or advertisers)
- Affiliates (Publishers or influencers)
- Agency (On the behalf of brands and advertisers, you manage affiliates)
You’re most likely here because you’re wondering how it’s like to be an affiliate on the site, so let’s focus on its signing up process. You need to first give Pepperjam your contact information. You’ll then have to provide the platform data on your site.
They expect you to go deep with the information you provide. That’s why you’ll have to analyze your website for them. These tell merchants if you’re worth their time or not. This would include you:
- Making note of the categories you fall into.
- Stating the means that you use to make sales, or generate traffic.
- Stating the location that most of your audience comes from.
- Stating the social media platforms that you mostly use.
The company would then ask you how you’d like to receive payments. You can choose from checks, direct deposits, and PayPal. You’ll most likely be using the latter option, though. It’s the default one. You’ll have to speak to their team to pick the others. If you’re from outside of America, the site would unfortunately only let you use the e-wallet. This is concerning as in some countries it doesn’t let you withdraw cash.
One of the best things about their signing-up process is that everything is on one page. The affiliate network does not take a lot of time to approve applications either. This is appreciated as its counterparts tend to take a while.
Brand Pool
If you’re a publisher looking for a huge pool of brands to work with, you’ll be disappointed. Pepperjam network offers less than 1000. This is peculiar as the company states that they have over 1500.
However, the names on their brand list are impressive. They have some of the largest names in the game, like Puma, Shutterfly, Lindt, and Nordstrom. They are from a good range of niches, as well.
You might be a publisher who wants to work with very small names. They’d be much less corporate-focused, probably have visions and missions more in-line with your business. They’d generally have more adventurous products for you to advertise too. Sadly, there won’t be much of them on the platform.
What is tempting about them is that they also let you work with agencies. As mentioned in the section above, they are groups that run affiliate campaigns for brands. Some of the agencies the network offers are:
- Smarter Chaos
- AKDM
- ForwardPMX
- BlueCherry Group
- Revel Interactive
- DuMont Project
- AffiliateManager.com
Ease-Of-Use
Maneuvering through the site is easy. You are met with all of your primary functions on the left side of the page. The main area is left open so that it isn’t full of clutter. This is especially true as its menu doesn’t pop outwards.
To create links, you’ll have to click on the My Advertisers option, then Get Creatives. The platform will provide you with the following:
- Text Links
- Banners
- Advanced Links
- Products
- Coupons
The above shows up in a tabbed layout. It contributes to how clean Pepperjam network is. Everything is on one page.
When you click on the Products option, you’ll be able to create deep links. You’re more likely to make leads this way.
Like most affiliate networks, it offers a link generating tool. It will create a link to your article for any page on the brand’s site.
In terms of picking an affiliate to work with, you’ll have to click on the Advertisers page, then the Find New Advertisers option. There’s a pretty thorough filter for you to find programs. You can find brands depending on their:
- Category
- Program ID
- Currency
- Offer Type
- Features
- Mobile tracking
You will save time as the filter automatically finds affiliates that you haven’t worked with.
They say the options that line up are the most lucrative for you. We don’t know how true this is. They don’t let you take a peek at their EPC information.
Payments on Pepperjam
As mentioned, you’ll most likely be receiving your cash through PayPal. Even if it’s freely available where you live, you might not be a fan. They charge hefty fees.
You’ll be receiving affiliate payments on the 1st and 15th of each month. Depending on how the weekend falls, you’ll get the cash on the closest possible date.
To receive payments, you’ll need to generate at least $25 in commissions. If you’re a successful site, this probably won’t be a big deal.
Let’s talk about their payment cycles:
To receive your cash on the first of every month, it will be processed on the 24th of the month before it. Meanwhile, if you receive it on the 15th, your payment would have been processed 5 days priors (on the 10th).
Pepperjam network lets you make note of your commissions’ statuses. All you have to do is visit the Reports Tab. The following are the categories your commissions could fall into:
- Pending – Your payment is pending being locked.
- Locked – You will receive your cash in the coming payment cycle. The site’s locking periods are 30, 45, and 60 days.
- Paid – Your commission has already been paid.
- Delayed – Advertiser/Brands may have to issue an invoice for their payments to go through.
- Unconfirmed – Payments need to be confirmed before being paid.
- Updated – Payments that were previously delayed that now have been sorted.
You’ll love to know that you can track payment histories. The affiliate network also says that you can reach out to them for transaction inquiries at any time.
Resources
If you’re new to affiliate marketing, it’s no surprise that you’d find it confusing. That’s why the best networks have heavy resource sections. We’re happy to say that Pepperjam is such a site.
Firstly, there is a multitude of case studies. They provide informative content on brands and publishers that have successfully used them. You can make note of what they’ve done, becoming equally as successful. Of course, there are blog posts too. They include tips and tricks on all the things you must do. Their articles are highly readable and comprehensive. The cherry on top is the fact that their posts cover all sorts of topics.
If you’re not a fan of blog posts, you don’t have to worry. Pepperjam network has webinars which also cover a range of topics. They are also very informative. You don’t have to pay to watch them. All you need to do is go to their Resource page, then click Webinars, and choose from the assortment.
The platform’s resource section is equally helpful. They provide information sheets which contain key statistics on certain niches. They also provide stats on market trends, helping you find the best brand to partner with.
There’s an Industry Topics section that is an FAQ on niches. Their questions and answers are well-written. The topics available are Influencer, Holiday, and Privacy.
If you have a brand, you might think that their resource center is just for publishers. This is not the case. There’s ample content for you too.
Something great about the affiliate network is the ability for you to reach directly to brands. You can do this by sending a query to the manager of the program you’re a part of. By making use of their Advertiser Mail feature, you get a hold of this feature. It’s not something revolutionary, though. Countless affiliate networks make use of this. However, we think Pepperjam offers one of the most streamlined versions.
Customer Support
What can we say about their support team other than the fact that they’re experts? It’s clear that the site thoroughly trains them. Not only did they know exactly what they were talking about, but they were quick to reply and were friendly too.
The most common way to get touch is through their query form. You’ll have to include information on your website, along with your issue before you submit it.
If not for this, you can reach out to specific channels. These are their Press, Sales, and Publisher Support pages. Their Press and Sales channels have emails and phone numbers for you to use. Unfortunately, the company as a whole does not offer a call-center. This is a bummer considering such things are common with competitors.
You can reach out to them on all major social media platforms. If you Tweet them, their official account will most likely respond.
If you need even quicker support, you’ll appreciate their bot. It doesn’t provide the best answers, but it gets the job done. How quick it is depends on what time of day it is, though. It’s not 24/7.
Pros vs. Cons
Now that you’re fully informed about the Pepperjam network, let’s sum it up.
Pros
Signing Up
Opening an account on the site is easy. The sign-up process also takes place on the same page. Once you’ve submitted everything, it doesn’t take much time for your application to get reviewed.
Brand Pool
The affiliate network has some very large names in their brand pool. They are massive corporations and cover all kinds of niches.
Ease-Of-Use
The platform is super easy to use. Its dashboard is well-designed, and you’re met with filters to thoroughly help you find the best affiliate programs. You can easily insert links, and get access to a superb link generator.
Payments
You can track how your payments are doing, through their Status section. You’ll get commissions frequently and be able to receive them on the 1st and 15th of every month. To receive what’s due, you need to have created $25 in commissions, which isn’t too bad.
Resources
Pepperjam network has one of the most thorough resource sections available. They not only offer expert blog posts, but you’re getting webinars, information sheets, and FAQ sections. There are guides for advertisers as well as publishers.
Customer Support
You probably won’t have to reach out to their customer support. You’ll be met with guides to sort your issue on their Resource section. But if you’re planning on getting in contact, you can do so through a contact form. They don’t take long to reply. You can also speak to their live-bot. That being said, it’s not available 24/7. If you want to, you can directly contact the brand you’re having an issue with.
Cons
Brand Pool
Although they offer some impressive names in their line-up, they don’t have the largest advertiser pool. There is about 1000. This is especially upsetting when you consider that claim to have over 1500.
Payments
The default method to receive payments is through PayPal. If you want to receive cash any other way, you’ll have to speak to their support team. These options would be through cheques and direct deposits. Unfortunately, they won’t be available if you live outside the US.
Final Thoughts
So, what’s the verdict? We believe Pepperjam network is one of the best affiliate networks around. They’re one of the largest names in the game, so you’re working with a reliable company. They have some drawbacks, however. The most obvious is the fact that you can only use PayPal to make payments. Other than this, we think their pros outweigh their cons. So, if you’re thinking of working with them, don’t hesitate as they offer some of the best features you will find.
